The $500 iPhone 11 is the new king of budget iPhones

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• Apple reduced the price of the iPhone 11 to $500 after announcing the iPhone 13. 
• The iPhone 11's lower price and superior design, camera, and battery life makes it a better deal than the $400 iPhone SE.
• The iPhone SE is still the obvious choice for people who specifically prefer smaller screens.

In a smart move to draw in anyone who likes a good deal, Apple kept the iPhone 11 on its roster and reduced its price from $600 to $500 after announcing the iPhone 13. 

Back when the iPhone XR was still around as the "big budget iPhone" option, it was easily argued that the iPhone SE 2020 posed better value. Mainly, the iPhone SE had a newer and more powerful A13 Bionic processor compared to the A12 Bionic in the iPhone XR. The iPhone XR also didn't sweeten the deal with extra camera performance, and it had a single-lens camera, like the iPhone SE 2020.

Indeed, the $500 iPhone XR was an awkward phone to recommend when the iPhone SE 2020 was $100 less and had a better processor. Apart from a larger screen, longer battery life, and a newer design, the iPhone XR didn't really have that much going for it last year.

The iPhone 11, originally released two years ago in September 2019, has dethroned both the iPhone XR and SE as budget iPhone king. It has the same A13 Bionic processor as the iPhone SE, and comes with suitable reasons for costing $100 more, which isn't a terrible amount to even save up for.

Here's why the iPhone 11, not the iPhone SE, is the new king of budget iPhones for most people:

The iPhone SE 2020 is for people who like smaller screens, whereas the iPhone 11 is for 'most people'

The iPhone SE 2020 and its 4.7-inch screen is a dream come true for iPhone fans who like the smaller form factor. Meanwhile, the iPhone 11 and its 6.1-inch screen suits a wider range of users. 

It's the "Goldilocks" screen size that fans of both smaller and larger screens can feel comfortable with. That's why we say the iPhone 12, not the iPhone 12 Mini, is the best iPhone "for most people."

The iPhone 11 has better battery life

The smaller the phone, the shorter its battery life. Reviewers and users alike have noticed that the iPhone SE's battery life often has them wanting more. 

We found that the iPhone SE would last about a work day with above-average usage, but we'd need to charge it so it would last until the end of the day more comfortably. The iPhone 11, on the other hand, lasted us a day and a half before we felt the need to plug it in.

The iPhone 11 has better cameras than the iPhone SE

The biggest difference between the two phones' cameras is that the iPhone SE has a single camera, while the iPhone 11 has a dual-lens camera that includes a standard wide lens and an ultra-wide lens with a 120-degree field of view. 

That ultra-wide lens gives the iPhone 11 more versatility for taking beautiful photos, but the iPhone 11 also takes better photos in general. We found that the iPhone SE's camera is similar in quality to the 2018 iPhone XR. That's to say that the iPhone SE's camera is still pretty good, but not as good as the iPhone 11's. 

There's no comparing the selfie camera between the two phones, either. The iPhone 11's 12-megapixel selfie camera with Smart HDR takes decidedly superior selfies than the iPhone SE's 8-megapixel selfie camera without Smart HDR.

The iPhone SE's design really is getting old

You could easily mistake the iPhone SE 2020 for the iPhone 6 that came out in 2014. The big borders above and below the screen give the iPhone SE a dated look that doesn't really belong in 2021. Some people won't care, but the reality is that more people do. 

Meanwhile, the iPhone 11 looks like a modern iPhone with its edge-to-edge screen.

The iPhone SE is still a great budget phone that shouldn't be dismissed

The iPhone SE has a time and a place for those of you who "just want a new iPhone" for as little as possible, and don't mind so much about fancy ultra-wide cameras or edge-to-edge displays. 

Plus, there's a small but vocal minority who do not like Face ID on the newer iPhones and swear by the old-fashioned and reliable Touch ID. Chances are there won't be another iPhone released with Touch ID.

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