If you're anything like us, you'll have been camping out the Apple store website with your mouse hovering over the buy button for the iPhone SE since it was unveiled last week. Now that it's out in the wild though, we recommend you shop around and see what deals you can find, because some of the most popular cell phone providers have some pretty interesting offers.
Despite the impressive tech specs and build quality on display in the iPhone SE, it retails for just $399, which is an absolute bargain. That price throws it right into the best smartphones mix with other budget handsets like the Google Pixel 3a, though you'll struggle to find anything as powerful as Apple's new device for this cheap. But is it worth picking up? We think so, especially for people who want to snag a powerful smartphone but don’t need the extra bells and whistles of a multi lens camera setup.
Since the iPhone SE is new and has only been on general sale for a matter of days, you’re not going to find the handset for much cheaper than the MSRP unless you're trading in an older handset. On that front, Apple is offering up to $170 off the MSRP when you trade in an eligible handset.
But there are some tasty deals out there for anyone looking to grab an iPhone SE with a plan through one of the best cell phone providers. AT&T has the best deal for our money at the moment, offering the handset for just $5 per month when bought with a qualifying plan.
If you’re not sure which of these cell providers you should choose then we’ve got some articles to help you out. We’ve run down the best cell phone providers and ranked them in terms of overall value and flexibility. We also have an article showcasing the cell phone coverage maps for each of the major providers, so you can find out which network has the best coverage in your local area.
If budget smartphones aren’t your thing and you’re looking for something a little flashier, then you could consider the iPhone 11 or iPhone 11 Pro. And if you’d prefer an Android handset, we’d recommend you look at the OnePlus 8 and Google Pixel 4 XL.
