Where to get the 2020 iPhone SE on sale now that the new model's here
SAVE $25: Walmart has the 2020 iPhone SE (64GB) on sale for $374 as of March 9. That's about 6% off its suggested retail price of $399.
On the hunt for the cheapest iPhone? That title still belongs to the 2020 iPhone SE, which preceded (and looks almost identical to) the new model Apple unveiled at its "Peek Performance" keynote event Tuesday.
In fact, it's even cheaper than usual in the wake of that announcement. As of March 9, you could get an unlocked 2020 iPhone SE with 64GB of storage on sale at Walmart for just $374. (This only applies to the black version, FYI — the red and white ones are both at least full price.) That's $25 off its $399 MSRP and $55 less than what Apple's charging for the 2022 base model when preorders start Friday, for those of you keeping track at home.
This is easily the best 2020 iPhone SE deal around, considering AT&T and T-Mobile's supplies are completely sold out and Verizon's stock was on backorder until early April. Amazon at least had some 2020 iPhone SEs available for purchase, but they were all stuck at full price and required a Cricket Wireless plan.
The only way to get a 2020 iPhone SE for even cheaper is by going the pre-owned route: Best Buy had a used 2020 iPhone SE listed for just $349.99 (or $50 off) at the time of writing, but keep in mind that it comes with a super short 90-day warranty.
Now, for the question of the week: What's the biggest difference between the 2020 and 2022 iPhone SEs (aside from their prices)? That distinction goes to their processors: The 2022 SE packs an A15 Bionic chip for faster performance, extra camera features, and two more hours of video playback compared to the 2020 version's A13 Bionic chip. The 2022 model also offers 5G support, provided you can find a network.
Otherwise, both SEs keep the Home button and the same 4.7-inch Retina HD display — they even come in the same colors (albeit with different names). Truthfully, you probably wouldn't notice a difference unless you turned them on or took them apart.
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Haley Henschel is a Chicago-based Senior Shopping Reporter at Mashable who reviews and finds deals on popular tech, from laptops to gaming consoles and VPNs. She has years of experience covering shopping holidays and can tell you what’s actually worth buying on Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day. Her work has also explored the driving forces behind digital trends within the shopping sphere, from dupes to 12-foot skeletons.
