Forget the $1,000 iPhone X — Apple's best iPhone is now its least expensive, at just $350

Apple introduced a new iPhone on Tuesday that looks incredible, is faster than ever, and... is outrageously expensive. The base model costs $1,000. One thousand dollars!

We're still talking about phones, right? This is a phone?

Assuredly, millions of people will excitedly plunk down a full stack for the iPhone X. It's more than just a phone — it's a status symbol. I get it. It's a much more affordable version of a Ferrari. Fine.

But I'm a Honda Civic kinda guy.

I want something affordable, powerful enough, and long-lasting. I'm not trying to impress anyone, nor am I the kind of person who lives on the bleeding edge of tech gadgets. That's why I was excited to see that, alongside the announcement of the iPhone X, Apple quietly made the iPhone SE $50 less expensive.

At $350 to start, with 32 GB of storage and the internals of an iPhone 6S, the iPhone SE is the perfect Honda Civic of smartphones.

• It's beyond capable in terms of horsepower, though it's not going to blow anyone away. The chip inside of it, an Apple A9 CPU, is the same chip that powers Apple's iPhone 6S, 6S Plus, and the most recent iPad models.
• The price is affordable when compared to most smartphones, and it's especially low compared to other iPhone models. The new iPhone 8 starts at $700 (to say nothing of the iPhone X's high price tag). 
• Its rear camera is on par with all modern smartphones (once again, the camera is pulled from the iPhone 6S).
• It runs iOS, the most reliable, user-friendly smartphone operating system on the planet.
• It has a headphone jack!

The one limitation of the iPhone SE — its relatively small size — is actually something I personally prefer. I don't watch movies or TV shows on my phone for the most part, and I'm not someone who buys the Plus versions of iPhones.

Of course, if you're looking for something with a slightly larger, prettier screen, the iPhone 6S is a $100 step up. Perhaps you prefer the rounder design? There are a variety of options for you in the iPhone line, seen above.

But if you're anything like me, the perfectly utilitarian, adorably vintage-looking, shockingly affordable iPhone SE is the best iPhone option by a mile.

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