I’ve used every single iPhone SE model as my daily driver. Despite testing and getting to play around with all the best phones, I still can’t fathom forking over thousands of dollars for a phone. And while an iPhone SE 4 announcement could be imminent, it could signal the end of my love affair with Apple’s budget phones.
There was a time when top-of-the-line models cost $200 on average with a 2-year contract out the door whenever I’d go to my carrier’s store. But the days of subsidized phones are long gone, replaced by installment plans where you, the consumer, pays for the entirety of the phone over a period of time. Since then, the cost of a phone has kept creeping up, going from $600 outright to the thousands.
