Purchasing Process#
Since I had the desire to buy a small-screen phone, I thought of the Samsung S10e. After searching for a long time, I found that the ones on the second-hand market for around 600-700 yuan all had screen issues. Only those priced above 800 yuan had perfect screens. I hesitated whether to buy it or not. However, because I recently bought an iPhone 12 for a friend, I thought of the iPhone SE series. So I started searching for the second generation of the SE. After looking for a long time, I learned that I could buy a 64GB one for between 1000-1200 yuan, and a 128GB one for between 1400-2000 yuan. The prices I mentioned here are for phones with all functions working properly, unlocked or blacklisted. I don't consider those with fingerprint issues, etc.
After understanding the relevant price range, I came to the most troublesome part, filtering the sellers. This can be figured out after a while. Low-priced listings are usually fake (regardless of whether they are from individuals or businesses, fake prices correspond to high prices). When browsing the product listings, the location of the seller is displayed. I filtered out Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, and other regions without hesitation. I also filtered out those with cute avatars or nicknames. Then I needed to go in and take a look at the remaining ones, and if individuals were selling many phones, I filtered them out as well.
After filtering, I found a seller who only sells locally. After communicating with him, I learned that he had been scammed before, and after returning the phone, someone locked the ID. He had to pay to get it unlocked, which caused him a lot of psychological trauma. But with my efforts, I managed to convince him. However, when the seller was about to send the SIM card to me, the fiber phone case was too tight and he couldn't open it. He didn't dare to use force, so he canceled the transaction. After that, we didn't have much contact, maybe he managed to open it and sold it to someone local...
Actually, I didn't plan to rely solely on this option. I also tried other platforms. However, many individual sellers didn't reply, maybe they don't check the platform frequently. Some of the replies I received were not in good condition and didn't allow bargaining. Later, I accidentally came across a listing on a platform called "Zhuanzhuan YX" (a curated selection of products). The price happened to be within my budget. Usually, the prices on this platform are quite high, so I don't know why this one was low. The condition was not mentioned in the title, only "defects" were mentioned. When I clicked into the listing, I saw the inspection report, which stated that it was below 80% new, but the report only mentioned two issues: slight scratches on the phone case and a replacement of the back cover. The battery was supposed to be replaced with a new one (I think). After seeing this, I didn't feel much and placed the order.
I have to say that the pictures in the inspection report were really blurry, which made me quite worried. When I checked on various platforms, I found that "Zhuanzhuan YX" is known for selling high-quality phones, but there were also many videos online showing that things didn't go well, which scared me for a while.
Experience with the Product#
After receiving the product, I checked and found that it was a US version (it wasn't mentioned on the listing, but it meant it was not the Chinese version). It was unlocked and had 128GB of storage. I didn't see any scratches on the screen, but there were two noticeable scratches on the frame near the charging port. I also found a slightly inconspicuous mark on the back cover. I tested the functions and didn't find any major issues, so overall, it was acceptable.
Signal: The SE 2020 also uses an Intel baseband, and the signal strength does seem to be not as good. In our office, I have 2 or 3 bars of signal, while my colleague's iPhone XR has full bars. I use China Unicom and he uses China Mobile. Outside, the signal varies from 3 bars to full bars depending on the location. However, there were two subway stations where my previous Android phone had no signal, but the SE 2020 had a slightly better signal. It only took a few seconds to reconnect when the signal dropped.
Battery Life: It's not great. When I use my phone on the bus, the battery drops by one bar every now and then, which makes me quite anxious. However, it's actually sufficient for my light usage. For example, in the morning, the battery drops by 40% after a few hours of use. I charge it before leaving work in the afternoon, and it's fully charged when I get home. I use it until it's almost empty, then charge it again the next morning before going to work. It's similar to my previous Android phone, so it's manageable, but it might be a bit tight.
Other Aspects: The home button and the touchpad on the MacBook both provide haptic feedback, which is impressive. Switching from a 6-inch phone to this 4.7-inch one, reading text felt a bit tiring at first, but I got used to it after a while. The phone's design is the same as the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8. I went to a phone shop to get a screen protector and a case, each costing 10 yuan. The case was from the owner's iPhone 7 inventory, haha. There's no headphone jack, which is a downside, but considering the slim design, I can understand. What I don't understand is why the adapter is so expensive compared to the Type-C to 3.5mm adapter. The A13 processor is also not a concern.
Actual Condition Photos
| iPhone | SE 2020 |
|---|---|
Summary of Disadvantages#
Does not support dual SIM (it can be modified for non-Chinese versions, but I don't think it's necessary to spend money on that). The battery is small (it can be upgraded, but it will change the size of the device, so it's not necessary for now). The signal is indeed slightly weaker (there's no solution, but it's still usable in practice). There's no 3.5mm headphone jack (I ordered a wireless earphone for 79 yuan from JD).
Summary of Advantages#
The system experience is very good and smooth. The phone is comfortable to hold, but it's a bit bulky with a case on...