Purchasing Process#
Since I had the desire to buy a small-screen phone, I thought of the Samsung S10e. After browsing 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 on the second-hand market. After a long search, I learned that I could buy a 64GB one for between 1000 and 1200 yuan, and a 128GB one for between 1400 and 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. It only took me a while to figure out how to filter them. I filtered out those with extremely low prices (they are all fake prices, and fake prices correspond to high prices, whether they are from individuals or businesses). Then, when browsing the product listings, the location of the sellers 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 look at the remaining ones. If individuals were selling many phones, I filtered them out as well.
After filtering, I found a seller who only sells locally. After some communication, I learned that this seller had been scammed before. After returning the phone, someone locked the ID, and the seller had to pay to unlock it. This caused a lot of psychological trauma for the seller. But with my efforts, I managed to convince the seller. However, when the seller was about to send the SIM card to me, the fiber phone case was too tight and the seller couldn't open it. The seller didn't want to force it and risk damaging the phone, so the transaction was canceled. After that, we didn't have much contact, and maybe the seller managed to open it and sold it to someone local...
Actually, I didn't plan to hang myself with a rope. I also tried using 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 product on the "Zhuanzhuan YX" platform. The price happened to be within my budget. Usually, products on "Zhuanzhuan YX" are quite expensive, so I don't know why this one was priced low. The condition was not mentioned in the title, only "defects" were mentioned. When I clicked into the listing, I saw the inspection report. It said 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 default to be replaced (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 unclear, which made me worried after purchasing. When I checked on various platforms, I found that "Zhuanzhuan YX" is known for selling good-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 "Zhuanzhuan" platform, 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 obvious scratches on the frame near the charging port. I also found a not-so-obvious mark on the back cover. I tested the functions and didn't find any major issues, so overall, it was acceptable.
Signal: The iPhone SE 2020 also uses an Intel baseband, and the signal strength does seem to be not very good. In our office, I have 2 or 3 signal bars, while my colleague's iPhone XR has full bars. I use China Unicom and my colleague uses China Mobile. Outside, the signal strength 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 was lost.
Battery Life: It's indeed 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, in reality, it's still sufficient. For light usage like mine, it consumes about 40% of the battery in the morning, and I charge it before leaving work in the afternoon. It's fully charged when I get home, and I use it until it's almost empty before charging it again the next morning. 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 trackpad on the MacBook both provide haptic feedback, which is quite impressive. Switching from a 6-inch phone to this 4.7-inch one, the text does feel a bit tiring to read 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 store to get a screen protector and a case, which cost 10 yuan each. 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. I don't have to worry about the A13 processor.
Actual Condition Photos
| iPhone | SE2020 |
|---|---|
Summary of Disadvantages#
Does not support dual SIM cards (if it's not the Chinese version, it can be modified, 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 worse (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...