<P> Lauren Goode of The Verge considered the iPhone SE to be "a much - improved, well - designed, small phone with great battery life" and a "kickass upgrade" for existing owners of the 4S or 5S models, noting the device's familiar form factor, high performance (going as far as considering the screen size itself to be the only hindrance to multitasking and certain apps), and improved battery life . The camera's quality and functionality were also praised, arguing that the iPhone SE was a "completely pocketable and powerful little consumer camera" that outperformed other smartphones in its price range . Giving the device an 8.7 out of 10, Goode argued that "the iPhone SE is not a tiny little engine of innovation . It's today's tech in yesterday's phone body . As with anything, we should be wary of giving too much praise to something that's just doing its job ." </P> <P> CNET was similarly positive, considering the iPhone SE to be a "great choice at the small end, with no compromises", albeit recommending that purchasers avoid the 16 GB model; the iPhone SE was the last iPhone model that offered 16 GB as its lowest storage capacity; this option was phased out on both the iPhone 7, and later the SE . CNET also lauded Apple for accomplishing the task of adapting the 6S's hardware to three different form factors; the smaller SE, 4.7 - inch 6S, and 5.5 - inch 6S Plus . Consequently the iPhone SE is more powerful than the existing iPhone 6 despite the SE debuting as the entry - level offering while the 6 was the midrange offering in the lineup, which was rectified in September 2016 when the 6 was discontinued instead of being moved to entry - level and its midrange slot given over to the 6S. Apple's move to phase out the older iPhone 5S and 6 (along with their A7 and A8 SoC, respectively) earlier, rather than produce them for three years like earlier iPhones, allowed them to simplify their manufacturing and software support . </P>

What does the se in iphone se stand for