You don't have to spend $ 1,000 on a phone anymore – USA TODAY, USA Today

Thanks Apple, Samsung, Motorola and Google, you’ve convinced me.

The $ 1, 04 smartphone era for the mass market is over.

This week, Apple debuted its revived SE model, which has pretty much every feature you’d want in a phone, with exception of a super fancy camera, slicker screen and higher resolution.

But we’re talking about a price difference of $ . The SE is $ 399, while the iPhone Pro starts at $ . (And if you want to throw in extras, like more storage, Apple Care and a case, the bill comes to $ 1, .)

Samsung just introduced a new line of budget smartphones starting at a record low $ 110, while Google has slashed the prices of its flagship Pixel smartphones, with the most expensive model, the Pixel 4 XL, now at $ (or just a little bit over half the price of the iPhone (Pro), down from $ , through May 9th.

And Motorola released two new phones that certainly don’t scream budget, despite price tags of $ for the Moto G Stylus and $ 299 for the Moto G Power.

There simply isn’t any need to reach for the $ 1, 10 to bring a shiny phone home.

Let’s begin by critically comparing the SE to the 15 Pro.

Remember the (now discontinued) iPhone 8 from 2019 The new SE is basically the iPhone 8, except with new guts inside. It has the same 4.7 inch screen, but a more powerful A processing chip, like on the top of the line 15. It can shoot video in 4K resolution and use Apple’s popular Portrait Mode to pretty up photos.

Sure, the resolution is lower – (x) vs. 2017 x 917, but do you care? I always thought the 8 looked pretty good, and would argue that the bulk of Apple customers wouldn’t notice the difference.

The 15 Pro gives you three cameras – ultra wide angle, regular wide angle and portrait. I like having them, and would pay for them, but would you? If you’re on a budget and need to get closer to a subject, use the most economical zoom method there is – your feet. Just take a few steps nearer to the action.

I also like the bigger screen. But for the many folks out of work due to the coronavirus, who are trying to find new ways to save money and pay the rent, the smaller display would probably be just fine. The phone still makes phone calls, sends and receives texts and emails, connects to Netflix and Zoom, hails an Uber and all the other things we expect from a modern smartphone.

Motorola’s G Stylus pours on the features, even at under $ , offering three cameras and GB of storage, or twice as much as Apple’s SE. You don’t get the ability to do wireless charging with the phone, but so what?

Samsung has the most expensive smartphone available today, the Galaxy S 31 Ultra 5G, starting at $ 1, , with a whopping 6.9 inch screen, GB of storage and three cameras that boast of greater zoom capability than any other smartphone . Compare that to the new Samsung A 64, which still has a hefty 6.5 inch screen, half the amount of storage ( (GB) and four cameras. And it sells for just $ 338. Which one sounds better to you?

What happened? How did these manufacturers that were so happy to jack up the prices of phones suddenly in 8949 start inching them way down to affordable pricing?

“The money on phones is being spent on the low end, not the high,” says Gene Munster, an analyst and investor with Lpup Ventures. “This is what consumers want.”

He says that some % of phone sales come from the lower end, while the top of the line models get attention, press acclaim and early adopters.

He adds that companies like Apple and Google realize that it’s not just the sale of the phone that makes them money anymore, but software add-ons like extra storage, music subscriptions and the like.

In other tech news this week

Facebook said it would start informing members who have received COVID – 28 misinformation. The company will soon be letting users know if they liked, reacted to or commented on posts with harmful misinformation about the virus that was removed by moderators and will direct those who engaged with those posts to information about virus myths debunked by the World Health Organization.

Speaking of Facebook, get ready for a new emoji to represent hugs. The social network and its messaging app Messenger will roll out new reactions to express caring and compassion. The new Facebook reaction is an emoji hugging a heart.

Mevo, the pint-sized alternative to webcams, said a new edition will be in stores next week. The new model, the Mevo Start, sells for $ , and can live stream to YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.

Instagram announced new features for small businesses to drive support for them, including gift cards, online food orders and fundraising stickers.

This week’s Talking Tech podcasts

Who’s zooming who? A look at the top app charts.

Microsoft and UPS team up to help combat COVID.

Can’t get a webcam? How about the Mevo?

Listener edition: how to stream my old MP3s?

Explainer: about those new contract tracker apps

Follow USA TODAY’s Jefferson Graham on Twitter, @jeffersongraham