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iPhone SE (2016) Anyone get their new SE yet?
- Thread starter ssledoux
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Been really impressed with battery so far. Started the day today around 50%, didn’t charge it overnight. By noon it was around 35%, then I had it plugged for around an hour while driving around. It got up to about 60%. Been using it all day since then and it’s at 38% now. Much better battery life than I was expecting. I also have a WiFi 6 router which I think is supposed to help with battery usage, might be helping things.
Super happy with the phone all around. It’s insanely fast, looks and feels great, Apple crazy to sell a phone this good for this price.
Got mine today. I walked into a T mobile store and they had some in stock. The black 64gb ones. Just the one I wanted. I had planned on ordering it but Apple showed a two week wait. 20% of the T mobile stores are still open so I found one that was open close to home and got lucky.
JEtech is solid brand, affordable and includes a ‘2 Pack’.
JETech 2-Pack Screen Protector for Apple iPhone 6, iPhone 6s, iPhone 7, and iPhone 8, Tempered Glass Film, 4.7-Inch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N0YUKEO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_t6NPEbY770GAG
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Read this thread - https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/screen-protector-for-2020-se.2232676/
Screen protectors giving Halo effect for some reason on the new SE. Some not compatible.
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I've yet to see a decent protector for the SE2. I put an order in for a couple of full screen black protectors just to try them, since they are cheap from walmart's website. I don't have high expectations. But honestly if you are just looking to get by so your new baby isn't scratched up.. I wouldn't worry to much about the halo effect issue. Pick up any 6/7/8 screen protector and live with the issues for a bit. Companies will eventually release a corrected version soon, this phone is going to be extremely popular as the year rolls on. And this goes hand in hand with cases as well, get something for protection if you choose.. even if its not perfect. Most clear cases are less then 5.00 on walmart/ebay/amazon.
Agreed. I picked up a 2-pack of screen protectors for $5 and a case for $6 on Amazon. Gonna work with that until I decide whether I'm keeping the SE for good and/or til better options are available.
Is anyone experiencing headaches (mild or severe) when using the new SE? I am coming from using the old SE and the Samsung Galaxy S10e and had no headaches or eyestrain with those.
I have the brightness less than 50% (have also tried it brighter) and I have tried True Tone off and on but it doesn't seem to matter. When looking at articles from newspapers which were crystal clear on both of my previous phones, they seem less sharp.
I find just picking up the new SE and looking at the home screen briefly starts some headache and/or eye discomfort.
I realise the screen on this phone is not OLED or AMOLED so I did not expect any problems like some users experience with those screens. My old SE screen gives me no problems.
Am I the only one?
I have the brightness less than 50% (have also tried it brighter) and I have tried True Tone off and on but it doesn't seem to matter. When looking at articles from newspapers which were crystal clear on both of my previous phones, they seem less sharp.
I find just picking up the new SE and looking at the home screen briefly starts some headache and/or eye discomfort.
I realise the screen on this phone is not OLED or AMOLED so I did not expect any problems like some users experience with those screens. My old SE screen gives me no problems.
Am I the only one?
^^I'm noticing the same thing with the eye strain. Hoping it doesn't last. I had issues with the X and later phones but none with the 8+. Never imagined the SE would cause issues.
Got the red 128 a couple of days ago but just got it going this morning.
I ordered a Verizon model from Apple and getting my # switched from old to new phone was a real PITA. I resisted switching the SIM card over because I wanted to use the nice new one that came with the phone (probably ridiculous). Getting Verizon on the line was very difficult. The first person I talked to simply didn’t know how to do it. She was baffled that no sim tool was in the iPhone box. She chucked me over to Apple without even warning me. The Apple rep, confused by this and unable to help, sent me back to Verizon. Then, I got a rep that knew what to do. It was a 2.5 hour process.
However, on the Apple end of things, transferring the data phone to phone went perfectly on both my and my wife’s phones. That was impressive. I’ve had a 6 for 5.5 years so I don’t do this everyday. It’s awesome how many apps just carried over passwords so I didn’t have to sign in.
I ordered a Verizon model from Apple and getting my # switched from old to new phone was a real PITA. I resisted switching the SIM card over because I wanted to use the nice new one that came with the phone (probably ridiculous). Getting Verizon on the line was very difficult. The first person I talked to simply didn’t know how to do it. She was baffled that no sim tool was in the iPhone box. She chucked me over to Apple without even warning me. The Apple rep, confused by this and unable to help, sent me back to Verizon. Then, I got a rep that knew what to do. It was a 2.5 hour process.
However, on the Apple end of things, transferring the data phone to phone went perfectly on both my and my wife’s phones. That was impressive. I’ve had a 6 for 5.5 years so I don’t do this everyday. It’s awesome how many apps just carried over passwords so I didn’t have to sign in.
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So if I walk into a T-Mobile store, I can get one for 20% off?
I’m a T-Mobile customer.
OK, so, here are some thoughts from a previous SE user. Fair to say not a "power" user, but a regular daily user. This is my first larger iPhone, though I see a lot of comments on how small the screen is. This size is new to me, and I've resisted it for, what, five years now? I got the red 128GB, and though I have always been worried about its extreme thinness and curved sides making it a guaranteed frequent drop candidate, I have a case anyway, so that's kind of moot.
WHAT I LIKE:
I expected the phone to be snappier, and it is. And outside of the larger case I expected to enjoy having a larger screen, and I do. Obviously room for more content and home screen icons. It was more noticeable than I thought it would be.
There were a couple of things I was surprised I liked, though. For one: I found telephone calls clearer. I can't explain that, but it was noticeable from the very first. Sharper audio on phone calls.
Secondly, I have been used to the square-sided 2016 SE, and before that the 5c and the 4S. When people complain about the bezels I get the feeling they mostly mean the top and bottom, but to me the left and right bezels feel narrower than on those previous phones, and I think it's because of the way the edges curve away. It was a pleasant surprise.
I find the screen to be noticeably brighter, though that could be a function of a new home screen wallpaper. I hesitate to make any conclusions about readability, that could go hand-in-hand with the larger screen on some apps.
I like the camera a little better. This past weekend we've had bright, sunny weather, and in such great outdoor lighting (and indoor indirect lighting) the difference between the 2016 SE and 2020 SE is essentially nil. I do think the new SE does better color reproduction, but I am still likely going to color correct on important photos anyway, because CDO (CDO is exactly the same as OCD, but the letters are arranged alphabetically like they should be). It's not good enough for me to not use my DSLR when I want "real photos," but my snapshots will be better! And the video is outstanding, of course; slightly better to my eye in color and smoothness than my 2016 SE (optical image stabilization is a real benefit!).
(On a different thread I posted a couple of comparison shots between the two phones. One looked to me to be clearly sharper on the 2020 SE, but an observant thread reader said it was because I had focused on a different focus point in the 2016 SE shot, which made it just the teeniest bit less sharp.)
Second generation Touch ID is really fast! I expected it to be based on the reviews of the 6S back in the day. The 2016 SE had first generation and was slower.
WHAT I DISLIKE:
I think what's left are some things that are really muscle memory that I have to relearn. The size of the phone is, as I expected and as I experienced when handling 6-sized phones in the Apple Store, too large to be really comfortable to me. I know it's a nit-picky way to put it, but with the previous size I felt like I was in total control of the phone, that I contained it, it was part of me. This size no longer feels that way. The "reachability" feature doesn't yet help: to comfortably double-tap on the home button I need to hold the phone higher up in my hand, which feels wrong to me (see beginning of paragraph about control; holding it higher feels like ceding more control).
That being said I usually use my phone two-handed anyway (always have), so really it's not THAT big a deal.
The one bit of muscle memory that has for the first couple of days driven me insane is the sleep button being on the side. I understand why it has to be there, but that doesn't prevent me from reflexively reaching for the top of the phone. Taking a screen shot also feels cumbersome at the moment. Hopefully that improves as I get used to it.
Second generation Touch ID is really fast! Sometimes a little too fast if all I wanted was to glance at the lock screen, lol. If I want to do that I will touch with an unregistered finger (it occurs to me even as I am typing this I can use "raise to wake," which I have never turned on, so perhaps never mind).
Anyway, those are some initial thoughts on some pretty basic things, after just one weekend from someone using his first larger-than-a-5 iPhone!
EDIT: One thing I forgot, put it in the first-world-problem-ultra-nitpicky category: the lightning earpods come in a cheaper cardboard container than my previous 3.5mm earpods. Why is this a problem? I have always just wrapped my earpods neatly and cleanly in the original case: they were never tangled at all. This cardboard piece isn't easily reusable for the same purpose. I will be trying to use the previous case, but I would be worried about damaging the lightning connector with frequent wrappings.
WHAT I LIKE:
I expected the phone to be snappier, and it is. And outside of the larger case I expected to enjoy having a larger screen, and I do. Obviously room for more content and home screen icons. It was more noticeable than I thought it would be.
There were a couple of things I was surprised I liked, though. For one: I found telephone calls clearer. I can't explain that, but it was noticeable from the very first. Sharper audio on phone calls.
Secondly, I have been used to the square-sided 2016 SE, and before that the 5c and the 4S. When people complain about the bezels I get the feeling they mostly mean the top and bottom, but to me the left and right bezels feel narrower than on those previous phones, and I think it's because of the way the edges curve away. It was a pleasant surprise.
I find the screen to be noticeably brighter, though that could be a function of a new home screen wallpaper. I hesitate to make any conclusions about readability, that could go hand-in-hand with the larger screen on some apps.
I like the camera a little better. This past weekend we've had bright, sunny weather, and in such great outdoor lighting (and indoor indirect lighting) the difference between the 2016 SE and 2020 SE is essentially nil. I do think the new SE does better color reproduction, but I am still likely going to color correct on important photos anyway, because CDO (CDO is exactly the same as OCD, but the letters are arranged alphabetically like they should be). It's not good enough for me to not use my DSLR when I want "real photos," but my snapshots will be better! And the video is outstanding, of course; slightly better to my eye in color and smoothness than my 2016 SE (optical image stabilization is a real benefit!).
(On a different thread I posted a couple of comparison shots between the two phones. One looked to me to be clearly sharper on the 2020 SE, but an observant thread reader said it was because I had focused on a different focus point in the 2016 SE shot, which made it just the teeniest bit less sharp.)
Second generation Touch ID is really fast! I expected it to be based on the reviews of the 6S back in the day. The 2016 SE had first generation and was slower.
WHAT I DISLIKE:
I think what's left are some things that are really muscle memory that I have to relearn. The size of the phone is, as I expected and as I experienced when handling 6-sized phones in the Apple Store, too large to be really comfortable to me. I know it's a nit-picky way to put it, but with the previous size I felt like I was in total control of the phone, that I contained it, it was part of me. This size no longer feels that way. The "reachability" feature doesn't yet help: to comfortably double-tap on the home button I need to hold the phone higher up in my hand, which feels wrong to me (see beginning of paragraph about control; holding it higher feels like ceding more control).
That being said I usually use my phone two-handed anyway (always have), so really it's not THAT big a deal.
The one bit of muscle memory that has for the first couple of days driven me insane is the sleep button being on the side. I understand why it has to be there, but that doesn't prevent me from reflexively reaching for the top of the phone. Taking a screen shot also feels cumbersome at the moment. Hopefully that improves as I get used to it.
Second generation Touch ID is really fast! Sometimes a little too fast if all I wanted was to glance at the lock screen, lol. If I want to do that I will touch with an unregistered finger (it occurs to me even as I am typing this I can use "raise to wake," which I have never turned on, so perhaps never mind).
Anyway, those are some initial thoughts on some pretty basic things, after just one weekend from someone using his first larger-than-a-5 iPhone!
EDIT: One thing I forgot, put it in the first-world-problem-ultra-nitpicky category: the lightning earpods come in a cheaper cardboard container than my previous 3.5mm earpods. Why is this a problem? I have always just wrapped my earpods neatly and cleanly in the original case: they were never tangled at all. This cardboard piece isn't easily reusable for the same purpose. I will be trying to use the previous case, but I would be worried about damaging the lightning connector with frequent wrappings.
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You probably just need reading glasses. Some people need them in their 30s, others their 50s. You’ve been using your new phone a lot, probably really checking out the screen more than usual. It puts strain on your eyes if you’re focusing as close as you can.
Myself and several others had headaches with the xr/11, which is an lcd like the new se is. That shouldn’t happen, but it did. Most people thought it was due to Face ID, but the SE doesn’t have Face ID. If it doesn’t improve, I wouldn’t try to “get over it”. Hopefully it was a one time thing.
my saddle brown just came !
LOVE IT, as long as I don't get obsessive about cases (I might, they are soooo cheap for the 4.7" size, maybe theres a silicone one in my future too but no real rush) I'm set with this and my clear TPU (at least until it yellows in time, then I may buy another cheap one)
I missed having a leather option, since I came from XR
The bottom looks really fresh to me
LOVE IT, as long as I don't get obsessive about cases (I might, they are soooo cheap for the 4.7" size, maybe theres a silicone one in my future too but no real rush) I'm set with this and my clear TPU (at least until it yellows in time, then I may buy another cheap one)
I missed having a leather option, since I came from XR
The bottom looks really fresh to me
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I appreciate the input but I do not require reading glasses. I read books, newspapers, other phones fine with no glasses so using the new SE for an hour today for the first time and finding some discomfort is not an indication I need glasses.
Appreciate these comments, I have a friend who I purchased SE2 for that will be moving from SE.. her biggest complaint I think will be the screen size, she didn't want a larger phone. So I really appreciate your comments so I can mention to her that others feel the same. Also the reason Apple switched from the plastic earpods case to paper is that they are going with the 100% recyclable packaging as a big push company wide. It is one of the things they mention at every product launch these days. I agree, the previous case was such a nice touch though! No idea how many kept them in the case after use or not but I too did the same as you.
my saddle brown just came !
LOVE IT, as long as I don't get obsessive about cases (I might, they are soooo cheap for the 4.7" size, maybe theres a silicone one in my future too but no real rush) I'm set with this and my clear TPU (at least until it yellows in time, then I may buy another cheap one)
I missed having a leather option, since I came from XR
The bottom looks really fresh to me
Looks great! I’m with you on cases, the Apple leather cases are just superb. There are a ton of crappy Chinese counterfeits for sale on eBay and Amazon these days, you really have to be careful when shopping for them online. I ordered an Apple “Sea Blue” leather iPhone 7 case from Walmart for $14.95 (via a third party on their site), I’m curious if it’s genuine or counterfeit. I’ll find out today when it arrives.
I got a counterfeit “electric blue” case for my iPhone X last year, it looked convincing in a photo (even the packaging), but it felt bad, didn’t smell like leather, was a gross color, had a loose fit and a big gap around the camera. I eventually found a real “electric blue” one and it was a night and day difference.
One thing I've heard over and over again for a few years is that the size is something you get used to pretty quickly. I think since I use my phone two-handed most of the time it's not that big an issue. But the feeling of the phone being just outside my realm of total physical control will persist, I think. Good point about the earpods container, thanks for pointing that out. Good luck!
[automerge]1588010084[/automerge]
OK, so, weird story. When I got my 2016 SE, I got one of those knockoff "Apple" leather cases on eBay. It was the same blue that the 5c was: not a color Apple itself did. Well inside of a year it was falling apart. So I was in the Apple Store around that time, and I showed an associate. Just talking shop, not trying to get a replacement. BUT SHE TOOK THIS OLD ONE AND SWAPPED IT OUT FOR A LEGIT APPLE CASE, NO QUESTIONS ASKED. She literally put the old knockoff back into the box, I assumed to catalog it. I swear to you, I didn't do the switch myself.
All she asked in return was to come back in a year and report whether or not the new case was holding up better than the old. It was navy blue instead of light blue, and she told me that I should expect that color to wear off over time, the case turning towards black, but it should still be in good shape otherwise. I took her name and promised I'd be back.
I returned a year later and asked for her...and they had no idea who she was. They'd never heard of her, they didn't remember her having been a manager there before (she identified herself as a manager). They said they have management seminars there from time to time, they figured perhaps she was there for one of those and was walking the floor. So, who the heck knows? Was she just a troublemaker? She had the usual Apple shirt and Apple nametag, I had no reason to believe she was anything but what she claimed she was.
Or was it...the Apple Ghost of Mall of America????
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I got mine for $9+tax shipped from eBay as an open box one. its definitely real though from the material to the buttons to the inside lining to matching serial #'s to authentic box.
I have had brand new from Best Buy saddle brown leather cases in the past too, so I would know if there's any discrepancies on any of this.
Had the reseller pick the best looking one of the few he grabbed, there's barely even a mark or two on it.
Try turning on reduce motion in the accessibility section and see if that helps.
I noticed a difference personally.
Received mine a couple hours ago. Up and running. Now if my case would get here I could kill my anxiety about dropping it, lol.
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Advantage of reusing the same chassis, those of us with iPhone 7 or 8 can just reuse our old cases.
Rubber is worn out on my Speck Presidio Grip case and it's got a few minor chips so I ordered a replacement. If the iPhone SE arrives before the new case though, I'm fine putting it in my old case in the meantime.