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iPhone SE (2016) Comparing the 8+ and new SE

T

tonybarnaby

macrumors 68020
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Dec 3, 2017
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If you take size out of the equation, it seems like the 8+ and the new se will perform about the same. Both have 3gb of ram (nearly a guarantee the new se has 3gb). I’d assume the 8+ will get better battery life. Pictures are most likely a wash, with the se possibly having a slight advantage in some areas. The a11 will probably be pretty much on par with the a13 for most usage situations. Obviously the se will score higher on Geekbench, but in actual use I don’t think it’ll be very noticeable.

I’m on the fence about trading in my 8+ for an se, I’m just trying to figure out if it’s an upgrade or a lateral move. Obviously the Xr and above are better overall phones than the new se or 8+, but these are the only 2 I’m comparing.
 
It depends what you want. If you want a bigger screen and better battery life, stick with the 8+. But... the iPhone SE is missing 3D Touch so there’s likely a bigger battery in it... probably not the same size as the 8+. Cameras are hard to compare since none of us have been able to test out the new camera yet.
 
I went from having 2 phones down to only one. My android phone I was using had a 5000mah battery. I know my 8+ can’t make it through a long day at work, so I am considering an SE with an Apple battery case. Even then, I’m not sure how long that setup would last. And then I think about the fact an SE plus would be ideal for me, but if it comes out it won’t be until the fall most likely.
 
BugeyeSTI said:
Did they ever offer a Apple battery case for + models?
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Nope, which is the only reason I’m interested in the SE. SE + battery case should last longer than a plain 8+. I know there are battery cases for the 8+ not made by Apple, but I’m not interested in them.
 
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I have the 8+, and am tempted to get the SE, but battery life is the reason not to. I’ve had the smaller 8 before, battery life is not good. Though, It’s comparable If not better, if you have it in the Apple battery case which is too bulky imo.
 
It's hard to do a decent guess on this due to the hardware changes and how the new devices run on the latest iteration of iOS. I'd venture to say people who are concerned should wait for comparison threads.
 
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I’d wait for the rumored SE Plus, that’ll be the best of both worlds. Prosser’s tweets suggest a launch later in the year, I’m personally betting on WWDC. If not that, then September maybe?
 
TDDM said:
I’d wait for the rumored SE Plus, that’ll be the best of both worlds. Prosser’s tweets suggest a launch later in the year, I’m personally betting on WWDC. If not that, then September maybe?
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Yeah, I definitely don’t “need” a new phone. I’m considering buying a dirt cheap 7 with battery case to hold me over
 
Found a mint 8 with 256gb for $275. 100% battery. I wonder if that’s a better deal + battery case than a 64gb SE plus battery case. The 8 would be $375 total and the SE with case would be about $5xx. I’m just curious how much I will miss that extra gb of ram on the 8, since the only iPhones I have owned have all had 3gb
 
triangletechie said:
Jon Prosser has said the SE+ will be out later this year if you can wait.
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I’m no expert analyst but it seems really weird to me that they would do that. It seems to me that the people who want a less expensive iPhone without the newer bells and whistles will buy the SE now. Those who want a premium cutting edge phone will buy a 12 series phone in the fall or winter. I don’t see many people going for something in between. Also, that would make 3 or maybe even 4 iPhone launches this year. That seems like a bit much for Apple.
 
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8+ is a better phone imho. Don’t forget it has dual physical camera compared to the SE. Everything else is the same. A bigger screen is also a better option for many. Personally I loved my 8+ and if I had that at this point, I’d keep it.
 
joeblow7777 said:
I’m no expert analyst but it seems really weird to me that they would do that. It seems to me that the people who want a less expensive iPhone without the newer bells and whistles will buy the SE now. Those who want a premium sitting edge phone will buy a 12 series phone in the fall or winter. I don’t see many people going for something in between. Also, that would make 3 or maybe even 4 iPhone launches this year. That seems like a bit much for Apple.
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Exactly because a plus version would be $100 more and unless they are dropping the Xr there is no need to buy a plus. Even if they did drop the xr and had a plus model,the 11 would likely replace the xr which would cannibalize the plus.
 
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Khaleesi Kendall said:
Exactly because a plus version would be $100 more and unless they are dropping the Xr there is no need to buy a plus. Even if they did drop the xr and had a plus model,the 11 would likely replace the xr which would cannibalize the plus.
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Yeah, I just don't see a place for an SE Plus in the line up, but if they were going to release one, I think it would have happened alongside the regular SE. I really don't see it being a separate release when everyone is either buying the SE now or waiting for the 12 series.
 
tonybarnaby said:
If you take size out of the equation, it seems like the 8+ and the new se will perform about the same. Both have 3gb of ram (nearly a guarantee the new se has 3gb). I’d assume the 8+ will get better battery life. Pictures are most likely a wash, with the se possibly having a slight advantage in some areas. The a11 will probably be pretty much on par with the a13 for most usage situations. Obviously the se will score higher on Geekbench, but in actual use I don’t think it’ll be very noticeable.

I’m on the fence about trading in my 8+ for an se, I’m just trying to figure out if it’s an upgrade or a lateral move. Obviously the Xr and above are better overall phones than the new se or 8+, but these are the only 2 I’m comparing.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't because it's a compromise in terms of display. Sure for 399$ it's tempting, and i still like the old design with the Touch ID, and you get the A13 Bionic (the A11 is still a fast chipset on iOS 13) and you also get a Portrait Mode upgrade that includes Front Facing Camera Portrait Mode plus Depth Control plus the sixth Portrait Mode effect (High-Key Mono) that was introduced with iOS 13, and also QuickTake and Stereo recording. From the 8 it's an upgrade, but from the 8 Plus it's atleast a downgrade in terms of display. You end up with a smaller screen and you'll lose the 1080p resolution and 3D Touch. I don't know, maybe Haptic Touch is the same experience by now and it's just software-based. That would also work for me. But the bigger screen and the 1080p / 401 ppi is something i value by now.

If you have no problems switching back to a smaller screen, it would make sense to trade it in for the SE. But for most people, they don't wanna compromise on the bigger screen. Myself would like a 256 GB SE Plus, but that would be in the Xr / 11 price range. And for 649$ you can get the Xr/11 no problem. (The 256 GB is already 549$ and the Plus is usually 100$ more). Yet for those who are fine with 64 or 128 GB, i think that a SE Plus would be definitely be an amazing option and cheaper than the Xr / 11.

Also don't forget that the Battery Life on the 8+ is still better than the one of the 8 / SE.
 
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My 7 Plus feels ready to retire - I'm considering the new SE if I coupled it with an ipad mini as I do all my internet surfing on my phone currently and the SE display is a little small for that. It's a tough call as I'd be compromising on the better display for a newer processor and camera in the SE. If I had an 8 plus I don't think I'd consider the SE at all.
 
jimmy_uk said:
My 7 Plus feels ready to retire - I'm considering the new SE if I coupled it with an ipad mini as I do all my internet surfing on my phone currently and the SE display is a little small for that. It's a tough call as I'd be compromising on the better display for a newer processor and camera in the SE. If I had an 8 plus I don't think I'd consider the SE at all.
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Do you guys have swappa or something similar over there? You can get a mint condition 8+ here for $3xx
 
I picked up a cheap battery case for my 8+ and I guess I’m going to wait for the fall to see if the se plus comes out. Even then, it may not be necessary for me.
 
dukebound85 said:
I have an 8+. The value the SE provides over th 8+ is hard to determine aside from the faster chip. Everything else is a downgrade.

I won't be upgrading

Resist the urge to just spend money is my advice
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They both have 3gb of ram, so I wonder if they will both receive the same amount of support.
 
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