iPhone SE (2016) I buy the new iPhone every year...and I just bought an iPhone SE instead

[Frisco]

Best Buy also has the 6 (not 6S) on AT&T prepaid for $200.

Any opinions on the 6? How slow is it compared to the 6S? Does the 6 handle the new iOS well. On the fence and torn between the 6 and SE. I used to have a work provided 6S and liked it very much, although I felt that is was a bit fragile so I handled it like a baby, I thought the screen size was perfect for me--not to big--not too small.

 

[praterkeith]

Best Buy also has the 6 (not 6S) on AT&T prepaid for $200.

Any opinions on the 6? How slow is it compared to the 6S? Does the 6 handle the new iOS well. On the fence and torn between the 6 and SE. I used to have a work provided 6S and liked it very much, although I felt that is was a bit fragile so I handled it like a baby, I thought the screen size was perfect for me--not to big--not too small.

I’ve got the 6 and am desperately waiting on Black Friday for an upgrade deal. The 1gb of ram struggles mightily.
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If you shake the phone, I hear a rattle near the top of the phone.

It’s the camera, it’s normal.

 

[TheBrokenBee]

I’ve got the 6 and am desperately waiting on Black Friday for an upgrade deal. The 1gb of ram struggles mightily.
[doublepost=1507464691][/doublepost]

It’s the camera, it’s normal.

I would have considered it normal as well if I hadnt owned a SE without the rattle at all. The camera rattle is really subtle not the metallic ticking I hear with my current device. I had to get my previous SE replaced due to a really loud vibration motor.

 

[eduschean]

I’m sure I’m not the first person to say this, but I can’t wait until the SE 2 or IPhone 9 mini or whatever it’ll be. If it’s a 4.5-4.7” bezelless screen in the same size of the current SE then I will be buying. Unfortunately, I think we’ll have to wait until next fall

 

[mattopotamus]

I’m sure I’m not the first person to say this, but I can’t wait until the SE 2 or IPhone 9 mini or whatever it’ll be. If it’s a 4.5-4.7” bezelless screen in the same size of the current SE then I will be buying. Unfortunately, I think we’ll have to wait until next fall

That would be the dream, but the SE seems to be the entry level phone and in order to achieve that the screen/camera will be where money is saved.

 

[Jrd123]

I’m sure I’m not the first person to say this, but I can’t wait until the SE 2 or IPhone 9 mini or whatever it’ll be. If it’s a 4.5-4.7” bezelless screen in the same size of the current SE then I will be buying. Unfortunately, I think we’ll have to wait until next fall

Unfortunately, you’ll be waiting longer than that. It’s not going to happen. Go get the X

 

[Salumbre]

Interesting thread. I have ended up exactly at the same place, though coming from an entirely different direction.

Having neither the budget nor the desire for Apple's newest and shiniest toy, I stay instead a year or two behind (sometimes three), buying that model used and keeping it until obsolescence starts looming on the horizon. Then I buy, sell, and start the cycle all over again. I have saved thousands of dollars this way.

(I also use a dirt cheap phone service that gives me 6 gigs of data and picture perfect coverage --even when I have found myself in the middle of exactly nowhere--, plus free international calling, for $36 a month.)

All those years, I liked that Apple kept the size and form factor of the phone more or less the same, just making it slimmer and lighter and enlarging the screen. It is the perfect size for slipping in your pocket or keeping in your hand. When the iPhone 6 first came out, and then the 7, I did NOT like the size, or the way it felt in my hand. (Not to mention all that glass --really? Bigger and more fragile?)

I also use the Mophie power cases, which not only give you extra juice but are great for protection, and they bulk up the phone considerably. Carrying around a model 6 onward in a Mophie case would be like carrying a frigging tablet.

My time-proved routine, alas, got a monkey wrench thrown in earlier this year, when my iPhone 5 developed a case of the swollen battery, and then the technician who replaced it killed my phone in the process. Faced with the imperative of having to purchase a new phone for the first time in ages, I did my research (whilst using an El Cheapo Android phone as a temporary solution; not a nice experience, I assure you) and opted for a refurbished SE. (Overstock had a good deal on those.)

And boy, am I happy. I have last year's newest and greatest (more than good enough for me) in a time-proven form factor; I have a phone that basically does stuff that the newest and shiniest can't anymore (like TouchID); and I was even able to keep using my older Mophie cases. For me, the SE is a winner all around.

 

[mattopotamus]

Interesting thread. I have ended up exactly at the same place, though coming from an entirely different direction.

Having neither the budget nor the desire for Apple's newest and shiniest toy, I stay instead a year or two behind (sometimes three), buying that model used and keeping it until obsolescence starts looming on the horizon. Then I buy, sell, and start the cycle all over again. I have saved thousands of dollars this way.

(I also use a dirt cheap phone service that gives me 6 gigs of data and picture perfect coverage --even when I have found myself in the middle of exactly nowhere--, plus free international calling, for $36 a month.)

All those years, I liked that Apple kept the size and form factor of the phone more or less the same, just making it slimmer and lighter and enlarging the screen. It is the perfect size for slipping in your pocket or keeping in your hand. When the iPhone 6 first came out, and then the 7, I did NOT like the size, or the way it felt in my hand. (Not to mention all that glass --really? Bigger and more fragile?)

I also use the Mophie power cases, which not only give you extra juice but are great for protection, and they bulk up the phone considerably. Carrying around a model 6 onward in a Mophie case would be like carrying a frigging tablet.

My time-proved routine, alas, got a monkey wrench thrown in earlier this year, when my iPhone 5 developed a case of the swollen battery, and then the technician who replaced it killed my phone in the process. Faced with the imperative of having to purchase a new phone for the first time in ages, I did my research (whilst using an El Cheapo Android phone as a temporary solution; not a nice experience, I assure you) and opted for a refurbished SE. (Overstock had a good deal on those.)

And boy, am I happy. I have last year's newest and greatest (more than good enough for me) in a time-proven form factor; I have a phone that basically does stuff that the newest and shiniest can't anymore (like TouchID); and I was even able to keep using my older Mophie cases. For me, the SE is a winner all around.

It is shocking how well the SE handles IOS 11. If I didn’t want a better camera, I wouldn’t be upgrading.

 

[partyboy4357]

As a geek and nerd, iPhone SE won't cut it. The future is in Neural Nets, and processors that beat out basic computers all in your phone. The SE, while it looks nice and works just fine... is really not the future. Eventually the future will become past, but you've missed out on way to much time for it to get there.

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[Starfyre]

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iPhone 8/8+/X have a Neural Engine designed for intensive or non-intensive machine learning, processors beat out dual core Macbooks. The SE doesn't contain the same level of hardware that the current generation of phones has. Neural Engines, the faster processor, OLED display, better camera technology, TrueDepth Camera, etc. may eventually end up in the SE, but by the time the SE has all of that... you will have been so far behind in technology that you've really missed out on a lot for a long period of time since people that got into the newer phones earlier will have enjoyed it for a good number of years.

 

[shinji]

iPhone 8/8+/X have a Neural Engine designed for intensive or non-intensive machine learning, processors beat out dual core Macbooks. The SE doesn't contain the same level of hardware that the current generation of phones has. Neural Engines, the faster processor, OLED display, better camera technology, TrueDepth Camera, etc. may eventually end up in the SE, but by the time the SE has all of that... you will have been so far behind in technology that you've really missed out on a lot for a long period of time since people that got into the newer phones earlier will have enjoyed it for a good number of years.

Lots of people just want a phone for email/text/social media/calling, and maybe the occasional game. Not everybody with a cell phone cares about the hardware specs as long as it can do what they need.

 

[Starfyre]

Lots of people just want a phone for email/text/social media/calling, and maybe the occasional game. Not everybody with a cell phone cares about the hardware specs as long as it can do what they need.

I know, that's why in my prior post I had the "As a geek and nerd, iPhone SE won't cut it."
Not everyone is a geek and nerd like me

 

[MartyvH]

I just noticed the rattle! It is only just noticeable and a solid sliding plastic kind of rattle rather than a broken piece or foreign object kind of rattle.
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by the time the SE has all of that... you will have been so far behind in technology that you've really missed out on a lot for a long period of time since people that got into the newer phones earlier will have enjoyed it for a good number of years.

This seems to be an exaggeration but we will wait and see. There will be articles on these things and we will decide if they're a good idea.

 

[Frisco]

This thread just inspired me to buy the iPhone SE. Never owned an iPhone or Android before. I am coming from a $25 Nokia Windows 10 phone that I got new at Walmart. The Windows phone was definitely worth it (also AT&T prepaid), but the App store was just awful. I am not an App person, but I need my banking Apps. Even the one's available were just not good.

The Windows phone actually had a much bigger screen than the SE, but the iPhone 5/5S/SE size is just perfect for a guy. We can't carry pocketbooks

 

[RtWrecklezX]

iPhone 8/8+/X have a Neural Engine designed for intensive or non-intensive machine learning, processors beat out dual core Macbooks. The SE doesn't contain the same level of hardware that the current generation of phones has. Neural Engines, the faster processor, OLED display, better camera technology, TrueDepth Camera, etc. may eventually end up in the SE, but by the time the SE has all of that... you will have been so far behind in technology that you've really missed out on a lot for a long period of time since people that got into the newer phones earlier will have enjoyed it for a good number of years.

Next year apps that utilize machine learning and data science will probably be amazing but for something just introduced and not really developed its a toss up. I can't really think of how an average consumer would utilize that data or processing in everyday apps.

 

[tr1ad]

I just noticed the rattle! It is only just noticeable and a solid sliding plastic kind of rattle rather than a broken piece or foreign object kind of rattle.
[doublepost=1507502078][/doublepost]

This seems to be an exaggeration but we will wait and see. There will be articles on these things and we will decide if they're a good idea.

The rattle is from the power button ... Ever since the 5 series of devices

 

[saltd]

The SE is obviously missing some next gen features, but it’s a very fast and capable device. It’s also the only true one-handed device for most people. And it’s cheap. I love being able to toss my phone around without stressing about breaking a 1k phone.

I bought and returned the 8 and 8 Plus, and coming back to my little workhorse was like slipping into a warm bath. So it’s certainly not unreasonable to be satisfied with the SE when much more featured and robust phones are here. iOS 11 flies on it, and the battery life is great.

I’ve owned every iPhone except the 7/7 Plus and the 2G from way back. I purchased the SE as a compromise, but fell in love it after a few days.

Obviously, it’s not for everyone-but it’s just soooo good as a tossable daily driver. That being said, I think that after the current SE is gone, it will be replaced by the 7.

 

[Starfyre]

Next year apps that utilize machine learning and data science will probably be amazing but for something just introduced and not really developed its a toss up. I can't really think of how an average consumer would utilize that data or processing in everyday apps.

It is pretty developed for some applications. The iPhone X is already going to be using it for FaceID recognition and processing all the 30,000 dots pointed at your face.

Google is using machine learning to improve photo quality so their camera can get smarter and smarter (though they send your photos up to the Google Cloud through the internet). If the iPhone can use it's neural engine to improve photo quality and learn to take better photos, that would be amazing too.

The average consumer isn't going to do anything with the Neural Engine, but apps and iOS itself will be taking advantage of it behind the scenes.

Next month's "Wow, FaceID is fast!" is all going to be thanks in part to the neural engine.

 

[RtWrecklezX]

It is pretty developed for some applications. The iPhone X is already going to be using it for FaceID recognition and processing all the 30,000 dots pointed at your face.

Google is using machine learning to improve photo quality so their camera can get smarter and smarter (though they send your photos up to the Google Cloud through the internet). If the iPhone can use it's neural engine to improve photo quality and learn to take better photos, that would be amazing too.

The average consumer isn't going to do anything with the Neural Engine, but apps and iOS itself will be taking advantage of it behind the scenes.

Next month's "Wow, FaceID is fast!" is all going to be thanks in part to the neural engine.

Thats 1 application applicable for IOS at the moment. The tool is nothing without any applications. Not arguing with you I believe in the technology it will just take sometime to develop into a must have feature. Maybe WWDC will have some great example of usage.

 

[madgalaxy]

Bless the OP and those using the SE! Wish I could, but my eye are just too OLD!

 

[Donfor39]

Bless the OP and those using the SE! Wish I could, but my eye are just too OLD!

Iphone6 has a much larger display.
I can cope with smaller se for a few years yet.

 

[kazmac]

Bless the OP and those using the SE! Wish I could, but my eye are just too OLD!

Actually, I was stunned to see the text was much larger on the SE than anything else*. If this remains the same with the SE2, I will definitely get that and trade my 7+ in. For me, it's not so much screen real estate but my vision and I wouldn't be using my phone for more than emails, calendar and watching a movie (and with the text as it is, subtitles are bigger too.)

*I know I can adjust text size for native applications and some websites, but not those that are frequent visits for me. I also know the larger text size is resolution based, so I'd happily give up super duper retina in order to read comfortably.

Had I taken a better look at the SE in late March and realized that text difference, it would be my daily driver.

 

[iMac-Do-You?]

Just wanted to chime in on this great thread.

I've had an iPhone 4 for a humber of years, and generally being a peasant, couldn't afford the latest and greatest phone every year, plus most of the new features of the newer phones I'd probably never use. Bigger screens are appealing for maybe watching/browsing on the move, but honestly the amount of times I've needed to do that were negligible, and the perceived downside with bigger phones is that they are less "pocketable".

So my iPhone 4 was showing its age, has a couple of cracks in the glass around the earpiece and home button, was generally just getting tired, and there were a couple of apps that had gotten updated and were no longer usable on the older iOS version. I started looking around at used iPhones, and was almost settled on a 5S or 5C when I suddenly remembered the SE, which was basically a 6S in a 5S shell. The SE seems to be the iPhone that the general masses forgot (I had forgotten all about even though I watched the keynote where it was launched).

In the end I opted for a used 16GB (plenty for me) Space Grey SE, the seller describing it as "sparingly used, screen protector and case was added on original purchase." . It's always a bit squiffy relying on other people's description of things, especially when they are trying to make money from it, so I purchased with slight hesitation. Boy am I glad I did though, the description was spot on, the phone was immaculate under the case and screen protector, looking as if it just came off the production line in China yesterday.

Coming from the 4 to the SE is a great leap in overall tech, speed and usability, and being able to use iOS11 is huge. What an amazing little phone, which I can put in any pocket, and it's so light you forget it's there sometimes, as others have mentioned. So, so happy that Apple produced the SE, what a great idea. A powerhouse of a computer that fits in one hand.

Anyone debating getting an SE: unless you really need the bigger screen or tech on the newer phones, don't hesitate!

 

[geta]

For my daily usage the SE is just perfect, small, lightweight with 2 days of battery! Unless all you do is consuming media, playing games (or having problems with your eyes), i don't see the point of carrying Phablet all day long. Tech wise, some will argue its "too old"... in reality i can have the latest iOS, and i don't have one single app or task i can't use or complete while using it.

Long live the SE! and his successor.

 

[nilk]

Best Buy also has the 6 (not 6S) on AT&T prepaid for $200.

Any opinions on the 6? How slow is it compared to the 6S? Does the 6 handle the new iOS well. On the fence and torn between the 6 and SE. I used to have a work provided 6S and liked it very much, although I felt that is was a bit fragile so I handled it like a baby, I thought the screen size was perfect for me--not to big--not too small.

The SE is easily the better phone. I cannot recommend the 6/6+, not even for $200.

The 4.7" 6 performed terrible for me when it was first released and never got better. My wife was complaining about it's performance on 10.3.3 before she upgraded to a 6S.

The only thing the 6 has over the SE is the screen. And having a larger screen has it's pros and cons. If you have poor vision, I could see opting for the 6, but in that case I'd recommend the 6S if you can afford it.

6->6S is a massive improvement. A good experience on the 6S does not mean you'll enjoy the 6.

Regarding fragility: I don't think the 6S was fragile, and they strengthened it's body to prevent the bending issues the 6/6+ had (more of a problem for the 6+). The 6/6S are slippery, though, and I found them unusable without a case/wrap. The SE you can easily use caseless and maintain a firm grip due to it's smaller size and flat sides. Though personally I'd still want a minimal case/wrap/bumper, because the aluminum sides aren't very grippy.