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Michael.S

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 30, 2014
102
65
I am planning to replace my iPhone SE 1st Gen 128GB which has already seen a battery replacement.
While I love this form factor I am ready for more screen real estate.
Also a triple camera system would be nice as I am using my phone a lot for photos (no video though) and an optical zoom would come in handy instead of a digital one.

What I don't want though is spending a four figures sum on a phone w/o contract and a contract is not a way to go for me - at least not now.

My limit is 500 - 600 €.

For that price I could get a used iPhone 11 pro w/ 256 GB on the refurbished market - but not from Apple refurbished.

The question is:
Is it still worth buying?
It's been 2 years since it's release.

On the other hand, it also has been 2 years after it's release when I have bought my iPhone SE back then.

My initial thought is to buy it but:
On a refurbished phone I don't know which parts have been replaced and what quality the replacement parts have.
And I don't want to get any more issues with my phone after I bought it.


Any thoughts on this?
 

JPack

macrumors G5
Mar 27, 2017
13,568
26,262
Probably not worth spending that much on an obsolete form factor. I’d try the iPhone 11. It’s already a huge generational jump from your 2016 SE.
 

Devyn89

macrumors 6502a
Jul 21, 2012
964
1,801
I think it’s worth it, I was using an 11 Pro until December and was working perfectly well.
 
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eyoungren

macrumors Penryn
Aug 31, 2011
29,658
28,433
My wife and I got the 11 Pro Max last year (Feb. 2021). We've both been happy with it. Also, since it's LTE only, we don't have to deal with all the problems from another upgrade rollout like we did with LTE from 3G.
 
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Tsepz

macrumors 601
Jan 24, 2013
4,889
4,698
Johannesburg, South Africa
I am planning to replace my iPhone SE 1st Gen 128GB which has already seen a battery replacement.
While I love this form factor I am ready for more screen real estate.
Also a triple camera system would be nice as I am using my phone a lot for photos (no video though) and an optical zoom would come in handy instead of a digital one.

What I don't want though is spending a four figures sum on a phone w/o contract and a contract is not a way to go for me - at least not now.

My limit is 500 - 600 €.

For that price I could get a used iPhone 11 pro w/ 256 GB on the refurbished market - but not from Apple refurbished.

The question is:
Is it still worth buying?
It's been 2 years since it's release.

On the other hand, it also has been 2 years after it's release when I have bought my iPhone SE back then.

My initial thought is to buy it but:
On a refurbished phone I don't know which parts have been replaced and what quality the replacement parts have.
And I don't want to get any more issues with my phone after I bought it.


Any thoughts on this?
Go for it, fabulous device but just keep in mind it is significantly heavier than your 2016 SE, if you have tried the 11 Pro and happy with how it feels in hand, go for it as it brings phenomenal battery life and should be supported for many years to come.

I’ve been using an 11 Pro Max since March 2020 and still very happy with it, looking to do a battery replacement sometime later this year on it.
 
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MisterTibbs

macrumors member
Mar 29, 2018
57
94
UK
I've had an X since 2017, upgraded to a 13 in October and returned it because I wasn't a fan of the heavy processing on the photos. The refurb 11 pro dropped to £609 this week, and as my X's battery had dropped below 85%, I decided to go for a refurb. It arrived today and I'm really happy with it, better quality photos, brighter screen, feels snappier than my X. Initial impressions are great.
 

Michael.S

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 30, 2014
102
65
I finally went with a 12 Pro because I found a good deal on Ebay Kleinanzeigen.
That is sth like Craigslist, but its located only in Germany.
A lady wanted to get rid of her 12 Pro as she bought a 13 pro an sold it for 660 EUR.
While that phone only has the 128GB internal storage it is pretty enough for me because that way I don't have to manage having a lot of internal space on my sync drive on iTunes.

And I absolutely love the cameras of the 12 Pro ?
 
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