iPhone 13 mini iPhone 13 Mini to iPhone SE 3rd-Generation…

[MICHAELSD]

It may be possible to get used to iPhone SE though, which may have to be my outcome since I do still get headaches from iPhone 13 Mini. Perhaps I should try using it for a day or two exclusively and see how it goes. I do want to continue texting and testing iPhone SE tonight but my battery life is at 15% after not using or charging it since yesterday.

The main issue is still the comparatively low-resolution display. 458ppi could have held me over for a while, and considering the future-proof nature of iPhone SE might have been worth adding. However, adding a better display and camera sensor then raising the starting price to $499 is the opposite of what the typical iPhone SE customer is looking for.

The color calibration attempts to replicate the iPhone 13 series better than initially reported, although the lower pixel density is still throwing me off since there’s a clear lack of detail on the icons on the Home Screen, which apparently autocorrect capitalized. I do think it’s possible to enjoy this more over time, which is why I didn’t visit an Apple Store first since I knew I’d immediately compare the displays and write it off.

 

[jntdroid]

…Perhaps I should try using it for a day or two exclusively and see how it goes…

You’ll never want to leave the 13 Mini if you don’t do this. Honestly I think you should give it a week if you have the time. At worst it’s a week trial where you get no headaches. At best, you end up forgetting about the lower screen resolution and don’t notice it any more. Just my .02 based on everything you’ve stated so far. ?

Edit: phones are so ingrained in our lives that there’s a significant amount of muscle memory and “what I’m used to” factor when changing. You have to give your brain a chance to retrain itself to the subtle differences before you write one off IMO.

 

[JM]

I can’t do it. iPhone SE is giving me anxiety five minutes in and making me feel terrible in the process. iPhone 13 Mini is a dramatic improvement, and $479 for a phone I don’t enjoy just because I’m sensitive to PWM is still a hefty price to pay. It was difficult enough purchasing iPhone 8 Plus over iPhone X and paying almost the same amount for a phone I enjoyed half as much, and I’m not sure I can do it again. iPhone SE third-generation is shaping up to be perhaps my least favorite iPhone ever as iPhone 8 Plus was, and I’d likely be stuck with it for 2-3 years.

After an extended life experiment of minimizing phone usage as much as possible iPhone SE is not working for me. iPhone 13 Mini feels rewarding and is a joy to use, and is theoretically the perfect next step as someone who’s still trying to reduce phone usage but wants the best experience possible when I am on it. The OLED display, size, and even the blue aesthetic are so immensely enjoyable. iPhone SE reminds me of an iPhone 6s, which I used for two weeks then moved back to an 8+. I don’t think the jump was an issue of size, but rather features. iPhone 13 Mini has zero compromises compared to iPhone 13.

I’m essentially trading anxiety for headaches, and both options are frankly slightly disheartening to me. It’s been five generations of PWM, we need a real solution. I’m sad to say iPhone SE is an alternative, but may not be an answer for those that have already become accustomed to a newer OLED iPhone.

So back to the mini?

One day Apple will get it fixed

 

[MICHAELSD]

So back to the mini?

One day Apple will get it fixed

The Mini feels so comfortable and familiar at this point. I opted for it after starting the day with iPhone SE.

The difference is still startling to a display enthusiast such as myself; however, putting iPhone 13 Mini aside and using iPhone SE it’s not terrible by any means. It’s when using one after the other it becomes more apparent and it’s making me appreciate iPhone 13 Mini even more funnily enough. Nonetheless text on iPhone SE doesn’t look great in everyday usage.

If I didn’t still get persistent headaches after use I would just stop frustrating myself with this comparison and stick with the iPhone I already know I like and enjoy using.

Apple needs to replicate the approach on Apple Watch as its OLED display seems to use a 60Hz flickering without PWM, even if it’s an Accessibility option with slightly inaccurate color reproduction.

 

[MICHAELSD]

Okay, so I figured it out. In most ways iPhone SE is going to feel like a downgrade, but we enjoyed I.e. iPhone 7 back in the day and we could probably still enjoy it if we had to. We’ll just miss modern features, which in this case mainly come down to the display and the camera.

It’s just like taking a step back, either out of necessity due to PWM or for those that break their newer iPhone and go back to the one in their drawer. It’s possible to do so, but it’s still a downgrade. That being said I am typing this on iPhone 13 Mini and don’t feel the desire to have my usual text conversations on iPhone SE. The only realistic way I could test it would be to return iPhone 13 Mini and see how it feels, and if all else fails re-buy it one last time. However, I’d prefer not to go down that path again since I still might not get excited about iPhone SE.

 

[Tunster]

Okay, so I figured it out. In most ways iPhone SE is going to feel like a downgrade, but we enjoyed I.e. iPhone 7 back in the day and we could probably still enjoy it if we had to. We’ll just miss modern features, which in this case mainly come down to the display and the camera.

It’s just like taking a step back, either out of necessity due to PWM or for those that break their newer iPhone and go back the one in their drawer. It’s possible to do so, but it’s still a downgrade. That being said I am typing this on iPhone 13 Mini and don’t feel the desire to have my usual text conversations on iPhone SE. The only realistic way I could test it would be to return iPhone 13 Mini and see how it feels, and if all else fails re-buy it one last time. However, I’d prefer not to go down that path again since I still might not get excited about iPhone SE.

It's amazing that it's the iPhone hardware that determines experience now. For a long time, it was iOS that kept pushing the barriers of what was possible in harmony. Android phones normally brag in the hardware numbers category without proving it can make use of it for the user.

iOS is that much of a steady horse now, it doesn't matter what device you have in the recently launched phones from Apple. It isn't as if the improvements in iOS are paired with the hardware anymore. 3D Touch, FaceID, TouchID, high-pixel density screens. We're getting lots of S-style improvements year on year unless we get a smaller revision on design.

Whether you have a iPhone 13 mini or SE3, you'll get the same experience. They're side-grades to each other based on financial, practical or how much of a tech-enthusiast user you are reasons. The recent review with Luke Miani really dunks on the SE3 and for me disregards the benefits of keeping to a "ain't broke" style/design. He claims to not go for the hot-takes (and does well to be a balanced observer), but did one by dismissing it entirely. Didn't bother to see if the SE3 is really not worth its value vs its own competition of the top-line iPhones.

SE3 for me is a steal for the next 2 years whilst Apple works out how to remove that ugly camera bump and messy design. Rework its value proposition. And maybe sell less lines (akin to Jobs days). There's too many iPhones!

 

[MICHAELSD]

It's amazing that it's the iPhone hardware that determines experience now. For a long time, it was iOS that kept pushing the barriers of what was possible in harmony. Android phones normally brag in the hardware numbers category without proving it can make use of it for the user.

iOS is that much of a steady horse now, it doesn't matter what device you have in the recently launched phones from Apple. It isn't as if the improvements in iOS are paired with the hardware anymore. 3D Touch, FaceID, TouchID, high-pixel density screens. We're getting lots of S-style improvements year on year unless we get a smaller revision on design.

Whether you have a iPhone 13 mini or SE3, you'll get the same experience. They're side-grades to each other based on financial, practical or how much of a tech-enthusiast user you are reasons. The recent review with Luke Miani really dunks on the SE3 and for me disregards the benefits of keeping to a "ain't broke" style/design. He claims to not go for the hot-takes (and does well to be a balanced observer), but did one by dismissing it entirely. Didn't bother to see if the SE3 is really not worth its value vs its own competition of the top-line iPhones.

SE3 for me is a steal for the next 2 years whilst Apple works out how to remove that ugly camera bump and messy design. Rework its value proposition. And maybe sell less lines (akin to Jobs days). There's too many iPhones!

It’s a smart formula. This is probably the last generation that we’ll get the recycled iPhone 8 chassis, yet either way it includes the A15 chip which will power longevity for ~ 7 years.

It is possible to like iPhone SE more over time. The display takes an adjustment and is actually warmer than iPhone 13 Mini comparatively, which I generally prefer. As noted videos and pictures can look ridiculously sharp, like opening up a 720p-sized window on a Mac or iPad and filling it with 2160p content.

For those that don’t read or understand the specs, which is probably the average consumer, the display will in all likelihood be fine. It’s just similar enough in all aspects to a flagship iPhone besides the overall design to be fairly enjoyable to use. It is incredible getting the most powerful smartphone chip, which Apple may re-use in the standard iPhone 14 models, in a value-propositioned smartphone with a roughly 720p display. Yet, that display is still taking the best of Apple’s LCD advancements from Mac and iPad.

 

[MICHAELSD]

I’ll continue posting impressions as I typically do. These threads are usually like a live journal for me.

I do have to admit that colors are calibrated to perfection and the display is easier on my eyes. The difference in sharpness is apparent even in emojis and it’s less immersive comparatively; however, I do think the target audience for iPhone SE is getting a great smartphone and overall value. This is even a potentially worthwhile upgrade to the second-generation iPhone SE. While I don’t have my SIM card in so I’m not stressing the 5G modem, battery life has seemed to last an exceedingly long time.

I’ll probably contradict myself at times since I’ve only spent a couple of hours testing iPhone SE. As I’ve said it’s a downgrade compared to the current generation—even the scrolling feels oddly sluggish despite iPhone 13 having the same 60Hz refresh rate. The newer gestures also make iOS quicker and more intuitive to navigate.

However, at the same time iPhone SE is familiar and it’s impressive that Apple is squeezing every last ounce of functionality out of the chassis and its components. They’re still improving the display through a ridiculous level of color calibration and incorporating camera improvements at a silicon level.

 

[antonrg]

Not sure if this would help at this point in time, but I've done this trick and it helped a lot. The 13 mini is my first OLED iPhone and it gave me a little stress the first day of use, but after I've done the steps in the video, it fixed my issues.

 

[MICHAELSD]

Not sure if this would help at this point in time, but I've done this trick and it helped a lot. The 13 mini is my first OLED iPhone and it gave me a little stress the first day of use, but after I've done the steps in the video, it fixed my issues.

Reduce White Point doesn’t work for me unfortunately.

 

[MICHAELSD]

I will admit that I do check every new iOS release if Apple added a new Accessibility option.

 

[MICHAELSD]

Thankfully the latest iPhone SE has turned out to be a beast of a smartphone.

The A15 chip makes a more massive difference than expected in creating a modern iOS experience, capturing camera shots that approach the quality of the iPhone 13 series and performance that flies through iOS.

Even the display is vibrant, color-accurate, and honestly looks higher resolution than the specs imply. It still gives the illusion of 4K that the previous generation iPhone SE had in videos, with better colors. The calibration is even warmer than iPhone 13 by default, which is my preference. Battery life has also been surprisingly adequate, although I’m typically using power-efficient apps.

The main issue I have is on me, as my iPhone SE fell out of my pocket before I bought a case as I hadn’t committed to keeping it and there are some minor scratches on the front glass. I had considered purchasing AppleCare but I was worried I’d have the same issue I had with iPhone 13 Mini where the second device had a display that was noticeably inferior. The glass held up relatively well regardless, and I’ve grown to like the character that the crack in the top black bezel adds oddly enough. It’s only at the top, which is likely a result of engineering to prevent drops from affecting the main display area.

I can give the new iPhone SE a recommendation at its $479 128GB price point. For those that can’t use iPhone 13 Mini due to PWM or that are looking for a discounted or familiar iPhone experience Apple created the best value-oriented device possible with iPhone SE.

 

[jm31828]

I have a bit of a lingering problem: I still get tension headaches from the PWM on iPhone 13 Mini.

It’s what’s caused me to return iPhone X in favor of iPhone 8 Plus, which was admittedly my least favorite iPhone having owned every generation, and out of necessity avoid iPhone XS, iPhone 11, and iPhone 12. I did try iPhone 12 Pro Max, although headaches were about as problematic as iPhone X.

Long story short Apple did improve the brightness controller on the iPhone 13 series, and my headaches with iPhone 13 Mini in particular have been significantly reduced. My main issue is that I still get persistent tension headaches after use, which include throbbing behind the eye although it’s noticeably and relatively significantly subdued compared to iPhone X to the point where I’m almost able to keep it.

What I’m finding is that I love this little iPhone so much, it’s my favorite of the current generation, that I don’t want to return it. My previous second-generation iPhone SE feels antiquated in comparison. I’m surprised how much larger the display on iPhone 13 Mini feels, while the phone itself is smaller. It’s a major improvement, and the OLED display ironically makes it that much more of a joy to use.

For the average consumer a ~ $250 price difference between iPhone 13 Mini and iPhone SE should be easily justifiable. Yet, the new iPhone SE will likely overtake sales of iPhone 13 Mini which is a shame since I believe this is the ideal size for an iPhone. It’s zero-compromise compared to a standard iPhone 13. In fact, the higher pixel density on the display is noticeable and makes it even better.

That’s beside the point since it may be most beneficial for me to return iPhone 13 Mini and switch to a third-generation iPhone SE. I’m worried I’ll regret my decision, although I don’t have much of a choice: it’s either deal with the reduced headaches of iPhone 13 Mini or switch to iPhone SE, which is better than expected in practical use, and possibly feel disappointed for the next few years.

iPhone SE does seem like it will be a powerhouse and the new glass will serve to refresh a dated design. It was great to have TouchID while wearing a mask. Even the display has a color calibration that matches iPhone 13, and should serve to hopefully be further improved on the new generation.

I was able to keep my second-generation iPhone SE for ~ 8 months before switching to iPhone 13 Mini. I’d likely be looking ahead to iPhone 14 hoping that Apple continues improving the PWM rate. Regardless, I will definitely switch to the latest iPhone SE if I return my iPhone 13 Mini—which is a decision I’ll have to make by Friday.

While being sensitive to the PWM on OLED iPhone’s is unfortunate, Apple has fortunately been great to deal with regarding it.

I am in the same boat as you! I had a 12 Mini for a year, and then last year upgraded to 13 Pro. I love the display, the cameras, but besides hating the size, I have a slight PWM sensitivity that made it OK to use the phone most of the time, but I did get occasional tension headaches just as you described when using it. I have wanted so badly to move to the 13 Mini as the perfect phone as far as size, look, and features- but I know that the PWM with it would be the same as with my 13 Pro (and on the 12 Mini I had previously).

I bought an SE 2022 last week to try to get away from PWM and to get a small, pocketable phone. I really, really like it! The display is so easy on my eyes, I can sit there for an hour or more session using it and have no issues at all. The only real downside is that it's missing some features that my Pro (or the 13 Mini) has, relegated to one camera lens on an older sensor, having a bit smaller screen than the Mini, and just a bit less battery capacity.

I am still in my 2 week return window trying to decide if I should return it and try the 13 Mini, or just go ahead and keep it and sell my 13 Pro now.

I am almost at the end of my return window, and right now I am leaning towards keeping it and going ahead with selling my 13 Pro (don't want to keep both, that is way too much money invested in phones).

 

[jm31828]

It all varies drastically from person to person.

I went from 13 Pro to the SE3. Did I notice a drastic difference between the screens? - Of course I have. It was instantly apparent that the SE3 screen is inferior.

But guess what… about three days in my eyes adjusted. And now I think it’s perfect. Videos and photos are still very clear. Plus, my headaches and eye soreness are gone.

We raved about how amazing LCD’s were for a decade when we left the iPhone 4 and 5 era. Did our eyes suddenly evolve? lol

Today everyone is raving about OLED. In 5 or 10 years, everyone will be saying how bad the OLED was. Rinse and repeat.

The SE3 LCD is still more than adequate for everyday use this day in age. The way our eyes adjust to a new screen is the same way people adjust from big phones to small phones.

I used to think that I can’t go from a 13 Pro screen size to something much smaller. But I adjusted instantly. To my surprise, I find the SE3 screen size is more complacent. It’s easier to reach all corners of the screen with one hand and viewing content is actually better because the aspect ratio is more website friendly. I also didn’t realize how annoying the top of the screen was on the 13 Pro with that notch until I went back to a screen without it.

And lastly, Touch ID is simply phenomenal. It feels like an actual enhancement and a big leap forward in usage over Face ID. It’s much faster and more convenient.

I just made that move last week from 13 Pro to the SE3, and I agree with you. My surprise at the difference in screen quality only lasted about a day- now I think the LCD on the SE3 looks fantastic, because besides the lack of true, true blacks- it really is a NICE display with great, vibrant colors.

The fact that it's every bit as fast as my 13 Pro in any apps I tested, is just amazing. I love having such a small, pocketable phone that happens to have touchID (superior in my mind to faceID) and no PWM.

Do you find that you miss the better cameras on the 13 Pro?

I tried a test yesterday as I haven't sold my 13 Pro yet. I took a picture in my yard of an area that has a textured sidewalk, a wood fence, trees and grass on both sides. Lots of small details and colors there. Took a picture with the SE3 and the 13 Pro from the same spot, and compared the two. I opened them on my 27" iMac and zoomed in to 100%- and I was astonished to find that I was not seeing any difference at all, in sharpness, color, clarity, dynamic range, etc. I know the SE3 will struggle in low lighting compared to the 13 series, but in regular daylight- it seems in my limited testing to be just as good- which surprised me! I never used the 3x or the ultrawide on my 13 Pro, so those are of no concern- but I was worried I'd missing having ProRAW as I did use that on occasion.