Former SE owner here myself. The first one was a good deal, imo, because I snagged one for like $150 years ago. The newer one is an even better deal than I imagined given the spec sheet. I didn't expect something with 3gb RAM, A13 processor, etc.
I expected something more watered down, but Apple came out with a major surprise with the A3 processor. I am not getting one because I am content with the XS I have now. I'll be getting the 12 as my next iPhone though.