iPhone SE (2022) Considering the new iPhone SE (3) - March 2022

[Wingsley]

I watched Apple's "Peek Performance" event on 8 March 2022 and saw the new iPhone SE, third generation, using the newer A15 Apple Silicon and 5G cellular. I currently own a very unimpressive Lenovo-Motorola G6 Play, which is bulky, buggy, and suffers from poor performance and even poorer battery life. And I hate the clunky old MicroUSB connection. Since shortly after I bought the G6, I regretted getting it. It is a lemon.

I understand previous versions of the iPhone SE have faced criticism of the phone's battery life. I refuse to buy (or even consider) any of Apple's more premium phone lines, as they are consistently outrageously expensive and I'm not convinced that twice the price gives you even 50% better phone. My budget can't handle them anyway.

I have some stupid questions to ask about buying a new iPhone (I've never bought an iPhone at all, let alone a brand new one) and I thought this would be a good place to ask:

I take it the new SE3 uses Apple's Lightning cables and port for both charging and data transfer. Is this correct? Is Lightning a serious bottleneck when it comes to transferring photos and video to a computer?

I am concerned about setting up fingerprint authentication. Does the SE3 allow for the use of more than one fingerprint to authenticate? I was wondering if I could allow another family member to "log in" if there was ever an emergency and I was not able to do so. Or is it just one print and that's it?

Really stupid question: iCloud account. I don't even know if I have one. Let's assume I don't, or that I cannot log-into an old one. (I have no idea at this moment) Does buying a new iPhone mean I get to set up a new account and have a permanent e-mail address?

What other perks do I get with an iCloud account? I understand Apple offers pay tiers for these accounts. What is the cost and what do I get for my money?

I understand Apple now offers AppleCare coverage for new phones? How much does it cost for an SE3? Is it worth the cost?

I want to get the best protection from dropping and falls for my new iPhone. Are there plenty of protective cases for this model, and is protective aftermarket glass for the "front face" available and worth the investment?

MaxTech did a review a couple of years ago on the newest premium iPhones, when they first came out with 5G, and said the phones were more efficient in terms of battery life, processor power use, and even cellular performance by actually turning off 5G and using 4G instead. Does this still hold true? I live in a rural area with lots of hills, about 65 miles from the nearest city. Technology comes slowly to here.

Is there some mapping service on the internet that can tell me what level of cellular service is offered where I live? Can it show me which "G" is actually available here?

My current computer, which I may replace with a brand-new Apple Silicon-driven machine in the coming months if funding permits, is currently a late-2013 21.5-inch iMac with an Intel Core i5 @ 2.9 GHz, running MacOS Sierra 10.12.6 and it still has iPhoto and iTunes installed, in addition to Apple's newer Photos (which I find lackluster). Regardless of whether I buy new hardware, I would like to keep this old iMac and get a new SSD installed to replace the old startup hard drive. I would also like to get a newer version of MacOS (maybe Mojave) installed so I can still run iPhoto. If I get an iPhone SE3, and I'm still on the old iMac for the time being, will it work with iTunes or will I have to get newer software?

Thank you for reading and for your responses.

 

[lkalliance]

Hi, I'll do my best on the ones I have direct experience with. Caveat that some of these answers are at least partly subjective, so however many grains of salt you like.

I understand previous versions of the iPhone SE have faced criticism of the phone's battery life. I refuse to buy (or even consider) any of Apple's more premium phone lines, as they are consistently outrageously expensive and I'm not convinced that twice the price gives you even 50% better phone. My budget can't handle them anyway.

This wasn't a question, but I will echo the dissatisfaction with the SE 2020's battery life. I'm on my phone much of the day, and the 2020 would need to be recharged a couple times a day. We won't know the 2022's battery life for a bit (I suggest if you really want to know don't rely on the immediate reviews, get the feel of the room here after a couple of months and the "Yay! New tech!" wears off, if you have that kind of time), though between the more efficient chip and whatever effect from the "new battery chemistry", I expect it to have better life. How much better is anyone's guess at this point. Probably not enough to turn it into a great battery, but good enough to make it more palatable?

I take it the new SE3 uses Apple's Lightning cables and port for both charging and data transfer. Is this correct? Is Lightning a serious bottleneck when it comes to transferring photos and video to a computer?

I've not found it so (this is one of those subjective bits), but these days I rarely connect via Lightning (more on that below). I recently upgraded my Mac to an M1 iMac...and I found that THAT sped things up a lot. So I think it's fair to say that part of the equation is lighting, but the other part is the computer.

I am concerned about setting up fingerprint authentication. Does the SE3 allow for the use of more than one fingerprint to authenticate? I was wondering if I could allow another family member to "log in" if there was ever an emergency and I was not able to do so. Or is it just one print and that's it?

Yes, you can set up multiple fingerprints (up to five, I think? I don't remember). I have always done so, so my wife can access my phone.

Really stupid question: iCloud account. I don't even know if I have one. Let's assume I don't, or that I cannot log-into an old one. (I have no idea at this moment) Does buying a new iPhone mean I get to set up a new account and have a permanent e-mail address?

I would not expect it to be difficult to create a new iCloud account if you couldn't recover your old one, but nothing on the old one would merge with the new account. I don't even think an iCloud account is literally NECESSARY to use an iPhone, but you would be crippling it significantly. BUT I don't have experience with Google's syncing services, perhaps you could use those instead if you're already invested in that ecosystem. Someone else will have to chime in on that.

What other perks do I get with an iCloud account? I understand Apple offers pay tiers for these accounts. What is the cost and what do I get for my money?

There are several, and they all have analogs on Android, so nothing here will probably be a new concept for you. Here are the ones I use. Again, you might be able to do most or all of it with Google services instead, if you prefer, I don't know for sure. But if you've been doing so already, that might be a lot of work you don't have to duplicate!

I also own a Mac, an iPad and an Apple Watch, so all of this syncing is just natural and seamless; someone else will have to chime in on the complications of doing so with a PC or Chromebook or whatever you use.

--iCloud syncing of various things, like passwords, Safari bookmarks and history, contacts, notes. My favorite is passwords, it's very convenient. I always use Safari's functions to create obscure passwords, and syncing them makes that palatable.
--iCloud Photo Library. I love this. Any photo I take with the phone automatically syncs up to iCloud, and then automatically syncs down to my Mac. This is why I rarely plug my phone into my Mac: it does it on its own. It goes the other way, too: if I take pics with my DSLR and import those onto my Mac, they become quickly available on my iPhone without connecting via cable.
--iCloud Drive. Shared drive where I can access things from any of my devices (including my Mac).
--Sign in with Apple. This is only available with sites or services that offer it. Just like "Sign in with Facebook" or "Sign in with Google".
--Hide my Email. This is pretty new. If I want to sign up for something that needs an email, Apple can create a fake iCloud email address and forward it to you, and you can choose to shut it down when you feel like it. That way my email address doesn't go out to so many lists.
--Find my iPhone. I haven't had to do this yet, thank goodness, but I can use it if I misplace the phone. Or the watch, or the iPad. From any of those devices I can find any of the others.

I pay $10 a month for two TB of storage data, that will handle my Photos library for a while. My daughter pays $3 for, I think, 500GB. The free storage is NOT sufficient for real use.

I understand Apple now offers AppleCare coverage for new phones? How much does it cost for an SE3? Is it worth the cost?

Over the years I have always purchased Apple Care for all my Apple devices. Only on a couple of occasions have I had to use it. It's insurance: you buy it hoping you'll never use it. I go ahead these days and buy the more expensive option which covers loss and theft as well.

I want to get the best protection from dropping and falls for my new iPhone. Are there plenty of protective cases for this model, and is protective aftermarket glass for the "front face" available and worth the investment?

There are many many many many many many many many many protective cases out there. No shortage of different styles and levels of protection. Go crazy.

MaxTech did a review a couple of years ago on the newest premium iPhones, when they first came out with 5G, and said the phones were more efficient in terms of battery life, processor power use, and even cellular performance by actually turning off 5G and using 4G instead. Does this still hold true? I live in a rural area with lots of hills, about 65 miles from the nearest city. Technology comes slowly to here.

In the settings, I can see three different options for 5G:

--Don't use it at all
--Use it all the time, no matter what it does to the battery
--Use it only sporadically to protect battery life

I don't know HOW it does the third, what its decision-making process is, but that's the default option.

My current computer, which I may replace with a brand-new Apple Silicon-driven machine in the coming months if funding permits, is currently a late-2013 21.5-inch iMac with an Intel Core i5 @ 2.9 GHz, running MacOS Sierra 10.12.6 and it still has iPhoto and iTunes installed, in addition to Apple's newer Photos (which I find lackluster). Regardless of whether I buy new hardware, I would like to keep this old iMac and get a new SSD installed to replace the old startup hard drive. I would also like to get a newer version of MacOS (maybe Mojave) installed so I can still run iPhoto. If I get an iPhone SE3, and I'm still on the old iMac for the time being, will it work with iTunes or will I have to get newer software?

I don't know the answer to this, but my GUESS is it will have to get the new computer software. Not because it is specifically an SE, but because of iOS 15 (and probably 14 and 13 at least before that). Since there is no way to downgrade, then practically speaking, you'll probably have to switch to Photos and Music etc., if those are available in Sierra.

Thank you for reading and for your responses.

You're welcome and good luck!

 

[Wingsley]

I posted a similar concern about getting a new iPhone SE on social media, and received a very pointed response:

"The 2022 SE is a rip-off. You could get a used 12 or 13 off blackmarket for the same price or lower and it's much better. The '22 SE literally has the same design as the 2014 iPhone 6."

Is any of this true? I thought it would be best to stay away from older, used phones.

What if a used iPhone needed a new battery? How much does it cost for an Apple facility to install one?

 

[JPack]

The problem with a used iPhone is you don't know the history. The device could be water damaged or dropped and fail intermittently. A battery replacement costs only $69.

Worst case scenario is the iPhone is under contract with a carrier and reported as lost/stolen. The device can become blacklisted after a few months and you have no recourse.

If budget is a concern, I'd look at the Apple's refurbished iPhone 11. They come with a new battery and chassis.

Refurbished iPhone Deals - Apple

Save up to 15% on a refurbished iPhone from Apple. Full 1-year warranty with a brand new battery and outer shell. Free delivery and returns.

www.apple.com

 

[Wingsley]

This is an intriguing possibility. If we're talking about a refurbed iPhone 11 from Apple direct, this brings up some questions:

1: The 11 would be larger, correct? (If larger, it would have greater screen real estate... always a plus...)

2: If the 11 is larger, does that mean it would have better battery life than the new SE? (After putting up with the terrible G6, which I could literally watch the battery go down, I am sensitive about this.)

3: I live in a rural hilly area, so cellular performance can be spotty. Most of my phone use is checking notifications, setting alarms, timers, and shooting photos. I occasionally send/dictate an e-mail or text message or make/receive a phone call. The spotty nature of the cellular landscape around here means that I'm still using TracFone in 2022 (minutes-based, pay-as-you-go) because regular cell providers have simply never been worth it for me. (Most of the time, I use the G6 over WiFi.)

4: When I travel (not much in the last couple of years), I always take my G6 with me. If I need directions, I plug it in an use GoogleMaps for turn-by-turn directions. It's crucial that any Android cell I've ever used be plugged in for Maps. I assume this is also true of iPhones.

5: As mentioned before, I like doing as much with my G6 as I can using WiFi. My home WiFi is showing its age (currently old Verizon DSL hooked up to a rectangular Apple AirPort Extreme base station). Would there be any WiFi compatibility issues here?

 

[lkalliance]

On the SE 2020, I'd have the same experience: no way was I using Maps without plugging in. The battery performance of the SE 2022 has yet to be publicly tested yet, though.

 

[JPack]

This is an intriguing possibility. If we're talking about a refurbed iPhone 11 from Apple direct, this brings up some questions:

1: The 11 would be larger, correct? (If larger, it would have greater screen real estate... always a plus...)

2: If the 11 is larger, does that mean it would have better battery life than the new SE? (After putting up with the terrible G6, which I could literally watch the battery go down, I am sensitive about this.)

3: I live in a rural hilly area, so cellular performance can be spotty. Most of my phone use is checking notifications, setting alarms, timers, and shooting photos. I occasionally send/dictate an e-mail or text message or make/receive a phone call. The spotty nature of the cellular landscape around here means that I'm still using TracFone in 2022 (minutes-based, pay-as-you-go) because regular cell providers have simply never been worth it for me. (Most of the time, I use the G6 over WiFi.)

4: When I travel (not much in the last couple of years), I always take my G6 with me. If I need directions, I plug it in an use GoogleMaps for turn-by-turn directions. It's crucial that any Android cell I've ever used be plugged in for Maps. I assume this is also true of iPhones.

5: As mentioned before, I like doing as much with my G6 as I can using WiFi. My home WiFi is showing its age (currently old Verizon DSL hooked up to a rectangular Apple AirPort Extreme base station). Would there be any WiFi compatibility issues here?

Yes, based on your use case (and for most people), the iPhone 11 is a better choice. Better battery life, display, and cameras. It's simply more well rounded.

The SE3 really only has two selling points, performance and 5G. But there are big tradeoffs.

 

[rr23]

Yes, based on your use case (and for most people), the iPhone 11 is a better choice. Better battery life, display, and cameras. It's simply more well rounded.

The SE3 really only has two selling points, performance and 5G. But there are big tradeoffs.

It also has Touch ID, which is probably a bigger selling point than the two you mentioned. The other one would be price.

There is no shortage of people who absolutely find Touch ID to be more convenient and more reliable than Face ID.

 

[Wingsley]

Yeah it sounds a lot like "damned if you do, damned if you don't". Trade-offs and disappointments with either choice. Gonna have to think on this one...

 

[Wingsley]

I thought of a strategy. I have no idea if it would work. It all hinges on corporate good faith.

There is a small Verizon Wireless store near my town. There is also an AT&T store in my town. I could visit both stores, ask them what level of 5G tower coverage is available for both services (AT&T is GSM, and Verizon is CDMA) in my area. That would at least be useful (assuming they don't lie to me or refuse to tell me what I want to know) in determining if 5G would even be useful to me.

 

[janeauburn]

There is no shortage of people who absolutely find Touch ID to be more convenient and more reliable than Face ID.

Including me.

I basically consider most of the recent "improvements" that Apple has made to its phones to be brain farts (and not the stinkless kind), including:

1. the notch
2. face ID
3. the thickness and weight
4. the aspect ratio (too narrow except for the too-heavy max)
5. the OLED (blah at best)
6. the new navigation system necessitated by the missing home button

There are more, but you get the idea.

Steve Jobs left the building long ago, and it shows.

 

[Wingsley]

"BETTER TASTE!" "NO, LESS FILLING!"
"BETTER TASTE!" "LESS FILLING!"
"BETTER TASTE!" "LESS FILLING!"
"BETTER TASTE!" "LESS FILLING!"

😆 😆 😆 😆

 

[Wingsley]

Here's how it looks to me right now:

If I buy an an Apple-refurbished iPhone 11 with 128 GB SSD on board, it costs $469.00, plus tax. Apple offers AppleCare for the 11 at $149, or $8 per month. I could also get AppleCare with Theft and Loss protection for $219. So it is possible to spend as much as $688 for this phone.

Apple is more opaque when selling new phones like a new iPhone SE. They don't show any AppleCare options unless you initiate the sale. So the price for the phone itself is $429, but I would get the 128 GB model for $479. I have no idea what the AppleCare cost is, but if it's the same as the offer on the iPhone 11 it could raise the total price to about $700.

I've never bought an extended warranty for a cell phone before, so I'm not sure how I feel about that. Of course, I've never spent this much on a phone before, with or without an extended warranty.

Apple also offers trade-in but only when selling new phones, so I could only get that if I bought the SE. It sounds like more hassle than it's worth.

All of the above costs do not include additional costs for a case, maybe one of those glass screen protectors, or any other accessories.

 

[rui no onna]

Here's how it looks to me right now:

If I buy an an Apple-refurbished iPhone 11 with 128 GB SSD on board, it costs $469.00, plus tax. Apple offers AppleCare for the 11 at $149, or $8 per month. I could also get AppleCare with Theft and Loss protection for $219. So it is possible to spend as much as $688 for this phone.

Apple is more opaque when selling new phones like a new iPhone SE. They don't show any AppleCare options unless you initiate the sale. So the price for the phone itself is $429, but I would get the 128 GB model for $479. I have no idea what the AppleCare cost is, but if it's the same as the offer on the iPhone 11 it could raise the total price to about $700.

I've never bought an extended warranty for a cell phone before, so I'm not sure how I feel about that. Of course, I've never spent this much on a phone before, with or without an extended warranty.

Apple also offers trade-in but only when selling new phones, so I could only get that if I bought the SE. It sounds like more hassle than it's worth.

All of the above costs do not include additional costs for a case, maybe one of those glass screen protectors, or any other accessories.

You can check the cost of AppleCare+ by selecting the unlocked/SIM-free model + pay in full.

AC+ is cheaper for the SE. $79 for 2 years or $3.99 if you choose the monthly option. With theft and loss coverage, it's $149 for 2 years or $7.49 for monthly.

That said, if you want good battery life, then the SE is not for you.

 

[rui no onna]

I thought of a strategy. I have no idea if it would work. It all hinges on corporate good faith.

There is a small Verizon Wireless store near my town. There is also an AT&T store in my town. I could visit both stores, ask them what level of 5G tower coverage is available for both services (AT&T is GSM, and Verizon is CDMA) in my area. That would at least be useful (assuming they don't lie to me or refuse to tell me what I want to know) in determining if 5G would even be useful to me.

I doubt the corporate stores can tell you any better than the coverage maps AT&T and Verizon have on their websites (which could be completely bonkers depending on a number of factors).

Best bet if you want a more accurate picture is to ask your neighbors.

 

[Wingsley]

You can check the cost of AppleCare+ by selecting the unlocked/SIM-free model + pay in full.

AC+ is cheaper for the SE. $79 for 2 years or $3.99 if you choose the monthly option. With theft and loss coverage, it's $149 for 2 years or $7.49 for monthly.

That said, if you want good battery life, then the SE is not for you.

Thanks for the readout on AppleCare

 

[tenordrum]

Apple offers a bit better trade value for some phones depending if you are buying a new one, but they will offer a trade for your phone or other device for Apple credit. I did that for a couple of older MacBooks, and then purchased a replacement MacBook open box at Best Buy. The trade link for Apple (scroll down for the summary on trading for apple credit ) is at https://www.apple.com/shop/trade-in

 

[Wingsley]

Apple offers a bit better trade value for some phones depending if you are buying a new one, but they will offer a trade for your phone or other device for Apple credit. I did that for a couple of older MacBooks, and then purchased a replacement MacBook open box at Best Buy. The trade link for Apple (scroll down for the summary on trading for apple credit ) is at https://www.apple.com/shop/trade-in

If I traded in my Moto G6 Play for an iPhone SE, what do they give me? An Apple Music card? What if I wanted to take the benefit of my trade-in and use it on a future Apple hardware purchase? How does that work?

 

[rui no onna]

If I traded in my Moto G6 Play for an iPhone SE, what do they give me? An Apple Music card? What if I wanted to take the benefit of my trade-in and use it on a future Apple hardware purchase? How does that work?

Probably $0. Androids generally don't have good trade-in/resell value.

 

[LFC2020]

Probably $0. Androids generally don't have good trade-in/resell value.

Yep, Samsung offer more for iPhones than their own phones on their trade in website lol.

Always found that strange, you’re basically telling everyone that the competition has a better product.

 

[The.Glorious.Son]

"BETTER TASTE!" "NO, LESS FILLING!"
"BETTER TASTE!" "LESS FILLING!"
"BETTER TASTE!" "LESS FILLING!"
"BETTER TASTE!" "LESS FILLING!"

😆 😆 😆 😆

I COMPLETELY forgot about those commercials!!

 

[lkalliance]

If I traded in my Moto G6 Play for an iPhone SE, what do they give me? An Apple Music card? What if I wanted to take the benefit of my trade-in and use it on a future Apple hardware purchase? How does that work?

If memory serves, Apple can convert your trade-in value to Apple Store credit, which doesn't have to be used right then and there. I THINK that's the case. Then you can use it on whatever you want, whenever you want.

 

[Reno Raines]

Got mine today and the 5g for me is very fast. I live near Atlanta so I must be in a 5g friendly area. I like the new SE a lot.