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gumbaloom

macrumors member
Original poster
May 16, 2007
98
53
Hi all,

Currently umming and ahh'ing about upgrading my phone.

Currently have 128GB iPhone SE
Apple Care + till End of May next year
Space used - 116GB out of 128GB (apps + music)

As it seems to be quite well known that the iPhone 13 Mini is going to be the last of it's form factor I'm ummin and ahhing about an upgrade.

Here are my data points :

- Phone primarily for
- Internet
- Apps - news / social media
- Banking
- Watching stuff on Apple TV from streaming / home library
- Snaps

- I LIKE small phones - want a phone I can use for 90% of the time with 1 hand - this means either iPhone SE or iPhone Mini seems pretty close would not want an iPhone 13 or iPhone 13 max

- Not a big camera person - if it can take a snap that's fine. If i want good photos I've got a proper SLR for that

- Not a big screen quality person / games player who needs high refresh rates - I'd strugle to tell the difference.

- I *LIKE* touch ID not suure whether I'd dig face ID....

So I'm due to go back to the UK next year at long last and when I compare the 256GB model - the price is like £120 difference (because of the VAT) so makes me wonder if I should pull the trigger before I leave.

I'm also torn about upgradig now when the apple care is still to run - yeah I can get the balance of the Apple Care refunded but that's hassle + I want value of the SE eg comparing trade in value NOW compared to next May when the Apple care is up.

My options are

1) Buy iPhone 13 Mini now off contract / Trade in SE 2nd Gen
2) Buy iPhone 13 Mini on contract with my cell provider - would pay more but not all at one go.
3) Get the rumored iPhone SE 3rd gen when it comes out - my only compalint with my current phone is the lack of 5G everything else is fine.
4) Get the iPhone 13 Mini next May off contract / Trade in
5) Get phone on contract whe I get to the UK - less up front but liek current place will pay more in the long run

Not withstanding wanting best value for the buck re trade in value of the SE vs value of use

Based on my use case would I really get much benefit from a iPhone 13 Mini vs iPhone SE 3rd gen when it gets released?

A current SE 2nd gen is half the price of a iPhone 13 (give or take) so outside of screen / camera system / face ID advantages would I get off a iPhone 13 Mini over 3rd Gen SE ?

Thanks

-Gumbaloom
 
My personal choice of what you listed would be the 13 mini. It checks all the boxes you've listed (except TouchID) and has solid upgrades over the SE2 you have now. The rumored SE3 is just that, a rumor and may not release when expected especially considering the chip/supply shortages we're experiencing now..
 
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I share a lot of points with you -except I want a really good camera-, and even tho I’ve bought a 13 mini just to see if it fits my use case, I’m still thinking on that rumored 3rd gen SE.

To be honest, if the next SE retains the overall size of the current second gen SE, and adds an A15 and a Qualcomm X60 modem, it will be an interesting purchase at $400. Because I love Touch ID, and the Face ID can be somewhat troublesome for those of us who still wear masks.

So, my advice for you, would be, as long as you can wait until March/April, just wait, and see if the SE 3 is what you really want. I would expect a slightly bigger battery, otherwise the battery life of the SE 3 will be an absolute crap. But yeah, I think it can be an interesting device for those of us who use the smartphone for basic stuff.

However, if you watch a lot of media on your smartphone, go with the 13 mini.
 
Just replaced my 2nd gen SE with a 13 mini and love the mini: small profile, face ID, faster, bigger screen

I don't care about the camera
 
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The 13 mini is a great choice. I upgraded to it from an original 64gb SE. Like you, my phone is a phone first. Games and photos are a bit of an afterthought.

I really liked Touch ID, but Face ID works quite well. When I wear a mask, even while wearing my glasses, the unlock with Apple Watch feature is working very well for me using my dries 3 watch. Face ID phones are different, but I’ve adapted pretty quickly.

My daughter has a 2nd gen SE. it’s a fully capable phone as well, but then again other than battery life my old SE was still getting things done just fine. It’s incredible how well that phone has aged.

Personally, at this point, if you keep phones for more than a year or two, I would get one that has a 5G modem, which currently limits you to the mini. The limited locations where I’ve actually seen 5G locally have provided a pretty impressive connection.
 
SE 3rd gen is more of a wish than a solid rumor. I wouldn’t place any bets on that thing ever seeing the light of day.

It seems pretty inevitable to me that a) SE line will keep going - Apple wants to grab market at lower price points, nothing changed about that, and b) it will be based on iPhone 11, simultaneously replacing it in the line up, exactly what happened in case of iPhone 5s-SE 1 and iPhone 8-SE 2.

The question is when. Next spring to summer would be the logical timeframe. If due to chip shortage A13 is easier to obtain than A 15 in necessary volume, it’s quite possible they’ll just discontinue the SE 2 and lower the price of iPhone 11 even further without making any changes to it, keep selling it as a budget option through 2023.
 
Just replaced my 2nd gen SE with a 13 mini and love the mini: small profile, face ID, faster, bigger screen

I don't care about the camera

I'm not bothered about mobile phone camera's either, but the cameras on the 12 Mini (13 Mini even more refined) are just fantastic. I just came back from Rome (first holiday abroad for 2 years since COVID) and took stunning pics of the Vatican City area and Colosseum. The X 0.5 Wide angle camera is really useful to get more in the shot.
 
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