iPhone SE (2016) Decisions, which model?

[gsusser]

I have never been so wishy washy about which model to buy. Perhaps someone can lighten my fog.
I presently have an iPhone xs with 512gb. It's served me well. I especially like the capacity since my music fills up the phone. Unfortunately, the glass cracked and it's becoming unusable. Also, the camera lens is scratched, though it works okay.
Bear in mind that I live in Colombia and prices are about 25% higher. Buying from the US is not a good option since Apple Care is not available for me. Plus, the shipping and tax would be about $200. So, it pays to buy here in SA.

My thoughts are:

1. The new SE
2. iPhone 11
3. Wait for iPhone 12 or whatever
4. Fix my present phone at a cost of $300 just for new front glass. The camera lens is also scratched, though I don't know if that can be repaired.

I no longer use the phone a great deal other than for the camera, texting and phone calls. Speed is no longer important. The camera though is important. I'm happy with the XS' camera. Is the SE the same? It would pain me to downgrade to the SE, but it seems logical. I am concerned with the smaller size though. I find the XS to be the perfect size for me.
Cost is also a consideration as I am now retired.
It seems the obvious choice is the SE, but the snob in me has always forced me to get the best available. I had been upgrading every 2 years.
My present phone is usable, so no rush.
Thanks for any thoughts.

 

[ericwn]

I would wait until the new ones are introduced or EE released and decide then. New models might offer different things to different people and you have no rush, so wait until you have the most options. At that time you might also get a better deal on today’s flagship devices.

 

[BenTrovato]

From your comments about liking the size of the Xs, and price not really being an issue, this is what I would do:

1. Repair Xs today, cracked screens are no fun. You have the 512gb model, it will still be valuable should you decide to sell it.
2. Wait for the iPhone 12 launch to see if you like the 5.4 or 6.1 inch and you can compare it against the SE.

 

[murad_fourth]

... wishy washy... 👀

 

[maerz001]

From your comments about liking the size of the Xs, and price not really being an issue, this is what I would do:

1. Repair Xs today, cracked screens are no fun. You have the 512gb model, it will still be valuable should you decide to sell it.
2. Wait for the iPhone 12 launch to see if you like the 5.4 or 6.1 inch and you can compare it against the SE.

From his other post the back is broken as well. So i would not invest in this phone.

Yes either wait for 12 or why not buy a XS again for about half the price if you like it

 

[JPack]

Display can be easily replaced. $300 is a little expensive, but I assume they're using a higher quality replacement.

Rear camera lens can also be easily replaced. The part is cheap. It should be less than $50 for the part and labor.

 

[44267547]

I have never been so wishy washy about which model to buy. Perhaps someone can lighten my fog.
I presently have an iPhone xs with 512gb. It's served me well. I especially like the capacity since my music fills up the phone. Unfortunately, the glass cracked and it's becoming unusable. Also, the camera lens is scratched, though it works okay.
Bear in mind that I live in Colombia and prices are about 25% higher. Buying from the US is not a good option since Apple Care is not available for me. Plus, the shipping and tax would be about $200. So, it pays to buy here in SA.

My thoughts are:

1. The new SE
2. iPhone 11
3. Wait for iPhone 12 or whatever
4. Fix my present phone at a cost of $300 just for new front glass. The camera lens is also scratched, though I don't know if that can be repaired.

I no longer use the phone a great deal other than for the camera, texting and phone calls. Speed is no longer important. The camera though is important. I'm happy with the XS' camera. Is the SE the same? It would pain me to downgrade to the SE, but it seems logical. I am concerned with the smaller size though. I find the XS to be the perfect size for me.
Cost is also a consideration as I am now retired.
It seems the obvious choice is the SE, but the snob in me has always forced me to get the best available. I had been upgrading every 2 years.
My present phone is usable, so no rush.
Thanks for any thoughts.

I would not waste your money on repairing your phone, not when it will cost you $300, which you can easily apply to a newer device (Assuming you can afford the difference of the more expensive iPhone
Models). More importantly, what are you comfortable even handling? You’re options are all over the place from the new iPhone SE, and all the way up to the iPhone 11, which is substantially larger. I would base at least half your decision on the size of the phone versus features.

 

[gsusser]

Thanks for the responses. It made me realize my priorities.
Against the recommendations of some here, I decided to fix my Xs. It will probably cost close to $500 with fixing the camera lens, or I can wait until another time and just fix the front glass for now.
Someone mentioned that I stated money was no object. On the contrary, in the OP, I mentioned that it is an important consideration.
My reasons are several for keeping my phone. I like my phone - the physical size and the capacity, which I would be sacrificing with an SE or 11 or 12. Costs in SA are much higher than the US - at least 25% more for phones and repairs. So, even though the cost of the repair is substantial, the cost of a new phone is considerably more.
I also don't like that there is no Apple Care here in Colombia. There are no Apple stores, only authorized stores, and they set prices and policies independently.
The used market here is not like the US. It's actually almost non-existent. One thought I previously had was to wait for the 12 to come out and buy a used 11 cheaply. But the chances of finding a used 11 that I like are slim. And as mentioned, shipping from the US is not an option due to the high shipping and tax fees.
My only concern is that I do not know how long the Xs is built to last. If I can get another 2 years out of it, I will be happy. Perhaps someone can comment on this last point or my reasoning. Yes, sorry to say I am wishy washy but this thread has helped me mostly arrive at a decision.

 

[maerz001]

As there are still people enjoying their 6s i guess the XS in 2 years will work as well

 

[rui no onna]

My only concern is that I do not know how long the Xs is built to last. If I can get another 2 years out of it, I will be happy. Perhaps someone can comment on this last point or my reasoning. Yes, sorry to say I am wishy washy but this thread has helped me mostly arrive at a decision.

Performance-wise, I don't see any concern. The basic iPad 10.2" has a worse processor and I expect even that to work fine for the next 2-3 years at least.

Battery might go iffy during that time, though.

 

[valinda]

If I were you I would have invested in a good protective phone case, and screen protector. Especially since no Apple Care is available in your country.
You will be able to get another 3 years of updates on your XS. I have an iPhone 6s Plus that works fine still today.