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Other Help! Upgrading from an SE

JohnnyWalker

JohnnyWalker

macrumors member
Original poster
Feb 25, 2005
73
61
Hi there, my original SE is on its last legs. I desperately need to upgrade, but I thought I'd wait until today's announcement to see what Apple had up its sleeve. Unfortunately I'm more confused than ever! There's just so many options that I can't decide. Can you help?

Please note that I don't really care about the camera. I know that's a controversial feeling, but it's true. My SE's camera is good enough for me, so anything better is a bonus.

My choices are:

iPhone SE 2020 - $365 (with trade-in)
iPhone XR - $465 (with trade-in)
iPhone 11 - $565 (with trade-in)
iPhone 12 Mini - $665 (with trade-in)

Now if money was no object, I'd go for the iPhone 12 Mini. Love the design. Love that it's still small. Love the lack of bezels. And, of course, it's going to last longer before I need to upgrade again (I want at least four years). But money IS an object, so that kind of takes that one out of the running. And honestly, now that I write this, I just can't bring myself to spend over $500 on a phone, so I guess that takes me down to: XR vs SE 2020.

I don't like the forehead and chin of the SE 2020, and like the idea of a full display, but I do worry that my hands are quite small (8" span from thumb to little finger). Plus FaceID seems like an issue for people these days, so maybe TouchID is a smarter move. But then again some people are complaining about the battery life on the SE 2020. Damn you, Apple!

Sorry for the rambling post. What would YOU recommend?
 
If your preference is a smaller phone I would really recommend the 12 Mini as chances are you can roll with that for 4-5 years. If you really can't swing it then I'd go for the 2020 SE as it should still be good for 4 years, you'll just be missing out on the "full screen" experience.
 
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If money is an object, then welcome to Cricket and $250 for a new SE2020.
Personally went that route, since $250 vs $700 outweighed any reason to wait a new iphone.
Or walmart had them for $50 for one day and usual price is $150.
 
ctjack said:
If money is an object, then welcome to Cricket and $250 for a new SE2020.
Personally went that route, since $250 vs $700 outweighed any reason to wait a new iphone.
Or walmart had them for $50 for one day and usual price is $150.
Click to expand...

I'm buying the phone outright from Apple. I have an amazing plan separately. Thanks.
 
Well, you said it. Your budget matters more so I will say that SE2 is the only choice.

To be fair, I am in the same situation. I am currently using my SE1 but my plan is to get the 12 mini. I have till Nov 6 to decide, or maybe wait till Black Friday to see if I can grab a deal. I am not in a hurry anyway.
 
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Azzurro said:
I am currently using my SE1 but my plan is to get the 12 mini.
Click to expand...

I can't get through a single day on one charge with my SE, despite being on the battery having been replaced several times. No choice but to update now. Would LOVE a 12 Mini... but not for the price of a new iPad!
 
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JohnnyWalker said:
I can't get through a single day on one charge with my SE, despite being on the battery having been replaced several times. No choice but to update now. Would LOVE a 12 Mini... but not for the price of a new iPad!
Click to expand...
SE 2020 is default left if you want a small iPhone.
 
SE 2020 is a good upgrade from other similar size phones. Battery life to me is better than the original SE and I have both. I only use the original SE as an iPod touch. For me the $399 price tag was perfect plus having the best processor in an iPhone at the time. Also I am a big fan of Touch ID.
 
4BAC617D-B070-458B-922C-6C61D2A5ED4D.jpeg

SE2020 isn’t that much bigger than the mini.
 
JohnnyWalker said:
Hi there, my original SE is on its last legs. I desperately need to upgrade, but I thought I'd wait until today's announcement to see what Apple had up its sleeve. Unfortunately I'm more confused than ever! There's just so many options that I can't decide. Can you help?

Please note that I don't really care about the camera. I know that's a controversial feeling, but it's true. My SE's camera is good enough for me, so anything better is a bonus.

My choices are:

iPhone SE 2020 - $365 (with trade-in)
iPhone XR - $465 (with trade-in)
iPhone 11 - $565 (with trade-in)
iPhone 12 Mini - $665 (with trade-in)

Now if money was no object, I'd go for the iPhone 12 Mini. Love the design. Love that it's still small. Love the lack of bezels. And, of course, it's going to last longer before I need to upgrade again (I want at least four years). But money IS an object, so that kind of takes that one out of the running. And honestly, now that I write this, I just can't bring myself to spend over $500 on a phone, so I guess that takes me down to: XR vs SE 2020.

I don't like the forehead and chin of the SE 2020, and like the idea of a full display, but I do worry that my hands are quite small (8" span from thumb to little finger). Plus FaceID seems like an issue for people these days, so maybe TouchID is a smarter move. But then again some people are complaining about the battery life on the SE 2020. Damn you, Apple!

Sorry for the rambling post. What would YOU recommend?
Click to expand...

What your actual top you can spend on the phone?
 
bmac4 said:
What your actual top you can spend on the phone?
Click to expand...

What difference does it make? Spending a lot of money on something that isn't worth it doesn't make it a good deal. Is XR $100 better then the SE? Is the 11 $100 better than the XR?
 
With a $500 budget I would suggest it comes down to the 2020 SE or XR - neither has 5G if that is a consideration. FWIW: I would go for the XR - better battery life and larger screen.

Lisa
 
JohnnyWalker said:
What difference does it make? Spending a lot of money on something that isn't worth it doesn't make it a good deal. Is XR $100 better then the SE? Is the 11 $100 better than the XR?
Click to expand...

Wow just trying to be helpful, but I won’t bother.

Just buy the SE then. Why the hell did you ask anyone here for advice? You already had your mind made up. Just to be clear, I would recommend the XR, or the 11.
 
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As an SE 2020 user, I wouldn’t buy the phone with the hopes of a much better battery life than your og SE. On 14.1 (which has been causing battery drain for both my iPad and iPhone) I can barley make it through the afternoon with medium usage.

That being said, if money is an object you really can’t beat the SE 2020 at it’s price point. In terms of updates and support, it will probably last the same amount of time as the iPhone 12 Mini. I think, OP, you need to weigh your budget and balance that with what phone you would be satisfied with.

I went from the go SE>7>SE 2020. I am very happy with the SE 2020, but I also value my wallet more than a cutting edge camera.
 
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After a LOT of experiences with phones this year, I’ll throw in my 2 cents.

Out of the ones you listed, and in the situation you’re describing, I would likely choose the SE 2 coming from the SE, and here’s why:

Big improvement over your current phone in just about every way
Should easily give you several years til upgrade would be necessary
Price is where you need it to be
Size is comparable to what you have
Processor is one of the most current/fastest available

The XR/11 (and out of those I’d choose the 11 because the XR is a good phone, but already 2 years old, so for the additional camera features, better battery, and slightly newer processor, I’d pay the extra $100 for the 11 if I were going that route) are both going to be a lot bigger, and if you’re coming from something really small, you may find it to be more size than you want. They are both pretty big and heavy in hand.

12 mini is obviously going to be the best overall in terms of size, longevity, and features, but if it’s totally out of your price range, it likely shouldn’t be a consideration. It’s not worth stressing yourself, or putting yourself in a bind financially when a phone for half the price will do almost everything the 12 mini will do.

The downside to the SE2 is that you’ll still have to charge it daily, and more with heavy use (but it does charge pretty quickly). (The 11 has the best battery life of all the phones listed.)

Obviously you need to do what is best for you in your situation, but hope this is at least a little helpful.

One more thought would be to maybe sell the SE and pick up an SE2 used/refurbished, saving even more money.
 
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Jxdawg said:
As an SE 2020 user, I wouldn’t buy the phone with the hopes of a much better battery life than your og SE. On 14.1 (which has been causing battery drain for both my iPad and iPhone) I can barley make it through the afternoon with medium usage.

That being said, if money is an object you really can’t beat the SE 2020 at it’s price point. In terms of updates and support, it will probably last the same amount of time as the iPhone 12 Mini. I think, OP, you need to weigh your budget and balance that with what phone you would be satisfied with.

I went from the go SE>7>SE 2020. I am very happy with the SE 2020, but I also value my wallet more than a cutting edge camera.
Click to expand...

Disagree with the SE lasting as long as the mini. The SE has last years chip. The A13 is no slouch, but it’s also not the A14. You will get at least a year longer with the mini. Plus all iPhone screens are moving to the full phone with the notch, those building apps are going to eventually stop updating apps for the SE 2020. To me unless money is super tight, the SE 2020 isn’t worth it.
 
JohnnyWalker said:
I can afford to buy the Mini outright. But money is money, whether paid monthly or not. And the question is really is it worth that extra money? I can't justify spending it, as much as I like that phone.
Click to expand...

That depends on your needs. I think there are likely enough improvements to justify the price over the others, but only you know if those things are valuable to you.

As far as the processor goes, sure you’ll get an extra year out of the mini over the SE, but you’ll easily get years out of the SE. You’ll get less years from the XR than any based on processor alone, so I’d eliminate that from the choices, and I think the SE has the same or slightly better processor than the 11.

Honestly, based on size, I’d be choosing between SE and mini, and eliminate both the XR and 11. It’s gonna be a really big jump from an original SE to either of those, and you may very well be unhappy with the size and weight.

So it boils down to whether a newer processor, smaller size, lighter weight, OLED display, full screen display, somewhat better battery life, more like original SE design, and better camera are worth that price difference to you.
 
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I’d get the SE2. I have one and like it. I’m holding on until a phone with some form of Touch ID comes back out. I also want to want until a 2nd gen of 5g antenna comes out. It’s more in your price and size. The XR is bigger and has Face ID and personally I wouldn’t pay for 2 year old tech. From side by side reviews I saw the camera on the SE is better. I know you said it didn’t matter but just something to put out there.
Get the SE to tide you over and save your money for when they release one with some form of Touch ID. They have to know demand is out there.
 
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ssledoux said:
That depends on your needs. I think there are likely enough improvements to justify the price over the others, but only you know if those things are valuable to you.

As far as the processor goes, sure you’ll get an extra year out of the mini over the SE, but you’ll easily get years out of the SE. You’ll get less years from the XR than any based on processor alone, so I’d eliminate that from the choices, and I think the SE has the same or slightly better processor than the 11.

Honestly, based on size, I’d be choosing between SE and mini, and eliminate both the XR and 11. It’s gonna be a really big jump from an original SE to either of those, and you may very well be unhappy with the size and weight.

So it boils down to whether a newer processor, smaller size, lighter weight, OLED display, full screen display, somewhat better battery life, more like original SE design, and better camera are worth that price difference to you.
Click to expand...
Yes, you're right. SE2 it is.
 
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