I have an S7 - why do I find myself wanting an SE?!

[Cakefish]

Recently bought the (unlocked) Galaxy S7 but can't stop thinking about the iPhone SE.

I love the Samsung phone in almost every way, except it's size. It's a lot bigger than my previous phone, the Sony Z5 Compact and it just doesn't feel as comfortable in my hand. I have an iPad Air 2 which I love, so I know I can get on well with iOS.

One of the reasons I bought the Galaxy was because of the camera and how it compares to the 6S camera.

I still find myself wanting that small form factor of the iPhone SE though...

 

[AliMacs]

How about you trade me. I'll go buy a brand new SE tomorrow for you and you send me your S7

 

[maxsix]

Recently bought the (unlocked) Galaxy S7 but can't stop thinking about the iPhone SE.

I love the Samsung phone in almost every way, except it's size. It's a lot bigger than my previous phone, the Sony Z5 Compact and it just doesn't feel as comfortable in my hand. I have an iPad Air 2 which I love, so I know I can get on well with iOS.

One of the reasons I bought the Galaxy was because of the camera and how it compares to the 6S camera.

I still find myself wanting that small form factor of the iPhone SE though...

The solution is a simple one.

Some of us thrive by having choices and variety, I know I do. That's why I happily pay to maintain multiple lines for my various Androids and iPhones.

Nothing like having a selection of current top of the line smartphones to choose from.

 

[KaliPaige]

Recently bought the (unlocked) Galaxy S7 but can't stop thinking about the iPhone SE.

I love the Samsung phone in almost every way, except it's size. It's a lot bigger than my previous phone, the Sony Z5 Compact and it just doesn't feel as comfortable in my hand. I have an iPad Air 2 which I love, so I know I can get on well with iOS.

One of the reasons I bought the Galaxy was because of the camera and how it compares to the 6S camera.

I still find myself wanting that small form factor of the iPhone SE though...

The 5/5S were the perfect size for one handed use, that's why. Unless you're a basketball player, you're going to be hard pressed to type with one hand while using a 4.7"+ phone, and it doesn't fit nearly as well in the hand as the 4" iPhones of yore. It's a slim and pocketable design that won't weigh down your pockets.

And now the 4 inch phone has returned with a vengeance. Long live the king.

 

[12vElectronics]

It's because the 5/5S was the best iPhone design.. Ever!

 

[maxsix]

The 5/5S were the perfect size for one handed use, that's why. Unless you're a basketball player, you're going to be hard pressed to type with one hand while using a 4.7"+ phone, and it doesn't fit nearly as well in the hand as the 4" iPhones of yore. It's a slim and pocketable design that won't weigh down your pockets.

And now the 4 inch phone has returned with a vengeance. Long live the king.

The tiny iPhone is nice for the light ith small hands or

 

[HickDead]

Because Android is pure garbage - that's why. See the thing with the S7 and 99.9% of Android phones is that they tease you when you first purchase the handsets. They are fast, smooth and buttery. Then a month later....it will freeze up, lock up, feel sluggish, random reboots and it's no longer the lovely device you first fell in love with.

With the iPhone and iOS it's the first time experience ALL the time. There's a reason why government officials, doctors, lawyers, CEOs and other high ranking officials ALL use Apple iPhones. Think about it.

Go sell that tin can known as the S7 before the resale value takes even a bigger dive and get yourself an SE. Stop selling yourself short with inferior products.

"But, but, but the S7 has a better camera......" SHUT THE HELL UP MONKEY!

 

[aleni]

it's because you miss a really compact and powerful phone like the SE.

 

[Cakefish]

Pleasse don't let this thread slide into the same old flame war between Android and iOS. I enjoy both OS's

The reason I bought the S7 was because of its camera and it doesn't disappoint in that regard. But I keep longing for a smaller size. My hands are tiny I admit, because I am a short guy. The curved back of the S7 is lovely but it's not enough to compensate for the extra width in my hand.

I'm going into my local Apple store today (it's only a short walk away) to torture myself and maybe, just maybe let myself be tempted into buying a 64GB SE, try it out and then sell/return one of these phones shortly and keep whichever I prefer.

Am I crazy? Is that plan sensible? Should I just stop fretting over first world problems and learn to live with my purchase?

 

[lordofthereef]

I guess you answered it in the first few sentences. Size. We all have different needs. My wife thought she wanted an SE and played with one at work yesterday and decided to was just too small. She's still on the fence and we need.ti get my son something so he will have the SE unless she decides she wants it; in that case he will get the 6s

 

[AliMacs]

Pleasse don't let this thread slide into the same old flame war between Android and iOS. I enjoy both OS's

The reason I bought the S7 was because of its camera and it doesn't disappoint in that regard. But I keep longing for a smaller size. My hands are tiny I admit, because I am a short guy. The curved back of the S7 is lovely but it's not enough to compensate for the extra width in my hand.

I'm going into my local Apple store today (it's only a short walk away) to torture myself and maybe, just maybe let myself be tempted into buying a 64GB SE, try it out and then sell/return one of these phones shortly and keep whichever I prefer.

Am I crazy? Is that plan sensible? Should I just stop fretting over first world problems and learn to live with my purchase?

Once that tiny SE phone nostalgia wears off, you'd realize you just gave up the best display for a piece of Chet display in the iPhone SE. Trust me the RDF is strong with this iPhone SE - in fact so strong it could wake Steve jobs up from his grave.

The Super amoled on the s7 is so good it's like you are willing to leave Miranda Kerr for Miranda Lambert. The latter one is tiny and can be good to look at when you are half drunk but definitely won't get your Johnson up like the the first one.

tough call, my friend. S7 is culmination of hardware and beauty - iPhone SE is culmination of the same recycled 5S, 6, and 6S parts combined together to trick you into thinking Phil Schiller is great engineer at Apple.

 

[lordofthereef]

Am I crazy? Is that plan sensible? Should I just stop fretting over first world problems and learn to live with my purchase?

Perfectly sensible I'd you're not under financial strain doing this. I could argue a Ferrari isn't a sensible purchase, but it is to folks who have a whole lot more money than I do.

Apple also has a great return policy so your risks are limited there. You have a full two weeks to decide if you want to keep it. Again, if this doesn't severely strain your wallet, go for it. We all come from different walks of life and have differing finances. Only you know what you can afford.

 

[AliMacs]

Perfectly sensible I'd you're not under financial strain doing this. I could argue a Ferrari isn't a sensible purchase, but it is to folks who have a whole lot more money than I do.

What? This iPhone SE is more like a kit car trying to pass off as a Ferrari. If it were truly a Ferrari then it's worth the price. Right now you are buying a fake Ferrari with a Ferrari price tag that's been discounted because the dealer knows it's not a true Ferrari.

 

[lordofthereef]

What? This iPhone SE is more like a kit car trying to pass off as a Ferrari. If it were truly a Ferrari then it's worth the price. Right now you are buying a fake Ferrari with a Ferrari price tag that's been discounted because the dealer knows it's not a true Ferrari.

You missed the point. The question was whether this is financially sensible. The OP is essentially asking about splurging It wasn't comparing anything to a car in any way other than to say if it's not a huge financial strain then go for it.

Do you want a Ferrari? Can you easily afford it? Buy one.

Do you want an SE? Can you easily afford it? Buy one.

The latter can also very easily be returned.

 

[AliMacs]

You missed the point. The question was whether this is financially feasible. The OP is essentially asking about splurging It wasn't comparing anything to a car in any way other than to say if it's not a huge financial strain then go for it.

Do you want a Ferrari? Can you easily afford it? Buy one.

Do you want an SE? Can you easily afford it? Buy one.

The latter can also very easily be returned.

The damn phone is what, $399? He's gonna get a discount if he buys this over his S7 which is easily $649+

The problem I can foresee is it's a new apple product so everyone is dropping their panties down. Once they realize it's really meh, back to 2013, then they will not want it. It's ironic that in 2013 apple's flagship was the iPhone 5S - it's a 4-inch display and competitors were releasing 5"+ and super amoled displays by Samsung just made the iPhone 5S look really bad.

people were anxious to move up to a higher quality display + bigger display size. So I guess those 100's of millions of iPhone 6' series buyers meant people were just forced by Apple to upgrade. If this were the case then let's see how many 100"s of millions of iPhone SE they will sell. I highly doubt more than a few million would want this 4" display phone.

4" display is too small for gaming, too small for surfing the web, and for me too small to even text on. The s7 in his case is just superior in every way; that's if you can handle Samsung and their slow android updates.

 

[lordofthereef]

The damn phone is what, $399? He's gonna get a discount if he buys this over his S7 which is easily $649+

The problem I can foresee is it's a new apple product so everyone is dropping their panties down. Once they realize it's really meh, back to 2013, then they will not want it. It's ironic that in 2013 apple's flagship was the iPhone 5S - it's a 4-inch display and competitors were releasing 5"+ and super amoled displays by Samsung just made the iPhone 5S look really bad.

people were anxious to move up to a higher quality display + bigger display size. So I guess those 100's of millions of iPhone 6' series meant people were just forced by Apple to upgrade. If this were the case then let's see how many 100"s of millions of iPhone SE they will sell. I highly doubt more than a few million would want this 4" display phone.

4" display is too small for gaming, too small for surfing the web, and for me too small to even text on. The s7 in his case is just superior in every way; that's if you can handle Samsung and their slow android updates.

I'm simply responding in terms.of affordability. Again there is a 14 day return policy. If the phone doesn't meet expectations it can be returned.

I csn respect your opinions. You've made them clear. The phone isn't for you. I even agree with many of your points aside from texting. That doesn't mean others can't get by or even prefer something different.

Still, the OP states a desire for a smaller phone. And was asking for some backup. I gave it. It's my same answer to all wants in life. If you can afford it, go for it. I can absolutely see $400 going a hell of a log way for a lot of people, particularly those who had held onto a 5/5s for years in hope that form factor gets an update.

 

[AliMacs]

I'm simply responding in terms.of affordability. Again there is a 14 day return policy. If the phone doesn't meet expectations it can be returned.

I csn respect your opinions. You've made them clear. The phone isn't for you. I even agree with many of your points aside from texting. That doesn't mean others can't get by or even prefer something different.

Still, the OP states a desire for a smaller phone. And was asking for some backup. I gave it. It's my same answer to all wants in life. If you can afford it, go for it. I can absolutely see $400 going a hell of a log way for a lot of people, particularly those who had held onto a 5/5s for years in hope that form factor gets an update.

Sorry I wasn't trying to tell you you were wrong about anything. I'm just merely pointing out the obvious self-righteousness about not wanting an iPhone SE. If I am the OP I too would like a smaller device if my hands were tiny. Unfortunately for Apple I have banana hands and big phones work best for me.

Biggest problem with the iPhone 6+ is that the forehead and chin are huge. No one at Apple seems to be able to figure out how to deal with it. If they cut down on the bezels, you'd get much smaller dimensions- but that only leads to another problem - Sir Jony will want to make it thinner hence smaller battery in a smaller frame.

I truly hope he goes and tests out the phone first. Besides it's the same iPhone 5 series phone since 2012 and I bet you if you showed 10 people on the street between the same iPhone 5S vs iPhone SE they will not be able to see/feel/tell you the difference at all. It's that meh of a phone!

 

[lordofthereef]

Sorry I wasn't trying to tell you you were wrong about anything. I'm just merely pointing out the obvious self-righteousness about not wanting an iPhone SE. If I am the OP I too would like a smaller device if my hands were tiny. Unfortunately for Apple I have banana hands and big phones work best for me.

Biggest problem with the iPhone 6+ is that the forehead and chin are huge. No one at Apple seems to be able to figure out how to deal with it. If they cut down on the bezels, you'd get much smaller dimensions- but that only leads to another problem - Sir Jony will want to make it thinner hence smaller battery in a smaller frame.

I truly hope he goes and tests out the phone first. Besides it's the same iPhone 5 series phone since 2012 and I bet you if you showed 10 people on the street between the same iPhone 5S vs iPhone SE they will not be able to see/feel/tell you the difference at all. It's that meh of a phone!

All of these points are why I'm disappointed with what we've seen leaked for the 7. Same footprint (in either a larger screen and smaller bezels or, more likely, same screen same bezels), thinner, no 3.5mm jack. So far I'm losing more than I'm gaining here.

I'm very very happy with my 6s plus and my family like their two 6s as well, so we aren't feeling to compelled to upgrade this year. It'd certainly going to take something far more amazing than what I've seen thus far to sway me.

 

[daijholt]

Recently bought the (unlocked) Galaxy S7 but can't stop thinking about the iPhone SE.

I love the Samsung phone in almost every way, except it's size. It's a lot bigger than my previous phone, the Sony Z5 Compact and it just doesn't feel as comfortable in my hand. I have an iPad Air 2 which I love, so I know I can get on well with iOS.

One of the reasons I bought the Galaxy was because of the camera and how it compares to the 6S camera.

I still find myself wanting that small form factor of the iPhone SE though...

Because the dark side isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Search your feelings, you know it to be true.

 

[AliMacs]

All of these points are why I'm disappointed with what we've seen leaked for the 7. Same footprint (in either a larger screen and smaller bezels or, more likely, same screen same bezels), thinner, no 3.5mm jack. So far I'm losing more than I'm gaining here.

I'm very very happy with my 6s plus and my family like their two 6s as well, so we aren't feeling to compelled to upgrade this year. It'd certainly going to take something far more amazing than what I've seen thus far to sway me.

I have a Samsung note series right now - I am waiting to jump on the iPhone 7 bandwagon. My very last iPhone WAS the iPhone 5S. It was that very phone that made me jump over to the android side because there were plenty more better display sizes and quality screens. I really also disliked iOS 7 and when the iPhone 5S was announced my wife got one but she also jumped to android for an S5. At first it was completely garbage to her but we had no choice but to live with our decision. I don't regret it one bit because I didn't like the 6 series either - the 6+ in particular was only1080p and had stuttering everywhere. Hardware was probably not good enough. Then the 6S(+) was announced and that really caught my attention due to the hardware specs. But I am holding out for a "band-aid less" rear shell. Those antenna lines are really, really bad for me.

If they remove those I would still consider it. That's why I am very dismissive of this new iPhone SE because it's still the same damn phone I left it for another larger phone. Looks like Apple will really do a 3 year cycle on design. It doesn't surprise me just like automobiles that have a 4 year cycle, a few nip tuck here and there sometimes makes all the difference. Besides if iPhone 7 was truly next gen I'd probably wait for the 7S so they can work out the kinks.

 

[Cakefish]

I am going to the Apple store to look at it today

I live in UK though so price isn't $499 it's £439. If I sold my S7 today at CEX I'd get £409 for it so wouldn't be that much out of pocket, but still would be losing money. I guess the only thing is whether I'd find myself wishing I had the S7 camera back if I swap to the SE. Ahhh I can't win!

 

[jacmeister]

I am going to the Apple store to look at it today

I live in UK though so price isn't $499 it's £439. If I sold my S7 today at CEX I'd get £409 for it so wouldn't be that much out of pocket, but still would be losing money. I guess the only thing is whether I'd find myself wishing I had the S7 camera back if I swap to the SE. Ahhh I can't win!

All I would say is that the camera in the 5SE is still the same as the 6S which is one hell of a good camera, it just not as good in low light as the S7. Also the cameras are a subjective point as the iphone 6s /5SE will be more of a natural shot and the S7 is slightly over saturated.But both are very good shooters

The main thing for me would be the screen size and whether the fonts would be readable which I will only know by using for a few days. I have the 6S and I am torn whether to buy the 5SE and new Pad Pro to have alongside when I should be waiting for a new mac book !!

 

[Savor]

Since I am easily adaptable to any mobile platform or size, it is never a dilemma for me. My comfort level is still around the iPhone 6s range no higher than 145mm in height or bigger than "5.2 depending on the former.

If you are coming from an Z5 Compact prior to S7, I believe your transition from SE will be easier and sooner than adapting to the S7 size. It took me a much longer time going from iPhone 4 and Nexus One to HTC One M7. Maybe two years until I got very comfortable. I have averaged size hands for a 5-10 guy with fairly long, candlelight fingers. Now it is very hard for me to go back to the "4 inch display..

I suggest get the SE already and try to experiment what you will feel comfortable with. It isn't a big deal looking like a 5s with many 6s components. I don't expect huge lines for something that looks old with already half a year old components and minor omissions or downgrades. There isn't much growth in the small segment since majority of people are going through transitional phases with sizes and the small size isn't going to make a huge comeback anytime soon. Saturated and becoming niche already. If you stick to the S7 for the long haul, you might find yourself at a point of no return going back to "4.

 

[Cakefish]

Seen it for myself in store. The size is perfect! Wow.

Not that I haven't seen a 5S before.

I like it.

 

[asleep]

...buying a 64GB SE, try it out and then sell/return one of these phones shortly and keep whichever I prefer.

Am I crazy? Is that plan sensible?

Perfectly reasonable plan, same path I'm taking with the SE/iP6S.

Seen it for myself in store. The size is perfect! Wow. I like it.