iPhone 6, 6s, & 7 vs. iPhone SE: Should You Upgrade?

[stinkhorn9]

The 6 doesn’t need to receive updates to be functional (And when I say ‘functional’, I mean as in text/call/other simple tasking..) There’s still plenty of consumers who are using the iPhone 6 on the market, and when the time comes for their phone to be upgraded due to experiencing hardware issues/battery problems, then the SE will probably be the next target, but software frustrations with ‘lack of updates‘ probably isn’t enough to push an iPhone 6 owner to upgrade, especially if they been using a phone this long that launched back in 2014.

This pretty much describes me. Writing this on a 6 - it’s the fastest iPhone I have personal experience using, and I don’t understand what ‘support’ isn’t available to me, or whether the lack of updates will bother me. I’m not a photographer, so the camera is great. Every app I need works. The battery is fairly new. Don’t get me wrong - I’m fascinated by the new se - and I was on the cusp of ordering one - and maybe I still want to be convinced to - but I’m not quite there yet!

 

[vmistery]

I think some previous gen plus owners might struggle going back to the smaller screen, it would be interesting to hear from any people who do upgrade from a plus to an SE how they are finding it.

 

[UltimaKilo]

Anyone with an iPhone 6S or older have a great opportunity for a significant upgrade and a great price-point. If I was rocking an iPhone 7, I would probably hold onto it until 2021 and an iPhone 8 should work great for a few years yet.

Let's see what Apple has in store for the 2021 iPhones.

 

[baryon]

I know it's cheap but I still find it quite expensive. I bought my 1st gen SE new after it had been out for a bit over a year, and it cost the equivalent of 280 usd. Now that is value for money! I think a used XR is also good value... well unless the seller scams you.

 

[janitor3]

Bought an 8 plus last year, does everything I need it to do. So will not be upgrading for a few years.

 

[honglong1976]

I have an iPhone 6S. Works great. No need to upgrade yet. If it does this may be my next choice.

If the phone works, speedy, camera good, why need to upgrade?

 

[FlyingDutch]

So the camera IS NOT the same as iPhone 8 like someone is saying... 🧐

by the way I think iPhone SE is a great upgrade from an iPhone 6, a very good upgrade from an iPhone 6S because it will be discontinued this fall, but I don’t think it is a good upgrade from an iPhone 7. The 7 is still a good performer in every situation except low light photography (but the SE isn’t so good in low light too), and A10 SoC will be supported for a couple more years for sure, considering it is used on 2019 iPad.
My two cents.

 

[K4sper]

Macrumors also does a lot of paid promotion

I totally think that’s alarming, I usually trust macrumors, not only rumors but also about their buyers guide ... but this post lacks quality and credibility a lot.

 

[FlyingDutch]

If you're using any of those phones, you should upgrade.

7 may be good for another year, but the original SE, 6, and 6s are likely going to be left behind with iOS 14.

iPhone 7 use the same SoC used on 2018 and 2019 iPad.
May be good, you said ? Ever tried one ? 🤨
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My launch iPhone 7 still feels just as fast as when I had it on iOS 10. No need for me to upgrade.

Agreed.
It seems even a little faster today, after the iOS 11 fiasco.
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If you have an iPhone 6,6S,SE 2016, 7, or even iPhone 8 than you should upgrade to the SE 2020.

Or maybe not.
I can’t see a real good reason to upgrade from a 7 or an 8.

 

[Wanted797]

I have a 6s currently. I'll upgrade when it has either a headphone jack or USB-C so that I can continue to use the same pair of wired headphones with my Mac and my laptop without having to mess with plugging in and unplugging dongles all the time. Or, if Apple drops support for the 6s before either of those things happens... well, I guess there's always Android.

Have you tried AirPods? They’re awesome.

 

[gnasher729]

Are you happy with your phone? As long as you are happy with it, no need to upgrade.

I had a 6+. Upgraded to a 7+. Huge difference. Noticeable difference in speed, for example launching iPlayer and Books. The SE is twice as fast again or more. So from a 6, definitely upgrade. 6s, most likely as well if you can afford it easily. 7 or 8, I wouldn’t see the need.

If your phone needs a repair, battery getting old, screen damaged, that would make it better to upgrade than paying out for a repair.

And everyone remember: The question isn’t whether the SE is a good phone worth the money. It is, no doubt. The question is whether it is enough improvement to your old phone for the money. For an 8 or 8+, I don’t see it.
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I so want to get one for the speed improvement, but I don't like the size and the slippery body. What am I going to do?

Cant do anything about the size. All my devices have a cheap transparent gel case Which stops it from slipping, protects it when it falls, aNd gives a bit of protection to the screen.
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Have you tried AirPods? They’re awesome.

Anker has some very nice noise cancelling Bluetooth headphones around £40.

 

[stinkhorn9]

Are you saying definitely upgrade if you have a 6 based on comparing chip and ram specs on paper, etc, or from actual experience of comparing the two?

 

[gnasher729]

I think some previous gen plus owners might struggle going back to the smaller screen, it would be interesting to hear from any people who do upgrade from a plus to an SE how they are finding it.

I hope there will be an SE+ not too far away. Otherwise it’s the XR.
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Are you saying definitely upgrade if you have a 6 based on comparing chip and ram specs on paper, etc, or from actual experience of comparing the two?

After upgrading 6+ to 7+: Definitely upgrade. Either to a 7+ on eBay in good quality for $200, or an SE for $400. Much more enjoyable.

 

[JustAnExpat]

iPhone 6? Upgrade. The iPhone 6 is end of life, won't get new updates, and is older than the (old) iPhone SE. After all, it was released back in 2014.
iPhone 6s (or iPhone SE 2016)? Upgrade. It was released in 2015, and may not be getting any more updates.
iPhone 7? Maybe upgrade if you need more space. Expect to get another year or two of updates.
iPhone 8? Don't upgrade. It's a small improvement.

 

[New York]

I hope this comment finds everyone safe and well.

I’ve upgraded from an iPhone 6, which had a relatively new battery. The new 64GB SE is AUD 750 here in Australia so is definitely not cheap (the AUD/USD rate is very unfavourable to us at the moment). I’ve been waiting two years to upgrade my phone and, first impressions...I’m not convinced it’s worth it.

The new SE is definitely more responsive and web browsing in particular is faster. The apps are quicker to open and refresh (although not instantaneous - the ones that were slower on the 6 still take a few beats on the SE).

Obviously it’s early days but the battery life seems about the same as the 6 (I wasn’t expecting anything amazing given the release specs, but it’s still disappointing after all these years to finally upgrade and not have an amazing battery).

With respect to many of the other upgrade features, for me they are technically impressive but fall into the “nice to have” bucket as they are not things I particularly value. (This includes not just the iPhone SE functionality, but finally being able to upgrade to the latest OS on my Apple Watch and getting full functionality for my AirPod Pros. The AirPod Pros are amazing, but I already thought that when I used them with the 6!).

I’ve thought about returning the SE and going back to the 6. However, in 12-24 months I expect some key apps will stop being supported on the iPhone 6, at which point I would be forced to upgrade. When I think what iPhones will be available then, it’s probably the SE that came out this week that will still be the most suitable phone for me, so it probably makes sense to keep the one I just bought and enjoy the benefits of it now. In addition to the speed improvements, I suspect I will end up valuing the improved camera, which I haven’t had a chance to fully explore yet.

I hope this feedback helps other iPhone 6 users with their purchasing decision.

 

[acconda81]

All those new SE specs and the real world results, a fraction of a second quicker“if that” at executing everyday tasks. I would rather stick with the larger screen on my iPhone 7 Plus and the 2x optical zoom. Even the iPhone 11 pro, besides the wide camera and slightly larger screen, I really just can’t justify the huge cost yet for myself and I will need thumb scan, not the face ID.

 

[stinkhorn9]

I hope this comment finds everyone safe and well.

I’ve upgraded from an iPhone 6, which had a relatively new battery. The new 64GB SE is AUD 750 here in Australia so is definitely not cheap (the AUD/USD rate is very unfavourable to us at the moment). I’ve been waiting two years to upgrade my phone and, first impressions...I’m not convinced it’s worth it.

The new SE is definitely more responsive and web browsing in particular is faster. The apps are quicker to open and refresh (although not instantaneous - the ones that were slower on the 6 still take a few beats on the SE).

Obviously it’s early days but the battery life seems about the same as the 6 (I wasn’t expecting anything amazing given the release specs, but it’s still disappointing after all these years to finally upgrade and not have an amazing battery).

With respect to many of the other upgrade features, for me they are technically impressive but fall into the “nice to have” bucket as they are not things I particularly value. (This includes not just the iPhone SE functionality, but finally being able to upgrade to the latest OS on my Apple Watch and getting full functionality for my AirPod Pros. The AirPod Pros are amazing, but I already thought that when I used them with the 6!).

I’ve thought about returning the SE and going back to the 6. However, in 12-24 months I expect some key apps will stop being supported on the iPhone 6, at which point I would be forced to upgrade. When I think what iPhones will be available then, it’s probably the SE that came out this week that will still be the most suitable phone for me, so it probably makes sense to keep the one I just bought and enjoy the benefits of it now. In addition to the speed improvements, I suspect I will end up valuing the improved camera, which I haven’t had a chance to fully explore yet.

I hope this feedback helps other iPhone 6 users with their purchasing decision.

Thanks for your frank thoughts - I think I’m here because I want to read a post that beyond all doubt convinces me to buy an se - it’s an exciting thing to do after all - but as yet, hmmm... I hope you continue to enjoy your new phone and that you’re glad you invested 🙂

 

[tha_man]

My 1st gen SE still works as fast as it ever did for my daily use. Battery life has gotten worse (still usable though), but this can be replaced.

Although there are quite some features on new SE that would be nice to have (also some downsides though), it's nothing really essential for me. One thing that would make me get it would be night mode, which it sadly doesn't have. It probably will be my next phone though, when time comes. Unless its pricing in my country goes berserk.

 

[Needleinthhay]

My girlfriend has a 6S she’s had for 4 years. I told her to upgrade because her battery is getting crappy and in the not too distant future she won’t get iOS updates and probably won’t be able to run all the apps she uses.
Sure she could wait till next year but this will still most likely be the cheapest phone. Plus now she gets 80 bucks trade in for her 6s whereas next year she’ll get maybe 30. So seems like a pretty obvious time to upgrade to me. 319 for a phone she can use another 4 years until the next SE comes out, seems like a no brainer to me. For someone like her who doesn’t care about 4 cameras or 5G will there be a cheaper/better option for her next year? Doesn’t seem like it. So this seems like the obvious choice for her, ordered her one last week.

 

[Seanm87]

Isn’t it funny how on 2014 this design was considered big and in 2020 it’s compact?

 

[NZP]

Bought 8. Broke by itself two times. First the battery died on me, Apple replaced the device, the “new one” broke too, speaker on the Touch ID side died. Genius Bar told me that they needed to replace a million parts to repair the device, asking lots of money. To sum up, don’t buy it, worst internal design ever, bound to fail by itself.

 

[satchmo]

A used XS would be a fantastic upgrade for you. They’re going for like $450 used, just be really careful about who you buy it from - you don’t want a locked one, a stolen one, a financed one, or one that’s had the screen replaced by a 3rd party shop and therefore doesn’t have TrueTone working anymore.

The swipe UI is awesome, FaceID is awesome unless you’re wearing a mask, the taller screen is really fun. The XS has the same extended dynamic range 4K 30fps video feature as the new SE. The SE has a better standard wide camera, but the XS is still decent. The processor speed difference is negligible.

This.
If you can find an new XS for $50 more, it might be the better deal.

Especially if you’re coming from a 6,7 or 8 and want a slightly larger display and a new form factor.

 

[FlyingDutch]

I have a 2GB 2018 iPad 6th, I'm reading a short pdf on the Files app, then I go to another app, then sometimes when I come back to the Files app the pdf I was reading has closed, I have to reopen the pdf and search for the page I was previously reading.

This also happens on other apps, for example I'm on Photos, then I go to another app, then when I come back to Photos sometimes it reseted the app and I have to search for the photo I was previously looking.

On Books too, it sometimes resets the app when I leave it and then come back to it, but at least Books remembers my last page on the pdf I was reading! I just have to reopen the same pdf, don't have to search for the page I was at!

So my 2018 iPad has become mostly a single-app device for me, I'm always afraid of leaving the app and then losing the current page or current photo when I later come back to the app, I avoid multitasking on it, it's a shame that a 2018 device has become obsolete in only 24 months after launched! Thank you, Tim AAPL Cook!

My 3GB iPhone 8 Plus is much better.

So to have 3GB on the 2020 iPhone SE is definitely a very good reason to upgrade!

I have the same 2018 iPad (my son’s iPad) and it doesn’t happen for me. Are you using last iPadOS?
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The iPhone 7 was the first iPhone to have the P3 wide color gamut display along with 625 nits of max brightness. Whereas, the 6,6S and even the 2016 iPhone SE was lacking P3 wide color gamit and max brightness was only up to 500 nits. Although the SE 2016,6,6s,7,and 8 retained the same 326 PPI.
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Order from red pocket to avoid the sales tax.Not sure how long they'll do that for but all last week they charged $349 for 64gb iPhone SE 2020 model 64gb with no sales tax and you got 6 months free red pocket service, but there a contract to keep service for 1 year.

Agree.
I wouldn’t have put the iPhone 7 in the same class of 6 and 6S.

 

[Yoms]

Are the back glass of iPhones (especially this new SE model) Gorilla Glass or alike. If you don't use a case, will there be little scratches/stripes with time?

 

[bcomer]

Sorry I need a headphone jack on my phone - 6S will last me until it dies.