iPhone 8 vs. iPhone SE - $400 better?

[one more]

You either have a bum 7 or 8 or a freakazoid of an SE

My 7 plus is way brighter

I'm referring to outdoor visibility specifically tho

No bums or freakazoids there, all the demo units at the Apple Store with Auto-Brightness ON and True Tone OFF (as SE & 7 lack it). Pop into the store and see for yourself. All 8 demo units have the auto-brightness switched off and the brightness levels set to the max.
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There no way I would pay $400 more for the ip8.

But are these your 2 final picks? What about the 7?

Or even 6S, that has the same chip as SE, but bigger screen and costs less than 7-8.

 

[thadoggfather]

No bums or freakazoids there, all the demo units at the Apple Store with Auto-Brightness ON and True Tone OFF (as SE & 7 lack it). Pop into the store and see for yourself. All 8 demo units have the auto-brightness switched off and the brightness levels set to the max.
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Or even 6S, that has the same chip as SE, but bigger screen and costs less than 7-8.

again tho I'm referring to outdoor visibility specifically

indoors brightness isn't a problem on either device, and comparing my 7+ with auto brightness off at 100 side by side with good screen SE, the SE is a bit brighter I Concede.

BUT outdoors its no comparison whatsoever

and with auto brightness on, which cranks up brightness even MORE than 100% auto off on my 7/7+ (but not SE, won't go beyond 100 OFF as far as I know) it looks the same if not maybe even brighter than SE, but definitely clearer and outdoors in direct sunlight especially 100% night and day brighter

 

[EDH667]

Does this SIM really work? I have AT&T and I could get an SE cheap and use this??

You don't even need the R SIM if you purchase the Pre-paid iPhone SE for AT&T $150 at Target, BestBuy and Walmart.
https://www.target.com/p/at-t-iphone-se/-/A-52323090#lnk=sametab
Works great with the AT&T Post paid account by just installing your current SIM out of the box.

 

[bambooshots]

This is an easy one...yes.

I'd much rather have the capabilities and larger screen of the 8 than the SE.

 

[HarryWild]

I get the 8 since it has the latest technology inside and is glass back and looks great! If you are budget conscious, I go with the SE! It depends on how you want people to view you. Look affluent, get the 8, get the SE if you want to act rich since the rich, are pretty cheapskate! Most have businesses, so they don't care what people think!

 

[Applejuiced]

Wow, really?
So I need to buy a smartphone device depending on how I want other people to view me?
So if I buy the i8 then they will view me as wealthy while Im not really rich.
And if I get the SE I will look like a cheapskate that has a business and dont care what people think of me?
LMAO
How old are you BTW?
Sad but its true that people base their personal buying decisions like phones, cars, clothes etc not on what they need and works best for them but what others will think of them.
Flashing the pan and acting like they're rich while up to the neck with debt to show off to people that they dont like that they are something that they are not.

It depends on how you want people to view you. Look affluent, get the 8, get the SE if you want to act rich since the rich, are pretty cheapskate! Most have businesses, so they don't care what people think!

 

[azpekt]

Coming from a 6+. I returned my 8+ and got a 128 gb SE. Super happy with my decision.

8+ is a great phone but it felt like more of the same. And yes the weight is definitely noticeable.

Man, i did exactly the same.

 

[Jimmy James]

Like most things in life it's a case of diminishing returns and personal preference.

 

[barry.wiestling]

You don't even need the R SIM if you purchase the Pre-paid iPhone SE for AT&T $150 at Target, BestBuy and Walmart.
https://www.target.com/p/at-t-iphone-se/-/A-52323090#lnk=sametab
Works great with the AT&T Post paid account by just installing your current SIM out of the box.

Really? If you can do this why is AT&T selling them for almost 3 times the price?

 

[Sieve33]

In the end I opted for the 8 on the iPhone upgrade program. As another person listed battery was REALLY bad for me on the SE, returned and went for the 8. It’s about the same price per month on the IUP compared to buying SE on Barclay with 0% financing for a year. Creature comforts of wireless charging and quick charge were also a draw, that and the rep who helped me discounted the 29W USB C Adapter 99% so I got quick charging for $35!

 

[actcyclist]

I've thought about this. For me there is size and battery life to consider as well.
https://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=8573&idPhone2=8064&idPhone3=7969

iPhone 8 148g, Battery test 66 hours
iPhone 7 138g, Battery test 61 hours
iPhone SE 113g, Battery test 73 hours

I can use the SE because I mostly use it for music, podcasts, photos and comms. It's a compromise using the tiny screen for safari and apps; but I intentionally try not to spend my days with a phone in my face so I think it helps me with that.

 

[rneglia]

the rep who helped me discounted the 29W USB C Adapter 99% so I got quick charging for $35!

How do I get a 99% discount?

 

[eedoxies]

grab the $150 SE prepaid att 32GB from Best buy.

Then buy the ~$30 R Sim 11 Plus from Amazon.

Enjoy your new under $200 brand new SE with ATT, Verizon, or Tmobile.

Come back and thank me later :O

Just to clarify, please. Upgrading family member on my Verizon plan from basic phone to iPhone SE. If I buy the prepaid ATT iPhone SE from Best Buy and the R Sim 11 Plus from Amazon, the phone can be used on Verizon?
I would just put in current Verizon phone # when activating, is that right? Also, would this bypass the $30 upgrade (or is it activation) fee that Verizon charges? Thank you.

 

[blackberrycubed]

Just to clarify, please. Upgrading family member on my Verizon plan from basic phone to iPhone SE. If I buy the prepaid ATT iPhone SE from Best Buy and the R Sim 11 Plus from Amazon, the phone can be used on Verizon?
I would just put in current Verizon phone # when activating, is that right? Also, would this bypass the $30 upgrade (or is it activation) fee that Verizon charges? Thank you.

Correct.

 

[mattopotamus]

If you don't mind the smaller screen on the SE then you'd be fine. It's a very nice, capable and fast iPhone.

This is basically what it comes down to. IOS 11 runs perfect on the SE and the battery last longer, but the screen is very dated compared to the newer phones.

 

[blackberrycubed]

My SE flies on ios 11 and battery life is amazing. As always, I did a full clean install of ios 11 vs upgrade from 10.3.3.

 

[44267547]

This is basically what it comes down to. IOS 11 runs perfect on the SE and the battery last longer, but the screen is very dated compared to the newer phones.

That's one of the reasons I merged away from the iPhone SE, was because of the display. Not so much the 4 inch display, but the resolution. If the SE does return in 2018, I hope they improve the display somewhere around where the iPhone 7 is.

 

[masands]

I finally upgraded from the SE to the regular sized 8. It’s a nice step in screen size without being too unweidly. It’s worth the price difference mainly because it has a waterproofing which is important to me as I live a wet and rainy city. The camera is really nice but I don’t care about the other features. The battery life is nice on the iPhone 8 but the SE was good too.

 

[bufffilm]

Clearly, there are things Apple could make better if there is a follow-up.

Whether they will, is anyone's guess.

 

[Hollowman]

Regarding the SE I sold my 7+ for one, however within a week I was back on a 7+. Just missed the screen size. Yes the SE is a great little phone but it was tough going to back to a small screen and typing on it was really tricky.

 

[mattopotamus]

Regarding the SE I sold my 7+ for one, however within a week I was back on a 7+. Just missed the screen size. Yes the SE is a great little phone but it was tough going to back to a small screen and typing on it was really tricky.

My take is the SE is the better “phone”, but today phones are more like pocket PCs so the screen is so important.

 

[TrueBlou]

$400 better from a just getting on and using it factor, probably not. They do most of the same things and the SE is a great little phone.
If I’d never switched to the Plus models I’d seriously consider it (well I actually have an SE sitting next to me unopened that’s getting sold) I’m just too used to bigger screens now.

For me the biggest selling point of the X, is bigger screen in smaller package. That’s probably the thing I’ll like best.

 

[OTACORB]

SE is a great phone. I just cannot deal with the small screen and the small keyboard. I tried going that route but returned it. Having choices is a good thing! I am older so the bigger screen and the speakers on the 8 gave me what I wanted. I do not mind the price at all because I will keep it for awhile.

 

[nilk]

Regarding the SE I sold my 7+ for one, however within a week I was back on a 7+. Just missed the screen size. Yes the SE is a great little phone but it was tough going to back to a small screen and typing on it was really tricky.

Typing is a matter of what you are used to. I used iPhones starting with the original iPhone, so had plenty of practice on the smaller keyboard. I actually found typing to be more difficult on the larger device going to the 4.7 iPhone 6, but after a few years of that I got good at it. Adjusting back to the SE took a few days, but it felt natural and about the same after that. In fact, with autocorrect, I can type faster on the smaller phone because of less finger travel. I use Apple's stock keyboard, but I wonder if users of swipe-style keyboards find similar efficiencies in less distance for their fingers to travel.

That said, if you issues with the small screen due to your eyesight, might just want to get the plus model instead.

I ended up returning the SE after a week, but the size of the screen was not the issue (lack of features for the price of the 128GB model was, and I really want waterproofing). I'm using a 7 now, but I'm still checking prices on used and refurb SE's to see if I can snag one for cheap (64GB or larger, wish 32GB was feasible for me).

 

[eedoxies]

For anyone using the R Sim 11+, is it still working? I had it in my Amazon cart but hadn't gotten around to buying and now no longer in online cart and I am not finding it on Amazon. Tried to do a little searching and found a you tube clip with comments saying Apple has disabled the ability of this sim card to unlock to any carrier, so was curious.