iPhone SE (2016) iPhone SE (2020) Experience Log from an Apple Enthusiast Who’s Used to Owning the Latest-and-Greatest iPhone

[MICHAELSD]

A little background about myself:

I’ve owned every iPhone since the first-generation iPhone, and I’m on sites like MacRumors staying up-to-date daily on news and rumors.

Starting with iPhone X I haven’t been able to use the OLED iPhones due to pulse-width modulation flickering which causes me debilitating migraines and headaches.

I have tried iPhone XR and iPhone 11, but found both to be a compromise compared to my current iPhone 8 Plus. I’m currently trying to reduce my reliance on my phone so with the Battery Health of my three-year-old 8+ at 80% I figured my only option was to test iPhone SE with the news that iPhone SE Plus may not be released until 2022.

Day 3 Update

This phone is odd to me. It doesn’t feel new in the slightest and I don’t want to treat it like gold like I did with iPhone 12 Pro Max (which I unfortunately had to return due to constant headaches/migraines) yet it also seems to be just enough from a technical perspective to keep me interested.

I suppose I’ve been out of commission for so long missing iPhone updates that iPhone SE feels like an 8s. Now for the average consumer they may not even notice the difference, but I appreciate all of the minor changes. It’s ever so slightly quicker, network performance is undeniably better, and having owned every LCD iPhone at some point I can say that the display is for the most part the best LCD Apple has shipped on an iPhone.

What this means in practice is that color accuracy is spot-on: it’s vibrant, punchy, and pops. Videos look surprisingly good, even at 4K which the YouTube app will play natively.

What Plus-sized iPhone owners don’t realize is that with the way UI rendering works in iOS Apple can effectively only render at 1x, 2x, or 3x — not natively at 1080p. This means that iOS is rendered at 458ppi on any Plus-sized iPhone then downscaled to 401ppi. In comparison to any iPhone running a display with a native 2x or 3x point resolution this leads to what I’d say is a noticeably less natural-looking and more (for lack of a better word) fuzzy experience.

Now that’s not to say that the display on iPhone SE looks sharper: it doesn’t. I find I have to hold it further away to ensure I’m able to enjoy it. Still, after seeing iPhones with a native 326ppi or 458ppi display it made it so the resolution on the Plus-sized phones looks out of place. If they ever were to release a new iPhone in a Plus-sized chassis (which is unlikely) I’d like to see a new display with a 458ppi resolution.

Size-wise it definitely does feel smaller, which is to be expected. This is a good type of small in a way since there’s a tangible benefit to the size as opposed to iPhone 11 which offered no benefit to pocketability and just left me wanting a larger display. Still, there’s an adjustment period and I do find myself wanting the same phone in a Plus-sized chassis.

I’d say there have been no surprises yet, except that I find myself using iPhone SE almost as much as I would be using any other iPhone. Maybe reduced phone usage is just an aspiration that sounds good in theory, but we’ve become too reliant on our smartphones to truly accomplish.

 

[now i see it]

So I guess the real comparison is: how different is the SE2 screen compared to the 6, 6S, 7 and 8? (Not plus models) in regards to eye strain

 

[MICHAELSD]

So I guess the real comparison is: how different is the SE2 screen compared to the 6, 6S, 7 and 8? (Not plus models) in regards to eye strain

I don’t think it should cause additional eye strain compared to previous-generation 4.7” iPhones. The relatively tiny display may become an issue, but no headaches/migraines.

 

[Dejected]

what about reading texts in this tiny phone ? any difficulties ?

 

[KennyJr]

I switched from Pro Max to SE after realizing that my iPad Pro made my iPhone redundant except for phone calls and keeping my Apple Watch happy. I bought the iPhone Pro Max for the great cameras (thought I'd start a new hobby) but realized that I ended up rarely using them.

After making the switch I found that the display on the 2020 SE is very clear and crisp and all text is easy to read. This iPhone is a good bit better than I expected. I'm pretty sure I won't be buying any more of the plus sized phones.

 

[MICHAELSD]

what about reading texts in this tiny phone ? any difficulties ?

Text looks about as good as a modern smartphone such as iPhone 11, I just find I have to hold it further away otherwise it’s not adequately sharp.

It’s legible, but I am finding the size makes me want to use it less for reading as well as videos even though both look perfectly fine on the display. I do get fatigued quicker staring at the relatively tiny display.

 

[MICHAELSD]

Day 6 Update

Remarkably iPhone SE is working.

By that I mean it’s been six days and it has dramatically reduced my phone usage and overall Screen On time.

It was delivered last Wednesday when I somehow managed to log just over five hours of Screen Time in a night.

Thursday, my first full day with it, was my worst day with almost eight hours of usage. This more closely mirrors what a day with iPhone 12 Pro Max would be like.

Friday my Screen Time went to just fifty minutes.

Saturday is reflecting 5 hours 38 minutes of usage albeit with one major caveat: 4 hours and 34 minutes of that was the Music app so it’s counting CarPlay. The actual adjusted figure would be an hour and four minutes.

Similarly Sunday reflected 6 hours and 21 minutes of Screen Time with 5 hours and 19 minutes being the Music app mainly due to CarPlay. Adjusted again this would be an hour and two minutes.

Yesterday I didn’t use my phone to listen to music (SiriusXM has an impressive bass boost) and my Screen Time is sitting at 1 hour 37 minutes.

The main difference yesterday was that I grabbed my phone after dinner despite my better judgment making me not want to, and effectively I didn’t enjoy my time on it since it’s mostly just a recycle of what I’d be doing in the morning. I also already read any texts on my Apple Watch.

I like to check up on email, messages, forum posts, etc. in the morning/afternoon after already getting in some sort of exercise and having coffee. That’s really the beauty of iPhone SE: I can get on it, type a post like this (one-handed I might add) then I don’t want to spend any more time than necessary on it.

I’ve found actually watching YouTube isn’t as compelling as I thought it would be since I get fatigued quickly. The display gives the illusion of 4K quality and seems sharp, but it’s missing all of the finer detail as is to be expected as it’s still a ~ 720p resolution. Even the best downscaling in the world isn’t going to change that.

It’s actually extremely odd since I find myself at a loss for what to do with myself after getting all of the important messages and sites out of the way for the day. On Sunday I went for probably my longest drive ever and stayed out all day.

From a lifestyle perspective iPhone SE is becoming a success. I do still wonder if I’d feel the same way about iPhone 12 Mini since I’d pay slightly more for the more modern experience if only, well, you know. I will note that if I keep this phone I’m going to be confused about what to get once it comes time to upgrade.

 

[tpcollins]

I had the SE version about 4 years ago and a lot of my apps wouldn’t work on it. Is the SE2020 a better version now? If so, how do I know he difference between the newer version and the olde one I used to have? Thanks.

 

[tonybarnaby]

How soon we forget how small phones used to be. As someone who is nearly 40, my first several phones were tiny flip phones with the individual buttons where you would have to press each one 1-3 times to bring up each letter. These were TINY phones, but we didn’t know any better.

From the time I bounced to android for the Galaxy S4, I have always bought the absolute biggest phone available. Long story short, I am back on an se2 as of today. It feels nice in the hand thanks to the Apple battery case, but it feels tiny compared to the 8+ it replaced. I hope to buy the latest and greatest in 2 years time, assuming pwm is not a thing anymore.

 

[im_to_hyper]

Day 6 Update

Remarkably iPhone SE is working.

By that I mean it’s been six days and it has dramatically reduced my phone usage and overall Screen On time.

It was delivered last Wednesday when I somehow managed to log just over five hours of Screen Time in a night.

Thursday, my first full day with it, was my worst day with almost eight hours of usage. This more closely mirrors what a day with iPhone 12 Pro Max would be like.

Friday my Screen Time went to just fifty minutes.

Saturday is reflecting 5 hours 38 minutes of usage albeit with one major caveat: 4 hours and 34 minutes of that was the Music app so it’s counting CarPlay. The actual adjusted figure would be an hour and four minutes.

Similarly Sunday reflected 6 hours and 21 minutes of Screen Time with 5 hours and 19 minutes being the Music app mainly due to CarPlay. Adjusted again this would be an hour and two minutes.

Yesterday I didn’t use my phone to listen to music (SiriusXM has an impressive bass boost) and my Screen Time is sitting at 1 hour 37 minutes.

The main difference yesterday was that I grabbed my phone after dinner despite my better judgment making me not want to, and effectively I didn’t enjoy my time on it since it’s mostly just a recycle of what I’d be doing in the morning. I also already read any texts on my Apple Watch.

I like to check up on email, messages, forum posts, etc. in the morning/afternoon after already getting in some sort of exercise and having coffee. That’s really the beauty of iPhone SE: I can get on it, type a post like this (one-handed I might add) then I don’t want to spend any more time than necessary on it.

I’ve found actually watching YouTube isn’t as compelling as I thought it would be since I get fatigued quickly. The display gives the illusion of 4K quality and seems sharp, but it’s missing all of the finer detail as is to be expected as it’s still a ~ 720p resolution. Even the best downscaling in the world isn’t going to change that.

It’s actually extremely odd since I find myself at a loss for what to do with myself after getting all of the important messages and sites out of the way for the day. On Sunday I went for probably my longest drive ever and stayed out all day.

From a lifestyle perspective iPhone SE is becoming a success. I do still wonder if I’d feel the same way about iPhone 12 Mini since I’d pay slightly more for the more modern experience if only, well, you know. I will note that if I keep this phone I’m going to be confused about what to get once it comes time to upgrade.

I strongly considered an SE but the dual cameras of the mini along with 5G ensure that I will get 3-5 satisfying years out of it.

 

[im_to_hyper]

I had the SE version about 4 years ago and a lot of my apps wouldn’t work on it. Is the SE2020 a better version now? If so, how do I know he difference between the newer version and the olde one I used to have? Thanks.

what do you mean your apps did not work? I had one as well back then

 

[tpcollins]

what do you mean your apps did not work? I had one as well back then

I should have said a lot of the apps I previously had on my iPhone 6 were not supported by the 2016 SE version.

I currently have the iPhone XR - piece of crap.

I’ve had it to the Apple store twice and they can’t find anything wrong with it.

Sometimes an app will freeze (not work), I’ll go to take a picture and it won’t work. I’ll back out of the app and retry to get it to take a pic. Occasionally I’ll have to do hard boot.

At times when I turn it to landscape it stays in portrait.

And it’s too damn big.

 

[RayB4]

I’m 76 and I have the SE2020 and I’m very pleased with it, it serves every purpose i want from a Smartphone. I’ve had dozens of phones over the years from a monster that weighed as much as a brick with a battery that would only be good for half a dozen calls to this SE. I don’t watch videos on it but do listen to music, podcasts and audiobooks and at a pinch read e-books if I’ve left my kindle at home. Of course it gets used as a communication device as well. All in all it’s the best I’ve ever owned.

 

[tpcollins]

I’m 76 and I have the SE2020 and I’m very pleased with it, it serves every purpose i want from a Smartphone. I’ve had dozens of phones over the years from a monster that weighed as much as a brick with a battery that would only be good for half a dozen calls to this SE. I don’t watch videos on it but do listen to music, podcasts and audiobooks and at a pinch read e-books if I’ve left my kindle at home. Of course it gets used as a communication device as well. All in all it’s the best I’ve ever owned.

Thanks Ray. I’m leaning towards the SE 2020 but I also like the 12 Mini. But the 12 Mini doesn’t seem to get a glowing review so I’m a bit hesitant on what I want to do.

 

[paulsonj72]

I’m 76 and I have the SE2020 and I’m very pleased with it, it serves every purpose i want from a Smartphone. I’ve had dozens of phones over the years from a monster that weighed as much as a brick with a battery that would only be good for half a dozen calls to this SE. I don’t watch videos on it but do listen to music, podcasts and audiobooks and at a pinch read e-books if I’ve left my kindle at home. Of course it gets used as a communication device as well. All in all it’s the best I’ve ever owned.

The iPhone SE 2020 got me into the iPhone eco system and I love it. I decided to upgrade mainly to have the latest technology but I am keeping the SE as a back up phone. For me price played a huge role. At the time I worked for an Apple Vendor and as a result got 15% off so I got a 128GB storage model for less than the standard 64GB price(I also got my iPhone 12 Pro Max at the discount. Health issues caused me to leave my Apple job)

 

[Lowhangers]

I’m 76 and I have the SE2020 and I’m very pleased with it, it serves every purpose i want from a Smartphone. I’ve had dozens of phones over the years from a monster that weighed as much as a brick with a battery that would only be good for half a dozen calls to this SE. I don’t watch videos on it but do listen to music, podcasts and audiobooks and at a pinch read e-books if I’ve left my kindle at home. Of course it gets used as a communication device as well. All in all it’s the best I’ve ever owned.

Same here, you and I are very similar in our use cases. I’ve had a couple of the big phones and I don’t think I would want one now. The SE two seems to work very well for my needs. I considered getting a 12 mini but didn’t want to spend 500 bucks since I already had the SE two.

 

[Ac1d 8urn]

I've had big phones since the OG galaxy note all the way up to my 12pm, but I picked up an SE2 a few weeks ago when my carrier knocked $100 off the 256gb. I figured it'd make a good backup phone, plus I wanted to test myself to see if I could get used to a smaller phone. Glad I did too cause honestly it's a joy to use. The screen is gorgeous and vibrant, and after a few minor typing hiccups on the first day I had no issues with the size. I'm starting to understand why all the small phone folks rave about one-handed usage so much lol. It's got the same functionality as larger devices, yes it's last years CPU but it feels just as fast. I don't feel like I'm using a 'budget phone' at all. Battery life is of course not as good as my big bois, but not nearly as bad as I expected from all the reviews. I plug it in for carplay whenever I go anywhere plus I have a battery case, so it's really a non-issue. I think the camera is what most exceeded my expectations though, this phone takes incredibly good pictures for having such a relatively simple camera. I noticed fewer headaches after using it exclusively for a week too, which apparently means I'm sensitive to OLED PWM :/ Overall I still prefer bigger phones and I'm really hoping for an SE plus in the 7/8+ form factor, but I'm very impressed with the SE2.

 

[NoBoMac]

Going to echo what others have said: real happy with my SE2.

My first iPhone (3G) was bought to replace my cell phone, Palm Pilot, and to get an iPod and a second P&S camera for "free". And to this day, the phone is more of a PDA than anything else.

SE2 works great for the occasional text, phone call (only friends and family have that number and they are not frequently chit chatting). Most emails get filtered to mailboxes other than Inbox, so no need to check Mail often. Occasional web visit to check on something. GPS app to track hikes, in the event I lose the trail. With COVID, order ahead apps to pick up a meal or get a discount. RSS and News app for the occasional coffee shop visit or waiting room time killer. Notes and Notes-like app for notes and lists (eg. grocery list). Podcasts app is the big hitter for me, followed by various fitness/health apps.

Fits comfortably in all pockets. One hand useable. With Watch, get important alerts there. At home, using iPad or Mac, so no need to use the phone.

Wish it had FaceID, but at the price point, ain't complaining. And with a recent-ish processor, fits well into my usual 3yr upgrade cycle. Heck, might stretch that out if nothing compelling when the 14s come out.

 

[maerz001]

I had the SE version about 4 years ago and a lot of my apps wouldn’t work on it. Is the SE2020 a better version now? If so, how do I know he difference between the newer version and the olde one I used to have? Thanks.

The 2020 supports all apps and has a 4.7“ display, the old SE 4“. Like iphone 8 vs 5s

 

[MICHAELSD]

Impressively my 8+ feels outdated after using the SE for a little over a week. I have a lot of thoughts to share regarding comparisons to iPhone 8+, iPhone 12, and even Apple TV:

The performance difference is night-and-day with the 8+ feeling sluggish by comparison. iPhone SE performs as well as any of the latest iPhones, especially since it has less pixels to render. It is incredibly smooth and quick, even noticeable when simply scrolling through the Home Screen (autocorrect capitalized that so I guess that’s how Apple wants it stylized) or lists.

The display on the 8+ feels almost twice as large in some instances, although as I adjusted to iPhone SE I don’t really miss the larger size. That’s odd because I found myself wanting a larger display with both iPhone X and iPhone 11. I suppose the new design with the notch and the wider aspect ratio just lends itself better to a larger display. Although as an aside when I held the 6.1” iPhone 12 Pro in an Apple Store I was surprised at how large it felt partially because I was coming from the SE. It felt large enough for a phone, and the Max seemed massive in comparison.

Also slightly surprising was that iPhone 12 Mini is essentially the same body size as iPhone SE. I think there’s still a market for this and that COVID negatively impacted sales. The simple fact iPhone SE was released a few months prior took potential buyers away from the Mini since many customers that want smaller phones (such as my mom) are just as happy getting iPhone SE for almost half the price, or free with carrier promotions.

Back to the display since that’s the most important aspect for me: iPhone SE definitely has a more vibrant display than iPhone 8+ with a modern color calibration (warmer with accurate colors that pop, bright whites, and dark blacks for a LCD). There is a difference in detail and sharpness when put side-by-side with an 8+ and I will admit text can look a little fuzzy if I hold the phone too close, but it has a similar color calibration to iPhone 11 with better contrast that makes videos look incredibly natural. While I don’t feel it’s possible to comfortably watch YouTube for as long due to fatigue from having a smaller display (which may not necessarily be a con) I feel the display looks better than the Samsung 4K LED TV in our living room. A literal Apple TV, which Apple was working on a few years ago, could have been amazing but profit margins are razor thin in that industry and it would have taken up a lot of inventory space at stores so it’s understandable why they didn’t go that route. If they ever were to release a television it would likely be double the cost of its closest competition.

The display for watching videos has been the biggest surprise to me: it almost feels like 4K HDR even when it’s not. 4K HDR content looked absolutely breathtaking on iPhone 12 Pro Max, but iPhone SE isn’t as far behind as specs and display technology would imply. Also the speakers aren’t as lacking as I expected, and feature some degree of stereo widening.

iPhone SE is by no means perfect (although anybody coming from an iPhone 6-8 or a first-gen iPhone SE would likely see it that way, and it could be argued that it is for its overall value) but it definitely punches above its weight.

 

[paulsonj72]

Going to echo what others have said: real happy with my SE2.

My first iPhone (3G) was bought to replace my cell phone, Palm Pilot, and to get an iPod and a second P&S camera for "free". And to this day, the phone is more of a PDA than anything else.

SE2 works great for the occasional text, phone call (only friends and family have that number and they are not frequently chit chatting). Most emails get filtered to mailboxes other than Inbox, so no need to check Mail often. Occasional web visit to check on something. GPS app to track hikes, in the event I lose the trail. With COVID, order ahead apps to pick up a meal or get a discount. RSS and News app for the occasional coffee shop visit or waiting room time killer. Notes and Notes-like app for notes and lists (eg. grocery list). Podcasts app is the big hitter for me, followed by various fitness/health apps.

Fits comfortably in all pockets. One hand useable. With Watch, get important alerts there. At home, using iPad or Mac, so no need to use the phone.

Wish it had FaceID, but at the price point, ain't complaining. And with a recent-ish processor, fits well into my usual 3yr upgrade cycle. Heck, might stretch that out if nothing compelling when the 14s come out.

For me at the time I bought it price was an important consideration and since I had never had an iPhone before I had nothing to compare it to. I wasn’t new to the Apple Eco System though as I(or my family) has had an Apple(or Mac computer ) since 1984.

 

[rui no onna]

Wish it had FaceID, but at the price point, ain't complaining. And with a recent-ish processor, fits well into my usual 3yr upgrade cycle. Heck, might stretch that out if nothing compelling when the 14s come out.

With mandatory face masks, I'm very happy for TouchID right now. I've got both SE2 and 12 mini. One time, I left the SE2 charging at my work desk and only had the 12 mini in my pocket while walking around the office building. I can't remember how many times I had to enter my passcode manually but suffice to say I always bring the SE2 with me now.

 

[MICHAELSD]

This is an interesting phenomenon: After two weeks with iPhone SE iPhone 8 Plus feels massive. I’m starting to prefer the smaller size. It’s better for one-handed use and it takes up practically no space in a pocket.

Same with iPhone 12 Pro Max. It’s like a tablet in comparison. This is odd to me because I wished for a larger display on iPhone 11, but I think a part of that is that the display quality is oddly better on iPhone SE which makes me enjoy it more. If I was to upgrade to a PWM-free flagship iPhone in the future I think I may start with the base ~ 6.1” size and see how that goes. The Mini is an interesting value proposition as well, I may even give iPhone 13 Mini a shot.

 

[im_to_hyper]

Thanks Ray. I’m leaning towards the SE 2020 but I also like the 12 Mini. But the 12 Mini doesn’t seem to get a glowing review so I’m a bit hesitant on what I want to do.

Mini user here - it does everything for me and I’ve been in love with the phone. One of the best decisions I’ve made. That being said, the SE is grand as well