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iPhone SE 3 vs. iPhone 11 Buyer's Guide

sw1tcher said:
I can get an iPhone 11 for $49.99.

Personally, I'd take the $380 savings and upgrade to the next SE model (SE 5?) in 2 years. By then Apple should be offering it with the iPhone X/XR/11 body and an A17 chip.

Apple iPhone 11 Prepaid | Price, Specs, & Deals | Metro by T-Mobile

Get a great deal on the prepaid Apple iPhone 11. See all the features, specs, price and get it on Metro by T-Mobile.
www.metrobyt-mobile.com www.metrobyt-mobile.com
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hold on can you get an iphone 11 ( new or refurbed) for a one time payment of $49.99 ( included all taxes and fees) without a payment plan or lockin to a contract? That's a nice deal
 
SE clearly better: faster chip, got Touch ID, smaller. The first iPhone after iPhone 8 that I want to buy.
 
iPhone 11 is a better purchase. Even though it has A13, it sure is powerful and will get software updates for many years to come. Also, one gets a bigger screen, FaceID, dual camera. It lacks 5G. But 5G connectivity is not available everywhere.
 
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SE used make sense back in the day when base model iPhones were more expensive and there was more differentiation between them, including price. SE 3rd Gen vs 11 completely makes no sense. the only thing that SE has going on for itself is faster CPU, everything else is just worse than 11 including screen, cameras (front and back) etc. People on the budget, like eldery people, want bigger screens due to mostly eye problems, so they wont be buying SE's, but will consider 11 or Xr etc. I just dont understand who this phone is for.
 
iAFC said:
5G is not a big deal yet. 11's screen is so much nicer. Also, it has Face ID. I'd lean towards the 11 if I were looking for something in that price range.
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I agree. I get fanstastic 5GUC at home, but don’t need it since I’m on wifi. At work in the middle of one of the largest cities in the country my 5G sucks so bad. Until it’s even decent most places you go it’s not worth it.
 
JGIGS said:
5G is overrated especially if you're someone who's on wifi when doing most heavy usage things on the phone. I have it and never use it because of how quickly the battery dies and how hot my iphone 12 gets. Not everyone needs a bleeding fast chip and iphone chips age very well. I think the benefits of the 11 out weight the SE personally but I think it depends on how you plan to use the phone. The larger screen alone is enough that for most casual users the 11 makes more sense.
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I agree with it being overrated, but I never turn 5G off my 12 and my battery easily last all day. Plus, if for some reason I did need to top it off I have chargers at my office, my car, my house, etc.
 
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dannyyankou said:
You would be out of your mind to buy an iPhone 11 over the SE 3. Not only is it more expensive, the chip is 2 years older. You won't get as much mileage out of it. And no 5G
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5G isn't available in my area yet, I live in a rural area where there no broadband, and wifi hotspots are your only choice. No streaming, and you use up your fast data on LTE within a few days if you hotspot your phone. So.... 5G is a waste, and the bigger screen is worth the bit extra $$. Assuming that everyone is similar to your use is a classic faux pas.
 
My Pixel phone died yet again just a few days ago and I had to make this choice - wait for the SE vs iPhone 11 now. I went for a 128G refurb 11 which was actually $10 less than the new SE. Factors favoring the 11 over the SE were: Better screen, marginally longer battery life, and the lack of 5G in my area. I made the switch back to iPhone because some time ago, Android removed what is an essential feature for me, the ability to block all calls and SMS from, sources not in my contacts, so spam still gets through. The only big minus is that all my Macbooks are older ones running High Sierra; they should sync with iOS 15 for now, but I don't expect them to much longer.

I've had great luck with refurb Apple products. You pay more than buying from some rando on Ebay, but batteries are new and devices have been cosmetically defect free.
 
MdRuckus said:
I agree with it being overrated, but I never turn 5G off my 12 and my battery easily last all day. Plus, if for some reason I did need to top it off I have chargers at my office, my car, my house, etc.
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Ya I'm a heavy user I don't make it a day on wifi or LTE so wouldn't come close if I'm using 5G. If I had a pro max I might be able to?
 
MacRumors said:


The third-generation iPhone SE and the iPhone 11 are Apple's lowest-cost iPhone options, starting at $429 and $499 respectively. Apple released the iPhone 11 in late 2019, and has bumped it down in price since then to make it more accessible as new iPhone models have been released. On the other hand, the third-generation iPhone SE launched in early 2022, refreshing the most affordable iPhone option in the lineup.

iphone-se-3-vs-iphone-11.jpg

With just $70 between them, should you get the new, smaller, entry-level iPhone or the older, larger, standard model that has come down in price over the years? Our guide helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these two iPhones is best for you.

Comparing the iPhone SE 3 and the iPhone 11

The third-generation iPhone SE and iPhone 11 share a number of features, such as a Retina HD LCD display, a 12MP rear camera, a polished glass back, and Qi wireless charging. Apple lists these identical features of the iPhone SE and iPhone 11:

Similarities

  • Retina HD LCD display with 326 ppi, IPS technology, True Tone, P3 Wide Color, Haptic Touch, and up to 625 nits brightness
  • A-series chip with six-core CPU, including two performance cores and four efficiency cores, and a four-core GPU
  • Wi‑Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0
  • Dual SIM (nano-SIM and eSIM)
  • 12MP rear wide camera with ƒ/1.8 aperture, optical image stabilization, digital zoom up to 5x, True Tone flash with Slow Sync, Deep Fusion, Portrait mode, Portrait Lighting, and Smart HDR for photos
  • 4K video recording at up to 60fps, optical image stabilization, QuickTake video, slo-mo video support for 1080p at 120fps or 240fps, time-lapse video with stabilization, and stereo recording
  • Front-facing camera with ƒ/2.2 aperture, Retina Flash, HDR, Portrait mode, Portrait Lighting, 1080p HD video recording at up to 60fps, Cinematic video stabilization, and QuickTake video
  • Supports Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG video playback
  • Three-axis gyro, accelerometer, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, and barometer
  • Glass front and back
  • Aerospace-grade aluminum
  • Water resistance
  • Lightning port
  • Qi wireless charging
  • Up to 50 percent charge in 30 minutes

Apple's breakdown shows that the iPhones share many notable features, but there are still meaningful differences between the iPhone SE and iPhone 11, such as their display sizes, authentication technologies, and chips.

Differences


iPhone SE
  • Smaller form factor, weighs 144 grams
  • 4.7-inch Retina HD display
  • Home Button with Touch ID
  • A15 Bionic chip with 16-core Neural Engine
  • 5G connectivity
  • Single rear camera (Wide)
  • Photographic Styles
  • Smart HDR 4 for photos
  • Front-facing 7MP FaceTime HD camera with 1080p HD video recording and Smart HDR 4
  • Battery life with up to 15 hours video playback
  • Rated IP67 water-resistant to a depth of one meter for up to 30 minutes
  • Midnight, Starlight, and PRODUCT(RED) color options
  • 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB storage options


iPhone 11
  • Larger form factor, weighs 194 grams
  • 6.1-inch Liquid Retina HD display
  • Face ID
  • A13 Bionic chip with 8-core Neural Engine
  • 4G connectivity
  • Dual rear cameras with two-times optical zoom range (Wide and Ultra Wide)
  • Night mode
  • Next-generation Smart HDR for photos
  • Audio zoom
  • Front-facing 12MP TrueDepth camera with 4K video recording, next-generation Smart HDR, slo-mo video support, Animoji, and Memoji
  • Battery life with up to 17 hours video playback
  • Rated IP68 water-resistant to a depth of two meters for up to 30 minutes
  • U1 Ultra Wideband chip for spatial awareness
  • Supports Dolby Atmos audio playback
  • Purple, Yellow, Green, Black, White, and PRODUCT(RED) color options
  • 64GB and 128GB storage options


Final Thoughts

Overall, the iPhone SE is an excellent entry-level iPhone option for just $429. In many respects, the iPhone SE is better than the iPhone 11 since it is a much newer device, featuring a faster and more efficient chip, 5G connectivity, Photographic Styles, Smart HDR 4, and a larger 256GB storage option.

For just $70 more, the iPhone 11 offers a more modern design, a larger display, Face ID, an Ultra Wide camera, Night mode, a considerably better front-facing camera, and longer battery life. There is also the benefit of improved water resistance, the U1 chip, and Dolby Atmos audio playback, and even additional color options to choose from. All of this makes for a fairly significant upgrade over the iPhone SE if you value these features and can afford the $70 extra.

iPhone11guide-b.jpg

That being said, the main drawback with buying the iPhone 11 is its age. Released in late 2019, the iPhone 11 has a much older and less powerful chip, and lacks some more modern features like 5G connectivity. Overall, it comes down to whether you value having a newer device with more of the latest specifications, or can look past this to get a device with a larger display and Face ID.

If you prefer the iPhone 11's unique set of features, then it is still a good option for $499, but generally most users looking for an affordable iPhone should opt for the iPhone SE since it features the A15 chip and 5G connectivity.

Article Link: iPhone SE 3 vs. iPhone 11 Buyer's Guide
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Actually the iPhone 11 can be considerably less expensive than the SE3.

My carrier (a prepaid service from Verizon) is offering the iPhone 11 for $299.99, minus a 15% promo, -4% rebate on Rakuten. It would be unlocked after 60 days of service (at a minimum $25 per month) after which you could use it on any carrier. The total would be under $295 (plus tax). The SE3 is $429 plus tax.

The advantage of 5G on a phone is mmWave in places like stadiums, convention centers, airports, arenas, etc., where thousands of subscribers are using copious quantities of data and where the carrier has installed 5G mmWave cells to be able to supply sufficient bandwidth. But the SE3, unlike the 12 and 13, doesn't have mmWave 5G capability. So much of the 5G advantage is negated.

As far as A15 versus A13, an SE3 user is unlikely to be taking advantage of the processor speed since the display is too small for CPU and graphics intensive tasks.

TouchID is a significant advantage for the SE3, especially during Covid. FaceID is a hassle.

Bottom line, you would be out of your mind to buy an iPhone SE3 over the 11. Not only is the SE significantly more expensive, you don't get the better camera on the SE3 that you get on the 11. The decontented 5G on the SE3 is of limited benefit, and the A13 is sufficiently fast and would not cause any lag.
 
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bn-7bc said:
hold on can you get an iphone 11 ( new or refurbed) for a one time payment of $49.99 ( included all taxes and fees) without a payment plan or lockin to a contract? That's a nice deal
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Of course you cannot get an 11 for that price with no contract. And paying $49.99, or even getting it for free, on Metro, would be of no benefit in the many areas with no T-Mobile coverage.

The questions are "how much for an unlocked iPhone 11?" and "how much for an iPhone 11 on a top-tier carrier?"

I see that Verizon's Total Wireless subsidiary is offering an iPhone 11 for $299.99 minus 15% promo, if you sign up for one month of service ($25 minimum). After two months of service ($50) the phone will be unlocked. So that's $324.99*.85+25=$301.24. There are some other discounts as well, like 4% off through Rakuten, but the bottom line is that the 11 will end up at around $300. There will be no such discounts on the SE, it will sell for $429 for at least a little while.
 
When our LG G5 died earlier this year I bought the mini 13. Wife loves it. Now my own LG V20 is starting to have issues and I have ordered the 2022 SE, I've moved away from a big screen. My old eyes rather use a laptop and the phone is only for texting and making calls. The SE is perfect for that.
 
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Those concerned about the SE 2022 battery should look at this thread by Jpack:

forums.macrumors.com

SE3 battery is 12% bigger!

No wonder Apple claims SE3 has better battery life! SE3 has a 7.82 Whr battery, compared to SE2 6.96 Whr. These numbers come from Apple's legal compliance documents updated on 3/10. It'll be really interesting to see how Apple has managed to squeeze a larger batter inside the chassis. The...
forums.macrumors.com forums.macrumors.com

So it looks like the battery has been increased to 2,047 Mh, and in conjunction with the A15 should equal noticeable better battery life than the SE 2020.
 
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I’d definitely go for an 11 than the se , it’s just in another league , although they’ve both got slippery rounded edges which I’d avoid completely after dropping my 6 and 8 so many times . Never had that issue with the slab sides of the 4, 5 and my 13
 
Spock said:
I know that it's still a good deal for a 5G iPhone but could they not have just eaten that extra $30 and left it at $399? For some reason, that extra $30 just bugs me.
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It's yet another example of Tim Cook nickel-and-diming customers.
 
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I'm sitting debating this very choice. I can finally afford to upgrade my 6s, and these are my last two iPhone options because my eyes don't like the OLED screens that are in 12/13/14 (I get headaches very quickly when using them).

11 appeals because of the better cameras and Face ID / Animoji's, but SE 3rd Gen is 2 cycles more recent chip wise so will give me a bit more longevity and its smaller size.
 
tarasis said:
I'm sitting debating this very choice. I can finally afford to upgrade my 6s, and these are my last two iPhone options because my eyes don't like the OLED screens that are in 12/13/14 (I get headaches very quickly when using them).

11 appeals because of the better cameras and Face ID / Animoji's, but SE 3rd Gen is 2 cycles more recent chip wise so will give me a bit more longevity and its smaller size.
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So what did you end up going with?
 
du57in said:
So what did you end up going with?
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I went with the SE3. I found that I was okay with the 14 Pro Max screen (120hz) … so hopefully the SE3 will keep me going till the future iPhones are all using that refresh rate / or micro led (in the hope that works better with my eyes)

I have found that I can stand looking at an Apple Watch S6 screen which is OLED as far as I know.
 
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