iPhone SE...buyer support!

[New2Mac2012]

Hi all!

I'd like to ask for some advice on choosing myself a new phone.

It's contract upgrade time for me here in the UK. I've been a Samsung user for the past 4 years, and I'm highly tempted by either the Galaxy A3 or the Galaxy A5.

However, I'm also tempted - increasingly so - by the iPhone SE.

Each of the three handsets has positive and negative features; I like the idea of fast-charging, a super AMOLED screen and a glass-and-metal construction, all of which are found in the A5 - but there's an allure to the SE, beyond the fact that it *is* an iPhone, and it's had really positive reviews online. Plus, it'll fit in nicely with my iMac and my MacBook Pro!

What I'm not after here is why I should choose an iOS device over an Android one/Samsung vs. Apple. I love my Android devices and my iOS devices equally, and I fully appreciate that we all have different reasons for liking what we like!

What I'd really appreciate is feedback from anyone that uses an SE, particularly people coming from a larger handset (I'm on the Galaxy S4 mini at present, and the SE is a little smaller).

Things on which I'd particularly like some feedback are:

+ Screensize - it's small, but is it *too* small?
+ Display - is this really too dated to be worth it? I.e. the fact that it's the same as in the iPhone 5s?
+ Front Camera - 1.2mp, is this really woefully insufficient?
+ Positive features - sell it to me guys!

I'd be paying £26/pcm for the handset for 24 months.

Any assistance very gratefully accepted!

Thanks in advance

 

[LoveToMacRumors]

Get the samsung s7, king of the phones now

 

[New2Mac2012]

Get the samsung s7, king of the phones now

.

I had considered it; unfortunately, the S7 is not within my price range. I know it's only "a little bit more", but that's a dangerous upward spiral!

 

[bandofbrothers]

I'd suggest to have a play with a working demo models at your local network store or Apple Store. (If you haven't already.)

Navigate to sites you use most frequent and see how it looks to you.

I use the iPhone 6 Plus and was recently setting up my partners iPhone 5 for her and I thought personally I wouldn't want to go back to this screen size.

In September on the keynote from Apple on the new iPhone this will determine whether I buy that or the Samsung Galaxy s7 edge which has caught my eye. I buy sim free / unbranded.

 

[se1000]

From a guy that has a few phones and actively uses both a S7 and SE:

- Screen size: It's the same 4" size that we know, nothing new. If you have trouble reading small fonts then I'd say it's not for you. It's definitely small, but then again that's part of why I like it.
- Display: Again, you can tell it's not this years greatest screen but in no way is it bad.
- FFC is pretty poor, if you're a big selfie person then this camera really isn't for you.

It's small and powerful. It slips into any pocket and goes about it's business without a lot of fanfare. If you like the 5/5s form factor then the SE is fantastic. If you tend to like larger phones then it's obviously not the best choice.

 

[lordofthereef]

I use my son's SE for runs and sparingly here and there and I can say that, for me, web browsing is much less enjoybale. Surprisingly videos are not that jarring, perhaps because I tend to do more reading than other viewing when browsing the web. That's not to say it's a bad experience on the SE, it's just a better experience on my other phones (Nexus 5x and iPhone 6s Plus)

 

[HEK]

Having a phone running iOS along with macs and iPads I can't stress how nicely integrated cross platform wise it is to have an iPhone. While there are all kinds of work around solutions, having everything automatically synced is something I could not easily give up.

Just a point to consider since you did say you have macs.

As to which phone to get, unless their is a pressing need it might be a good idea to wait another four weeks to see how prices shake out after iPhone 7 is announced. Current phones tend to drop in price when new one is introduced. Four weeks could save you some money.