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zhenya

macrumors 604
Jan 6, 2005
6,929
3,677
The iPhone doesn't look new, but good design is timeless. The Sony is just ugly.
 

urkel

macrumors 68030
Nov 3, 2008
2,795
917
Mine was. I was honestly expecting a bigger difference in performance, but I don't regret upgrading anyway.
Funny. I felt the same way.

For me, I had a 5 as my backup phone. I felt the 5 was slow so I got an SE. While the SE is "faster", It didn't really feel all that different in performance to my 5.

What I realized is that the feel of a phone impacts our perception of "better" just as much as the internals. I was using my old 2013 iPhone 5 case on a device shaped like my 2013 primary phone and so it felt like my brand new 2016 phone was right out of 2013.
 

entropi

macrumors 6502a
May 20, 2008
583
384
My iPhone 4 looks like I store it in box of butter (the oleophobic coating has disappeared since long). But I would get one directly if it was sold with modern specs. Such a timeless classic design! (3,5" is nice too, doesn't look long and weird)

My 6S+ is nice, but the battery life is a joke, the giant screen isn't used that much by iOS and it just doesn't got "it" like the iPhone 4....
 

Channan

macrumors 68030
Mar 7, 2012
2,866
3,051
New Orleans
Funny. I felt the same way.

For me, I had a 5 as my backup phone. I felt the 5 was slow so I got an SE. While the SE is "faster", It didn't really feel all that different in performance to my 5.

What I realized is that the feel of a phone impacts our perception of "better" just as much as the internals. I was using my old 2013 iPhone 5 case on a device shaped like my 2013 primary phone and so it felt like my brand new 2016 phone was right out of 2013.
Well I had an iPhone 5s, so the performance gain was even less than what you experienced. I mainly upgraded for the storage, because my iPhone 5s was only 16GB and I needed more.

I was just using my iPhone 5s on Wi-Fi for a while, and then I found out about RingPlus and got free service on it. It made a great backup phone, but I couldn't really use it for music because I could barely store any music on it, managing it was a pain, and I had limited data so I couldn't really stream any. When I found out I could trade in my iPhone 5s to Apple and get the 64GB iPhone SE for $14.16/month, I jumped on it.

It's definitely faster and the camera is nicer, but after using both, I wouldn't upgrade from an iPhone 5s to an iPhone SE for performance and camera alone. I don't regret it because I got the extra storage I wanted, Sprint's low frequency LTE band for better coverage for my free service, a little more battery life, and the upgraded specs are still nice to have.

My iPhone 4 looks like I store it in box of butter (the oleophobic coating has disappeared since long). But I would get one directly if it was sold with modern specs. Such a timeless classic design! (3,5" is nice too, doesn't look long and weird)

My 6S+ is nice, but the battery life is a joke, the giant screen isn't used that much by iOS and it just doesn't got "it" like the iPhone 4....
It's funny that you say the newer iPhones look long and weird. I thought the iPhone 5's screen looked abnormally tall when it first came out. Now it's normal to me and the pre-iPhone 5's screens look stubby. The bezels on the iPhone 4 are also way too big. If Apple could release an iPhone that looked like the 4 but still managed to have the taller 4" screen, I would buy that.
 

Mac 128

macrumors 603
Apr 16, 2015
5,360
2,930
Well, it kinda is old.

As much as we'd all like to pretend that we are so tech savvy that we look beyond aesthetics... it really does feel good to have a "new" design.

This has been the problem with Apple lately. They are churning out upgrades by riding on a legacy of amazing design and looking at profits to prove that they're on the right track. But to many users then Apple is now being seen as lazy and boring. And that's a shame. They have the talent to really push the industry but their leadership doesn't seem to care about anything but saturation and profits.

(BTW. I have an SE. It's a nostalgically fun second device but I really would love to see the great minds at Apple try re-imagining what a 2016 "small phone" would look like. )

While technically it's an old design, I'm not sure it looks old compared to the rest of the iPhone lineup. When I upgraded from my 5s, I went from a black and space gray model to a white and silver SE. That makes all the difference in the world, it's like having the latest iPhone model as far as I'm concerned because it looks completely different than any iPhone I've ever owned, if only because it's white. I recently got out my 5s and discovered that now it looks brand new and fresh since I've gotten used to the white SE.

I've actually been wondering how they are going to be able to offer the white models when they go to full edge-to-edge displays. I'm not sure they'll be able to.
 

joeblow7777

macrumors 604
Sep 7, 2010
7,048
8,754
I'm not anti-Apple, I own a few of their devices; this is just my experience of two different phones on different OS's at different price points.

But, yes, the XA looks better to me.
[doublepost=1471969810][/doublepost]

Right - I was confused because my iPad Mini 4 has the specs of the 6 but 2GB of RAM.

But even my iPad Mini I put in a Moleskine cover - it literally looks like a thick Moleskine notebook. This is as much because I think the design could do with a refresh (but probably won't get one anytime soon) as the fact that I like and use Moleskines. Design does matter to a lot of people.

Not to split hairs but the A8 is the mini 4 is slightly over clocked compared to the one in the iPhone 6/6s
 

niijonodhg

macrumors regular
Jul 20, 2016
120
27
United Kingdom
One of the reasons I opted into not buying the SE when it came out, sure they're catering to a crowd of people who found the size of the 6/6s to be too big. But when releasing a smaller phone, could they not have changed the design language even a little?
 

Jimmy James

macrumors 603
Oct 26, 2008
5,488
4,067
Magicland
Before Apple entered the smartphone market, cheap-looking, creaky plastic casing was the norm.

Now, a phone is a fashion accessory and everyone is an expert. And designs are criticized because they are a few years old.
 

Channan

macrumors 68030
Mar 7, 2012
2,866
3,051
New Orleans
One of the reasons I opted into not buying the SE when it came out, sure they're catering to a crowd of people who found the size of the 6/6s to be too big. But when releasing a smaller phone, could they not have changed the design language even a little?
Well the chamfered edges on the iPhone SE aren't polished like the iPhone 5/5s'. Change can't get much smaller than that. :p
 

Tthomas612

macrumors 65816
Aug 24, 2013
1,309
285
People talk about looks as if it's a status symbol.

Honestly I wouldn't care to have the OG iPhone with updated specs... how would that be having an iPhone from "2007?" Honestly IDC as long as the performance is good...

Truth is they released the SE looking like the iPhone 5/5s because they knew it was there last "loved" design
 

LIVEFRMNYC

macrumors G3
Oct 27, 2009
8,780
10,844
How the tables have turned. Seems like yesterday, every iPhone owner were boasting about how premium and classy looking the iPhone was compared to other phones. Now all the sudden, looks are not important.
 
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I7guy

macrumors Nehalem
Nov 30, 2013
34,233
23,971
Gotta be in it to win it
How the tables have turned. Seems like yesterday, every iPhone owner were boasting about how premium and classy looking the iPhone was compared to other phones. Now all the sudden, looks are not important.
Looks are important and I love the look of the iPhone. Who are the "every iPhone owner" you talk about?
 

Ffosse

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Nov 5, 2012
1,827
652
I think part of the problem for me was that I didn't consider screen size when buying the SE. My fault, entirely; I was just out of hospital after 2 months and, slightly giddy, simply wanted the shiny new. I had a legitimate reason having broken my Xperia Z3 Compact, and wanted something as good or better, plus I'd never had a new iPhone. I disregarded the 6S as I didn't like the bezels. I hadn't had a phone with a 4" screen since 2013 (second-hand 5) - have been in the 4.5 to 5.5 range for every phone since. But in the Apple store it looked nice - I went with silver and white having already a gold iPad Mini 4 and iPod.

The 32GB iPod Touch 6, I use almost exclusively for music so the screen size doesn't matter so much. Typing on the SE I've sometimes found the keyboard covering the fields I'm supposed to be entering text into - I guess this is adjustable with different keyboards but everything feels cramped - no such issue on a 5" phone.

Also, I miss widgets - everything looks so congested and stale I couldn't use this device on a quotidian or even weekly basis, not as a phone, anyway. Apple makes a brave attempt with the Today view but you can't use that all the time.

However, the camera is great; I'm going to keep it for this reason mainly, plus if I maintain it in good condition I should still get a good resale price in a year or so. Plenty others seem to like the SE.
 
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Isamilis

macrumors 68020
Apr 3, 2012
2,049
956
I am considering also to switch from 6s to SE due to its size... Or even better, to SE 2.

I absolutely love my SE - I had a 6S Plus after getting caught up in the bigger and bigger phone trend. It was great when the weather was cold and I had a jacket to put it in, but once the better weather came, it was a bit of a pain carrying it around in my jeans or shorts pockets (OK stood up, but had to take it out to sit down).

I realised then that I didn't actually need a phone that size on me all the time and going to the SE was like a breath of fresh air: I can carry it around without noticing it; it's very fast and the screen is more than big enough for me
 

2ilent8cho

macrumors 6502
Mar 9, 2016
466
1,342
Had the SE since launch day after having the iPhone 6. I think the design of the 5/5S/SE is better than the 6 so i don't feel it looks dated at all, more of a classic iPhone design . I also appreciate the smaller phone a lot more than i thought i would when i got an iPhone 6 , i just hope Apple does not abandon the 4" again. If anything that Sony phone looks dated, very dated.
 

mrochester

macrumors 601
Feb 8, 2009
4,522
2,446
It’s ironic that some people accuse Apple of mostly being a fashion accessory company now and yet so many people on this forum are leaving the iPhone or considering it because they think other phones look better. They may claim the other features are drawing them in too but if they are going to be honest a good percentage of switchers wouldn’t even consider it if it wasn’t for the physical design they are enamored with.

Yes this tickles me no end. The hypocrisy of this boggles the mind. Why do people care so much what their phone looks like? The SE is a beautiful design, who cares if it's a few years old or looks like another device? What's important is what's inside and the overall user experience, which is top notch on the SE.
[doublepost=1472050743][/doublepost]
How the tables have turned. Seems like yesterday, every iPhone owner were boasting about how premium and classy looking the iPhone was compared to other phones. Now all the sudden, looks are not important.

The various iPhones do look premium and classy. All that's changed is that Android 'fanboys' who once criticised Apple for being form over function are now falling over themselves for premium and classy looking devices themselves now that Android OEMs are finally making them.

They are finally realising they can have both form AND function, as us iPhone users have been enjoying for years. No apologies from them of course.
 
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mtneer

macrumors 68040
Sep 15, 2012
3,179
2,714
It's the old Apple itch. Happens around September every year when suddenly your perfectly working trusty old phone starts looking like a beat up clunker. When an irresistible urge reaches into your pockets and transfers hefty amounts of cash to Apple in exchange for a shiny new fling...
 
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lordofthereef

macrumors G5
Nov 29, 2011
13,161
3,720
Boston, MA
To each their own. Looking st that song I see bezels painfully larger than they need to be, and I've long complained about iPhones extra pudge.

You've hadn't three days. You're within the return window. Don't force yourself to like something you don't. I did that with the 6 plus and suffered through it for a year. Only iPhone purchase I've regretted.
 

HarryWild

macrumors 68020
Oct 27, 2012
2,043
710
It always nice to have the current model iPhone but only if you can afford it and if you have no other pressing needs like a car or rent or entertainment! These all come first! Nobody really cares about you phone other then you anyways!
 
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