iPhone XR is fine if you want to stay under $300 and have zero wiggle room in the budget. If you’ve got room to spend a little more, the newest SE is sweet. And the iPhone 11 is my favorite option. I’ve had all three to try since last fall.
I usually prefer bleeding edge maxed out latest and greatest iPhones and Androids and don’t hesitate to buy them. But I’ve been forced to revisit older types of iPhones due to a physical incompatibility with some of Apple’s OLED displays. Some trigger debilitating migraines.
I went from a 13 Pro to an XR (that AT&T sent for free) and I appreciated it but noticed that I no longer had a current feeling camera. (Oddly enough I never had any complaints about my 2016 SE camera. I took the 2016 SE on a trip to California and got wonderful photos and videos with it that I still find impressive years later). But for some reason I just wasn’t having as much success with the Xr.
And since the Xr was only 16 gb, I felt a bit cramped, so my husband got me a 128 gb 11 for Christmas. The 11 has a camera that’s updated over the Xr camera enough to get me the indoor photos I want most of the time. The Xr camera just couldn’t handle indoor lighting as well. I’m now at a sweet spot with the 11 where I can be happy using it indefinitely and don’t miss the 13 Pro. I think there are other improvements in the 11 I am taking for granted. It’s just such a solid phone I never have to think about it.
I also have the new SE 3, (traded the free Xr in for a discount on it), but despite that phone having 5G and the current processor, the iPhone 11 is more capable in that it can do AirDrop and use AirTags. The SE3 doesn’t have the NFC capability. But the SE3 is a good option if your mom wants a Touch ID home button and a small form factor. I got the SE to be my small summer pocket friendly phone and it’s what I’ve been carrying daily outside the house. I use the 11 at home on Wi-Fi. In the winter when my clothes have bigger pockets again I’ll go back to the 11 full time again, because I prefer the screen size overall.
I don’t know what your mom is likely to need or want, so I’m just telling you my experiences and impressions as a 55 year old woman taking photos of cats and kids and not being a “power user”, despite being a smart phone enthusiast. For me, iPhone 11 was improved just enough over the Xr to take me to the level I needed to be to not miss my 13 Pro. The SE3 is a close second.
I’m going to try a 14 Pro, because I love to play with new phones and my 13 Pro is still here so I may as well trade it in and give the 14 Pro a try. But if the 14 Pro triggers migraines again, the 11 and the SE will keep me content for a few more years.
Xr would have left me wanting just a little bit more. So if there’s wiggle room in the budget, it’s worth the wiggle up to an 11 or SE2022. If not, I believe she’ll be fine with the Xr, coming from the 2016 SE.
