Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

dj1891

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Feb 16, 2015
627
335
Northern Ireland
Buying a new phone for my son, the 8 plus and SE2 are the exact same price, My son is a teenager and teenagers are never off their phones and I have read battery life is bad on the SE2. Whats your thoughts?
 

blairh

macrumors 603
Dec 11, 2007
5,830
4,100
8 Plus. Current owner myself. Absolutely love it. He will appreciate the better battery life and larger screen.
 

Apple_Robert

Contributor
Sep 21, 2012
34,336
49,679
In the middle of several books.
The SE doesn’t have a bad battery. It has a smaller battery than the big phones and flagship phones.

I would get the new SE and later on if need be, a battery case can be purchased. Spec wise, he may be happier with a newer model.

No matter which phone you get, the battery isn’t going to last the full day for him, (more than likely) unless his usage is regulated by his parental units.
 
Last edited:

ericwn

macrumors G4
Apr 24, 2016
11,831
10,418
I’d personally take the 8 plus. However I’d ask him to find out why screen size he prefers. At the end of the day it’s going to be one of his most used computer interfaces- so why not ensure that he is having a good time.
 
  • Like
Reactions: acorntoy

acorntoy

macrumors 68010
May 25, 2010
2,003
2,221
8 Plus. Bigger screen, better battery. The A11 is still fast and will be for a long time.
 

firedept

macrumors 603
Jul 8, 2011
6,277
1,130
Somewhere!
I'd say 8 Plus for battery life. But SE as it is more current and should last longer. As already stated a battery case can be had if he needs longer battery life for an SE.
 

happy orchard

macrumors 65816
Jun 3, 2020
1,158
1,592
OP, if your son is a teenager, I would ask his opinion, if you haven’t already. I work with teenagers, and different teenagers care about different stuff with tech compared to people on a techie forum. Kids at his school may care more about the “newer” phone and bash on his “obviously” older phone with “less good” camera. On the other hand, they may ask why he got such a “dinky” phone because now he has to use “lame” battery packs, and wouldn’t it better if he could see more with more screen. In other words, your son probably has the best idea of what he wants because it’s likely based on what he sees his friends using and not using. You probably know this, but for his sake, I wanted to say trust him more than us. :)

I have both phones, and they’re both awesome, so he’ll be good with whichever you get him. Good luck :)
 

snipr125

macrumors 68000
Oct 17, 2015
1,796
2,834
UK
I got both phones and they are really good, solid phones to use. I would recommend the 8 plus for your son though, as he is most likely to play games and view more content on it like u tube etc, so the larger battery and larger screen will benefit him.
 

acorntoy

macrumors 68010
May 25, 2010
2,003
2,221
OP, if your son is a teenager, I would ask his opinion, if you haven’t already. I work with teenagers, and different teenagers care about different stuff with tech compared to people on a techie forum. Kids at his school may care more about the “newer” phone and bash on his “obviously” older phone with “less good” camera. On the other hand, they may ask why he got such a “dinky” phone because now he has to use “lame” battery packs, and wouldn’t it better if he could see more with more screen. In other words, your son probably has the best idea of what he wants because it’s likely based on what he sees his friends using and not using. You probably know this, but for his sake, I wanted to say trust him more than us. :)

I have both phones, and they’re both awesome, so he’ll be good with whichever you get him. Good luck :)

Screen Shot 2020-07-05 at 10.51.38 PM.png


They actual have the same physical main camera, the + will also include the Telephoto as a bonus though for close shots. SE uses software improvements like better HDR due and slightly better noise reduction etc due to the A13, I believe the portrait isn't as accurate though because it uses purely software to make the effect.



I do agree though, ask them what they want in a phone.
 
Last edited:

44267547

Cancelled
Jul 12, 2016
37,642
42,491
Buying a new phone for my son, the 8 plus and SE2 are the exact same price, My son is a teenager and teenagers are never off their phones and I have read battery life is bad on the SE2. Whats your thoughts?

again, it comes down to the size. Ask yourself What would your son be comfortable with? Let’s take away the price point for a second, and look at the overall comparison in terms of size for both phones. That equally should be just as important as the price.
 

happy orchard

macrumors 65816
Jun 3, 2020
1,158
1,592
View attachment 931081

They actual have the same physical main camera, the + will also include the Telephoto as a bonus though for close shots. SE uses software improvements like better HDR due and slightly better noise reduction etc due to the A13, I believe the portrait isn't as accurate though because it uses purely software to make the effect.



I do agree though, ask them what they want in a phone.
I hear you on the camera. I actually like the 8+ better for camera because I do use telephoto (more than any other camera gimmick), but I know students who prefer the photo capabilities on the SE because of software.

Ultimately, this is a great example of the point I was trying to make: people will see things differently, and as much as teenagers use their phones, it’s valuable to know how this particular kid and all his friends use it and think about it.

I say all this because I’ve seen kids flaunt and kids hide their tech. It may matter less to a grown-up, but what phone someone uses does matter to teenagers, and that seems something (while not solely) to take into account when buying an expensive device.
 

StaceyMJ86

macrumors demi-goddess
Sep 22, 2015
8,158
14,518
Washington, DC
I would ask him which size screen he prefer to use? Also I would take into consideration that the SE2 is more update with its chip, and will continue to receive iOS updates longer than the 8+.
 

The-Real-Deal82

macrumors P6
Jan 17, 2013
16,386
24,130
Wales, United Kingdom
The SE2 has the more up to date internals but right now as an 8 Plus owner I have to say this phone more than keeps up despite now being nearly 3 years old. It’s not showing it’s age yet. I also prefer the bigger size so if I was buying a phone now for the next 2 years and had only these two to choose from, I’d almost definitely opt for the 8 Plus.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JPack
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.