Should I spend $100 to get a new (original) SE iPhone, or...?

March 21, 2021 8:29 PM

I've had my iPhone SE (the original one) for about two years: I bought it new from Apple in spring 2019 (they released a cache of them on clearance then). It now has very bad battery life and enough damage that Applecare will give me a newish replacement for $100. I have a few options that I'm trying to assess the comparative merits of. It seems to me that the decision mostly hinges on how quickly the original SE will become obsolete/unusable after Apple's iOS 15 update. Please advise.

Option 1: Instead of replacing my SE, I can simply have Apple give me a new battery for $50.

Option 2: Through Applecare, I can have Apple replace my SE for $100. From what I have read, the replacement will apparently have a new battery and shell, and refurbished insides.

Option 3: Combining Option 2 ($100 for replacement SE) PLUS a new 2-year Applecare renewal for $70.

I love my original SE, and have no desire to upgrade if I don't have to. I only really do calls and texts and occasional email etc. on my phone, so the function is fine for me. I don't need anything newer or fancier, and I really don't want anything larger. I am only interested in Apple phones since I like how the iPhone syncs with my laptop.  So the only other phone I'd be interested in is the iPhone 12 mini, which appears to be over $700, which I have no desire to spend right now. I could get the new SE in a pinch, but I don't like the feel (too big, too slippery) and I'm generally not too enthused.

My question is: I read that when the iOS 15 update comes (late summer/autumn 2021?), the original SE won't be included, and so the phone will become obsolete.  I'm interested to know any advice on how quickly this will happen. If I can use the original SE for 2 more years from right now (I guess 1.5 years from the update), I will probably get the $100 phone replacement, plus the $70 Applecare. If I can use my phone for 1 more year from right now, I'll probably skip the Applecare and just get the $100 replacement phone. If I can't use the SE for at least a year from now, I guess I'll either just replace the battery ($50), or junk this phone and get another phone entirely, especially if Apple would give me credit towards a new phone given the Applecare replacement offer. Any thoughts on likely outcome and thus strategy here?

posted by ClaireBear to Technology (8 answers total)

You should continue getting security updates through the iOS 15 release cycle, even if you're stuck on iOS 14, and the iPhone 5s (which is stuck at iOS 12) has gotten some security and feature updates into the iOS 14 cycle. And even if it isn't updated, your phone won't stop working the minute the updates stop, so it's up to you how much risk tolerance you have.

I wouldn't get Apple care. At least in the US you can find a used SE for $100 today, so $70 for something less than a whole phone doesn't way off well.

I'd personally just get the battery done. The other fairly consumable part on older iPhones was the home button, but yours can't have seen that much use. But $100 for a new copy of a phone you love ain't much, so follow yourself heart.

The mini, by the way, is a fitting successor, but I can't blame you for not wanting to buy it yet.
posted by wotsac at 9:01 PM on March 21, 2021

My daily driver is an android phone, but I have an iPhone 6 I use for FaceTime and other Apple only issues. I have not accepted updates in at least a year. You don't appear to use a lot of apps or anything other than email text and phone. You could likely use that phone as is after the last update for a long time.

I would replace the battery and ride it out.
posted by AugustWest at 9:08 PM on March 21, 2021

If you're happy with your screen, just get the battery. If your screen is scratched, get a new phone. But don't renew Applecare. In either case the new battery may last longer than the old as it didn't spend a couple years in a warehouse. By the time the replacement is worn out, you'll almost certainly want a newer model anyway.

(I'm still using a 6S+ now on its third battery. It's not too hard to DIY but for just $50 i'd definitely have a tech do it.)
posted by seanmpuckett at 5:41 AM on March 22, 2021

If you really truly don't want to upgrade, get the $100 refurb, it's basically an entirely new phone.

But, if you spend hours a day on your phone like I do, it's not that expensive to invest in a newer phone too, if it saves you an hour a week in loading times and stuff. I buy my phones used via swappa, and a 12 mini is $600, and that's my real recommendation.
posted by bbqturtle at 5:48 AM on March 22, 2021

To generally concur with others, I’d go for the $50 battery or $100 refurb, and skip the AppleCare. The 12 Mini sounds extremely nice but it’s a lot for a device you (and I) don’t really use that much, or require much of.

Even after the SE stops being eligible for the latest major iOS version, it should receive security updates for a while. At some point those will stop, but your phone will continue to work. Gradually apps will stop supporting iOS 14, at different rates, so you’ll slowly stop being able to update them, or install new ones. But your existing apps should still work for some time.

Mrs Fabius is still using my old iPhone 4 (I have an original SE) and while it’s slow, and can’t update anything, and a few websites don’t quite work properly, it still works for the basics.
posted by fabius at 6:58 AM on March 22, 2021

My wife still has her original SE, which has had its battery replaced once, and which now has pretty appalling battery drain again. I personally feel like paying anything to keep it going would be good money after bad, because even though it's still supported by the now-current version of iOS it seems clear that "supported" and "actually good" are kind of far apart now. But my wife would almost certainly jump at a $50 battery replacement if it meant she didn't have to get a bigger phone. It's not the decision I'd make for myself, but it's not a bad choice on its own.

I broke my own SE a year and a half ago and replaced it with an iPhone 8 because that was the smallest iPhone I could buy new at the time. I personally find the performance of my wife's phone frustrating in comparison to mine. I still hate how big and slippery it is, but the performance improvement and camera quality were significant upgrades. I've broken the stupid glass back once and replaced it via AppleCare+. When I inevitably break it again I'll probably get an iPhone 12 mini, which is smaller and at least has edges that might make it less of a wet bar of soap overall. But I get where you're coming from.

I wouldn't expect an original SE to provide a great experience a year from now, and by two years from now I'd just expect the experience to be, well, bad. The 2020 SE should give you at least three good years from now, slippery design notwithstanding. I'd expect the 12 mini to be worth at least one more year beyond that, but only you can determine whether one more year and a smaller overall package are worth an additional $300. For my own money I'd say yes.
posted by fedward at 8:49 AM on March 22, 2021

I use an original SE regularly. I just got the battery replaced by a friend with a new battery from iFixit. Basically this worked entirely except the touchpad doesn't work (I knew going in that this might happen, would NOT happen with an Apple-authorized replacement). I am really careful about what I am using to keep the battery drain low, and also it gets better when weather gets warmer. I figure eventually I will get the 12 mini once the prices on those come down. I'd just get the battery replaced and assume the OS will be getting security updates for at least another year or two.
posted by jessamyn at 1:48 PM on March 22, 2021

Better keep the SE (change the battery). The newer iPhones are either way too costly or still have awful battery lives. In fact, I think even the way too costly iPhones have pretty bad battery life.

Besides the newer iPhones all have glass backs. So either add an ugly big back cover to such phones or be ready to visit the service centre multiple times during the phone's lifespan. That's why I am still on iPhone 7 and do not intend to get a new one anytime soon.

(Side rant: Apple does it deliberately I believe. Give poor battery life and next year increase of 4.5465% in battery life - which you can't really verify - will make fans rejoice at the second best improvement ever to happen on planet earth. And the "by design breakable glass back" (yeah, not a lot many might use the wireless charging!) should offset some sales drop after they were caught deliberately slowing down iPhones.)
posted by amar at 6:34 PM on March 22, 2021