Should I upgrade to a lower tier phone?
December 26, 2022 8:23 PM Subscribe
I’m thinking of going from an iPhone 8+ to an SE. Same amount of storage in both phones, and I could use something smaller for my poor wrists. Other than the camera, there doesn’t seem to be a difference? Has anyone made a similar “backwards” step in iphone model? Was it fine? I’m not too keen on faceid and like that the SE still uses fingerprint. I use a separate camera 90% of the time, so I don’t think I will care about the downgrade in camera tech. Is there anything I am missing or should I go ahead and get the current gen SE? It looks like the chip and other things are a step up from what I have, but I’ve never really understood the difference with the SE models.
Best answer: Go for it!! I got an iPhone SE a month ago and feel 100% positive about my decision. Let me know if you have any specific questions: I had an iPhone XS for four years and this feels like an upgrade or at least a newer, more slim, less heavy version of something familiar. The photos are not perfect but are good enough. The only adjustment for me was using my finger to unlock but it was fast.
posted by smorgasbord at 8:55 PM on December 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by smorgasbord at 8:55 PM on December 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
Best answer: The iPhone SE has always been Apple's value phone. Usually the current generation processor (which allows longer support for the OS). The processor is on par with the iPhone 13 (A15 Bionic). The rear camera is the same as the iPhone 12 (non-pro) I believe. The front camera is a bit older tech. It's a huge step up from an iPhone 8. The display is the biggest step down from the more expensive phones. It is still a high quality display, but slightly lower PPI (pixels per inch) (326) as compared to the iPhone 13 (460), or iPhone 12 mini (476 ppi) but is identical to the iPhone 8. It's absolutely not a step backward.
My parent has an iPhone SE Gen 3 and it seems great and faster than my iPhone 11 Pro.
posted by SirStan at 9:36 PM on December 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
My parent has an iPhone SE Gen 3 and it seems great and faster than my iPhone 11 Pro.
posted by SirStan at 9:36 PM on December 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I have an SE and love the size. Fits in a small pocket, easy to hold. Years ago I tried a 6 and returned it within a day as I found it too unwieldy in my hands. I can't imagine ever choosing one of the larger phones.
posted by lulu68 at 12:29 AM on December 27, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by lulu68 at 12:29 AM on December 27, 2022 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I literally did exactly this a week and a half ago.
The body of the SE is functionally the same as that of the iPhone 8 (available colors are mostly different). The inner workings are much more up to date. The phone will be good for several years, minimum.
Make the switch. If you do the setup as recommended (automatically transferring all your apps and settings), you won't notice any negative difference. You can also trade in an 8 with Apple to get up to $75 off of the SE.
posted by verbminx at 1:16 AM on December 27, 2022 [1 favorite]
The body of the SE is functionally the same as that of the iPhone 8 (available colors are mostly different). The inner workings are much more up to date. The phone will be good for several years, minimum.
Make the switch. If you do the setup as recommended (automatically transferring all your apps and settings), you won't notice any negative difference. You can also trade in an 8 with Apple to get up to $75 off of the SE.
posted by verbminx at 1:16 AM on December 27, 2022 [1 favorite]
The current model SE uses the A15, which is 4 generations later than your 8+, so it should be quite a bit faster. It will probably be current for another year as well, so should have good longevity.
If you really want small though, you could consider the 13 mini, which has a screen just slightly smaller than the 8+, but in a smaller body than the SE. It has FaceID & a notch though. Here's a comparison of the three of them on Apple's site.
I have a 12 mini which I quite like, though I am in two minds about Face ID. It's good for many things, but not as convenient for ApplePay in shops - you have to get it to recognise your face then double-click the side button to confirm, which is not as smooth as just touching the fingerprint button.
posted by mewsic at 3:14 AM on December 27, 2022
If you really want small though, you could consider the 13 mini, which has a screen just slightly smaller than the 8+, but in a smaller body than the SE. It has FaceID & a notch though. Here's a comparison of the three of them on Apple's site.
I have a 12 mini which I quite like, though I am in two minds about Face ID. It's good for many things, but not as convenient for ApplePay in shops - you have to get it to recognise your face then double-click the side button to confirm, which is not as smooth as just touching the fingerprint button.
posted by mewsic at 3:14 AM on December 27, 2022
The screen is somehow bigger on the 2022 SE than the 7 I had before it, but the improvements in phones across the time since the 8 came out mean that you're getting a better phone with warranty cover and software updates for [checks notes, mutters 'huh'] about the same dollar number the 6/7/8 were originally priced at.
posted by k3ninho at 3:15 AM on December 27, 2022
posted by k3ninho at 3:15 AM on December 27, 2022
Response by poster: Ok! Thank you all - I took the leap.
posted by Bottlecap at 8:20 AM on December 27, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by Bottlecap at 8:20 AM on December 27, 2022 [2 favorites]
Not related to the phone model itself, but for your wrists, I highly recommend getting a phone case with a finger loop of some kind like this or this. I got a smaller phone and it did help, but having a loop case made a much bigger difference. I have actually since gone back to a larger phone and stuck with the finger support cases and still do not have any hand or wrist pain. Make sure you get the loops and not a pop socket. Those are better than nothing but not nearly as good as the ring.
posted by amycup at 4:01 PM on December 27, 2022
posted by amycup at 4:01 PM on December 27, 2022
I went from the iPhone 11 pro to a new 14 pro and hated the size, so I "downgraded" to the 13 mini. I love it.
posted by benbenson at 12:19 PM on December 28, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by benbenson at 12:19 PM on December 28, 2022 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Update: This was an excellent move! The phone is an excellent size, and I have no complaints about going with the “budget” option.
posted by Bottlecap at 4:56 AM on December 29, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by Bottlecap at 4:56 AM on December 29, 2022 [3 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by mr_roboto at 8:35 PM on December 26, 2022 [2 favorites]