iPhone SE (2016) I prefer the SE over my 11 pro after a few weeks of use

[JagRunner]

I had an 11 Pro and I am currently using the 2020 SE. TouchID is better IMO. The Touch ID always works for me. FaceID doesn't work with the mask. FaceID doesn't work when you just wake up and you have bedhead/eyes. It doesn't work when you're laying on your side and half your face is blocked by the pillow. It doesn't work laying flat on a desk at work.

The one thing FaceID has an advantage on are the apps that you can unlock with FaceID. You just open the app and it will automatically scan your face and unlock....like my Bank of America app. But instead now I have to place my finger on the TouchID. It took a few days of getting used to but now I just have my finger on the TouchID before I open my bank app. It's really a non-issue now and just took some retraining of the brain.

So they both have their pros/cons. It really doesn't matter. At the end of the day they get you from point A to point B.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Is FaceID able to unlock your phone now with a mask on? Because if mask wearing is mandatory at your work place, FaceID has to work through mask to be even worth comparing.

I don’t think so and to be honest that would defeat the object of facial recognition. Apple have temporarily put a patch in place to detect a mask and prompt the passcode. I suppose allowing FaceID with a mask would be comparable to allowing TouchID with a latex glove lol. Neither would be a true to ensuring a secure interface.

 

[Airforcekid]

I went from the 11 Pro Max to the SE ... and although I loved the SE ... the battery life is so horrendously bad compared to the Max that I just couldn't do it. I went from charging my phone every two days to three times a day. It's a really great little phone, but battery life is too important to me. It's a stupidly fast little phone.

Thats weird I get through a full day on my SE with about 25% remaining maybe 2-3 hours of calls with teams meetings and emails thrown in along with the random youtube video or Netflix break. I do toss it on a wireless charging pad from time to time though maybe 10 mins an hour. My 11 holds up about the same but I tend to game on it more.

 

[Airforcekid]

Touch ID is not even on the same playing field as Face ID. My phone opens 100% of the time with Face ID. It‘s so fast I forget it is there. The iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro are absolutely better phones than the SE. If you like the SE more, that’s a personal choice, and keep it, but don’t try to convince yourself it’s a better phone and that Touch ID is better than Face ID. Neither are true.

Its better for a work/light weight use case which is the majority of my day if I was going on a long vacation/flight or retired the my 11 pro with the better camera and battery would be my choice easily. I just want to access my work apps with the least lag and minimal bulk multitasking on the SE is instant while my 11 has always had a jerk the annoys me even though its minor but im not playing around on the SE compared to my 11 an app staying open is way more critical when I cant go offline without looking like im not working.

 

[Bandaman]

Thats weird I get through a full day on my SE with about 25% remaining maybe 2-3 hours of calls with teams meetings and emails thrown in along with the random youtube video or Netflix break. I do toss it on a wireless charging pad from time to time though maybe 10 mins an hour. My 11 holds up about the same but I tend to game on it more.

My usage is a lot more intensive than that. I was charging it 3 time a day. Obviously the battery usage will vary from person to person based on their usage. The Pro Max battery life is just astronomically better for what I use it for. The SE is a good little phone, it just can't keep up with me.

 

[0920872]

I don’t think so and to be honest that would defeat the object of facial recognition. Apple have temporarily put a patch in place to detect a mask and prompt the passcode. I suppose allowing FaceID with a mask would be comparable to allowing TouchID with a latex glove lol. Neither would be a true to ensuring a secure interface.

Yup! But unlike masks, gloves won't protect people from COVID.

 

[0920872]

My usage is a lot more intensive than that. I was charging it 3 time a day. Obviously the battery usage will vary from person to person based on their usage. The Pro Max battery life is just astronomically better for what I use it for. The SE is a good little phone, it just can't keep up with me.

Lol, Bandaman's usage is already a lot heavier than mine. I use my Mac to make phone calls so I don't have to touch (or actually find..lol) my phone. I've noticed the battery use is much lower this way too. I also never stream videos on a phone, only music. Though some of this is just a result of the lockdown lifestyle...

 

[44267547]

Because of the weight I am looking forward to iPhone 12 5,4". I can't understand why X/XS/11Pro isn't same size as 8 but with bigger screen. Also why 11 pro is sooo heavy comparing to X and XS. It is ridiculous.

So you think it’s ‘ridiculous’ that the iPhone 11 Pro Max weighs 7.97oz and the XS Max weighs in at 7.34oz, which is a mere difference of .63oz, and you think that’s ridiculous? (Rhetorical) You can barely notice that weight difference in your hand between both those phones with such a minute Weight . What you probably are having difficulty differentiating, is the the weight is countered differently in terms of the design of the iPhone, with the battery also having a different internal design/configuration, which is making it seem like one of the phones is heavier over the other.

 

[kristof46]

So you think it’s ‘ridiculous’ that the iPhone 11 Pro Max weighs 7.97oz and the XS Max weighs in at 7.34oz, which is a mere difference of .63oz, and you think that’s ridiculous? (Rhetorical) You can barely notice that weight difference in your hand between both those phones with such a minute Weight . What you probably are having difficulty differentiating, is the the weight is countered differently in terms of the design of the iPhone, with the battery also having a different internal design/configuration, which is making it seem like one of the phones is heavier over the other.

If you like bricks. First of all I was talking about XS and Pro 11 not Max. Anyway it is 10-20 grams more. Yes it is ridiculous. I want to feel comfortable with my phone in one hand. If you need two hands every time let's buy the iPad. There is no real reason why 11 pro is much heavier than X/XS. Sometimes even XS is too heavy if I am using it too long.

 

[heyyitssusan]

I had an 11 Pro and I am currently using the 2020 SE. TouchID is better IMO. The Touch ID always works for me. FaceID doesn't work with the mask. FaceID doesn't work when you just wake up and you have bedhead/eyes. It doesn't work when you're laying on your side and half your face is blocked by the pillow. It doesn't work laying flat on a desk at work.

The one thing FaceID has an advantage on are the apps that you can unlock with FaceID. You just open the app and it will automatically scan your face and unlock....like my Bank of America app. But instead now I have to place my finger on the TouchID. It took a few days of getting used to but now I just have my finger on the TouchID before I open my bank app. It's really a non-issue now and just took some retraining of the brain.

So they both have their pros/cons. It really doesn't matter. At the end of the day they get you from point A to point B.

What do you think of the battery life difference compared to the 11 Pro?

 

[Tsepz]

Is FaceID able to unlock your phone now with a mask on? Because if mask wearing is mandatory at your work place, FaceID has to work through mask to be even worth comparing.

I have setup an Alternative Appearance with FaceID to recognize me with the mask, so yeah works for me.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

If you like bricks. First of all I was talking about XS and Pro 11 not Max. Anyway it is 10-20 grams more. Yes it is ridiculous. I want to feel comfortable with my phone in one hand. If you need two hands every time let's buy the iPad. There is no real reason why 11 pro is much heavier than X/XS. Sometimes even XS is too heavy if I am using it too long.

20 grams is virtually unnoticeable and 10 grams even less so, obviously. That would be ridiculous I agree. If people can notice a weight increase which is akin to less than a third of the weight of a tennis ball, then you know it’s a gross exaggeration lol.

 

[kristof46]

20 grams is virtually unnoticeable and 10 grams even less so, obviously. That would be ridiculous I agree. If people can notice a weight increase which is akin to less than a third of the weight of a tennis ball, then you know it’s a gross exaggeration lol.

10 grams here and there. It's like iPhone XR/11 is close to 11 Pro/XS. No 6.1" is too big for me. Read careful what I've said. Even XS is little bit too heavy for me. Another 10 grams make a difference.

 

[0920872]

I have setup an Alternative Appearance with FaceID to recognize me with the mask, so yeah works for me.

Fascinating! How do you set that up? You get your face scanned in a mask? Do you need to wear the same style mask?

 

[Tsepz]

Fascinating! How do you set that up? You get your face scanned in a mask? Do you need to wear the same style mask?

Yes, so why I did is that after the first bit of setting up I then put on the mask and it took that in as well.

Yep, need to wear the same type of mask, it will not work if I use a different type of mask or even when I cover myself with a scarf, lol, it’s winter down here, so I’ve noticed that it only works with the one type of mask which I have plenty of.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

10 grams here and there. It's like iPhone XR/11 is close to 11 Pro/XS. No 6.1" is too big for me. Read careful what I've said. Even XS is little bit too heavy for me. Another 10 grams make a difference.

Heavy in what use case may i ask? Your options are the SE2 or waiting for the 5.4” iPhone 12 although we have no idea what the weight of that is yet.

 

[AppleZombie]

I got rid of my Xs for an SE2020 and honestly the SE is outstanding. Only thing I miss is the bigger screen. I think the the 5.4" will be the ultimate iPhone

 

[Tsepz]

I got rid of my Xs for an SE2020 and honestly the SE is outstanding. Only thing I miss is the bigger screen. I think the the 5.4" will be the ultimate iPhone

How is the SE battery life versus your XS?

 

[44267547]

I got rid of my Xs for an SE2020 and honestly the SE is outstanding. Only thing I miss is the bigger screen. I think the the 5.4" will be the ultimate iPhone

I suspect the 5.4 will be the first phone to immediately ‘slip‘ 4-6 weeks for an estimated delivery date. The throw-back look/size are significant selling points, assuming the price is appropriate.

 

[tonybarnaby]

If only the SE got the 11 Pro Max’s battery...

Agreed, but the phone would have to be so thick in order to get that kind of longevity. The same people who are loving their SE would be returning it due to the weight and thickness. The only option is the apple battery case, but that’s another $100 onto the price of the phone. At that price, you can get an Xr refurbished for just about the same price.

Everyone likes to comment “I’m always around a charger, so it doesn’t matter to me that the battery life when you’re hammering it is pretty poor.” Those are the only people who should be buying an SE. I personally am hopeful for new battery tech that is better than lithium ion. The days of flip phones lasting a week would be a welcome change.

 

[MarkX]

I suspect the 5.4 will be the first phone to immediately ‘slip‘ 4-6 weeks for an estimated delivery date. The throw-back look/size are significant selling points, assuming the price is appropriate.

It's going to be a home run, I think it'll be the best selling iPhone 12 model by a long shot!

 

[usagora]

You could always just pick it up.....surely that’s not such a hardship.

People's gripes are incredibly weird.

Oh, come on. We're strictly in "first world problem" territory with just about every complaint about iPhones, including some you both probably have too. No, of course it's not "such a hardship" to pick up the phone, but it's also quite convenient not to have to. Just like it wouldn't be "such a hardship" to take off a glove to use Touch ID, yet people say that's why they prefer Face ID, and on and on. Obviously, the more frequently you need to do these motions, the inconvenience factor goes up.

One of my complaints about the SE is that there is no tap to wake. I discovered that for some bizarre reason Apple has withheld this setting from non-Face ID phones. Which makes zero sense. My Apple Watch has tap to wake on its screen. Does it have Face ID? No. Yes, I could just press the side button, but obviously it's more convenient to simply tap the screen rather than grip the phone from both sides in order to press the side button.

 

[rui no onna]

Agreed, but the phone would have to be so thick in order to get that kind of longevity. The same people who are loving their SE would be returning it due to the weight and thickness. The only option is the apple battery case, but that’s another $100 onto the price of the phone. At that price, you can get an Xr refurbished for just about the same price.

Everyone likes to comment “I’m always around a charger, so it doesn’t matter to me that the battery life when you’re hammering it is pretty poor.” Those are the only people who should be buying an SE. I personally am hopeful for new battery tech that is better than lithium ion. The days of flip phones lasting a week would be a welcome change.

Frankly, I find current iPhones too thin, anyway.

I personally wouldn't mind a thicker iPhone with plastic back like the iPhone 3GS or 5c. Would probably help maintain weight, too, despite a bigger battery. That, I'd actually be able to use caseless.

 

[JagRunner]

Oh, come on. We're strictly in "first world problem" territory with just about every complaint about iPhones, including some you both probably have too. No, of course it's not "such a hardship" to pick up the phone, but it's also quite convenient not to have to. Just like it wouldn't be "such a hardship" to take off a glove to use Touch ID, yet people say that's why they prefer Face ID, and on and on. Obviously, the more frequently you need to do these motions, the inconvenience factor goes up.

One of my complaints about the SE is that there is no tap to wake. I discovered that for some bizarre reason Apple has withheld this setting from non-Face ID phones. Which makes zero sense. My Apple Watch has tap to wake on its screen. Does it have Face ID? No. Yes, I could just press the side button, but obviously it's more convenient to simply tap the screen rather than grip the phone from both sides in order to press the side button.

Yes, that is something I miss on the SE...the tap to wake. But once I retrained my brain to tap the home button instead of just the screen I was fine.

 

[Bandaman]

Oh, come on. We're strictly in "first world problem" territory with just about every complaint about iPhones, including some you both probably have too. No, of course it's not "such a hardship" to pick up the phone, but it's also quite convenient not to have to. Just like it wouldn't be "such a hardship" to take off a glove to use Touch ID, yet people say that's why they prefer Face ID, and on and on. Obviously, the more frequently you need to do these motions, the inconvenience factor goes up.

One of my complaints about the SE is that there is no tap to wake. I discovered that for some bizarre reason Apple has withheld this setting from non-Face ID phones. Which makes zero sense. My Apple Watch has tap to wake on its screen. Does it have Face ID? No. Yes, I could just press the side button, but obviously it's more convenient to simply tap the screen rather than grip the phone from both sides in order to press the side button.

"I don't want to reach a few inches to check my phone" is well beyond 1st world problems at this point. It's just petty.