iPhone SE (2016) iPhone Upgrade on a Budget.

[Reality4711]

Hello,
anyone that knows my previous questions will know that they are mostly about quality/price. Value for money.
I am no longer a regular upgrader and in this case the possible upgrade is in anticipation of the dreaded obsolete product that will surely arrive.
I function quite well with less than 10gb of storage available (low image file size+constant removal). So not afraid of management issues.
Opinion from users is what I am after.
Given the above Would like to get a really noticeable improvement in image quality (still&moving) with just enough storage to enable comfortable use. The likelihood of my venerable iPod Classic dining is also on the cards (having had to reset twice this year the signs are there).

So recommend phone with and or without storage for music. Please do not include the latest and greatest - way outside my range.

If my phone continues to function I may consider FiiO to replace the iPod so not totally inflexible (would like to stay all Apple if I can).

Any thoughts appreciated.

 

[AppleHaterLover]

iPhone 7 Plus

 

[ACB 123]

XR is a great phone

 

[Reality4711]

iPhone 7 Plus

Particular reasons?
[automerge]1569579610[/automerge]

XR is a great phone

Particular reasons?

 

[pika2000]

How large is your music collection? Current lineup of iPhones have 64GB as base storage.

Next, how important is the camera photo quality? If it’s important, then I suggest stretching your budget to get at least the iPhone 11. The night mode is simply a huge leap over any previous iPhones. And considering it has the latest hardware, it will be supported the longest. Also, it should have the best battery life over the rest of cheaper iPhones.

Runner up is the XR. It won’t have as good image quality as the iPhone 11, but it’s a great overall phone. It also has a great battery life. The color choice might make it a great pick as well.

If value is upmost important, the. I’d suggest the iPhone 8. It fills the basics like wireless charging, and performance is great. Photo quality is below the XR though, and since it only has 2GB of RAM, its longevity is questionable considering Apple put 4GB RAM in all of this year’s iPhones. Battery life is also the weakest.

I would avoid the 8 Plus, unless you prefer Touch ID over FaceID, but wants a larger phone than the regular 8. The 8 Plus price point is too close to the XR, and the XR is better in many things than the 8 Plus.

So my recommendations:
First pick, stretch your budget and get the iPhone 11. It will be a great phone for at least 4 to 5 years.
Second pick is XR, saving some money at the expense of camera quality.
Third pick is the iPhone 8 is you are on a budget. Do note that you might lose software support sooner than the XR.

 

[Reality4711]

How large is your music collection? Current lineup of iPhones have 64GB as base storage.

Next, how important is the camera photo quality? If it’s important, then I suggest stretching your budget to get at least the iPhone 11. The night mode is simply a huge leap over any previous iPhones. And considering it has the latest hardware, it will be supported the longest. Also, it should have the best battery life over the rest of cheaper iPhones.

Runner up is the XR. It won’t have as good image quality as the iPhone 11, but it’s a great overall phone. It also has a great battery life. The color choice might make it a great pick as well.

If value is upmost important, the. I’d suggest the iPhone 8. It fills the basics like wireless charging, and performance is great. Photo quality is below the XR though, and since it only has 2GB of RAM, its longevity is questionable considering Apple put 4GB RAM in all of this year’s iPhones. Battery life is also the weakest.

I would avoid the 8 Plus, unless you prefer Touch ID over FaceID, but wants a larger phone than the regular 8. The 8 Plus price point is too close to the XR, and the XR is better in many things than the 8 Plus.

So my recommendations:
First pick, stretch your budget and get the iPhone 11. It will be a great phone for at least 4 to 5 years.
Second pick is XR, saving some money at the expense of camera quality.
Third pick is the iPhone 8 is you are on a budget. Do note that you might lose software support sooner than the XR.

Brilliant answer.

Thank you very much.

128Gb is the sweet spot as my iPod has never had more than 90Gb on it and it will allow for a few pics/vids..

The iPhone 11 does seem the best bet for me - it is just finding the dosh!

Again response much appreciated.

 

[akash.nu]

So it depends on how long you generally keep your devices. Generally if you want to keep it the longest then buying the latest makes sense.

 

[now i see it]

iPhone 7 wins hands down for cheapest option. It'll run iOS 13 too. It's fast

 

[Reality4711]

Ended up with SE with 256gb from Apple with finance. Music up to 100gb now with total used at 124gb. so all good. Thanks for your thoughts. Finance deal with 'sim only' contract swayed me eventually.

 

[lordhamster]

Ended up with SE with 256gb from Apple with finance. Music up to 100gb now with total used at 124gb. so all good. Thanks for your thoughts. Finance deal with 'sim only' contract swayed me eventually.

Came to this thread late, but I think the SE is a great deal for exactly your usecase. For anyone who wants a good "new" phone that will have years of support at a good price, I'm recommending the SE.

 

[Reno Raines]

SE 2020 is a great phone and should last you years. Enjoy!

 

[harriska2]

Just bought the SE for my husband yesterday for $345. Military discount plus some sort of $13 credit that I didn’t know I had. Thanks Apple. All with free shipping. We broke the home button (which was actually already broken) trying to replace the battery on the original SE. Seems like the new SE might be a good replacement.

 

[1rottenapple]

Particular reasons?
[automerge]1569579610[/automerge]

Particular reasons?

XR modern design, modern processor, good camera and video. Affordable $499 at apple but you can buy good used models for $300.

Regarding your iPod, there's used iPods iPod classic on eBay for $100. I'm actually looking for one. I have a 5th gen iPod with 120gb ssd and 3000mah battery. The battery last me months lol.

 

[Tsepz]

XR modern design, modern processor, good camera and video. Affordable $499 at apple but you can buy good used models for $300.

Regarding your iPod, there's used iPods iPod classic on eBay for $100. I'm actually looking for one. I have a 5th gen iPod with 120gb ssd and 3000mah battery. The battery last me months lol.

Would have recommended the Xr to, I truly believe that is THEE value for money iPhone right now, pretty well priced while bringing current design and powerful processor, with great battery life versus the SE.

However it seems OP is happy with their SE 2020.

 

[1rottenapple]

Would have recommended the Xr to, I truly believe that is THEE value for money iPhone right now, pretty well priced while bringing current design and powerful processor, with great battery life versus the SE.

However it seems OP is happy with their SE 2020.

Yah I didn’t read the part where he bought the phone until after I posted. Agree on the battery department. XR is great especially that part.