iPhone SE (2022) SE 2016 -> SE 2022 -- a few observations

[ghanwani]

(Edited to add a few more findings.)

I decided to get an SE 2022 to replace my SE 2016 because of battery life. Here are some things that I find surprising:

- The default text size in Safari, Mail, etc. is smaller on the 2022 than on the 2016. This was the most surprising find. If I adjust the text in settings, for some reason it doesn't change the text within web pages on Safari. So I'm just trying to get used to the smaller text.

- When using the speaker whether for videos or calls, there's a lot of vibration in the phone body, both the back and the front, even at modest volumes. I guess I'll get used to this eventually.

- I find the home button way sensitive on the 2022 and I keep accidentally activating Siri. I think this is just a learning curve thing.

- I have a gold 2016 SE which has a white front. I miss the white front because it's easier to find the phone in the dark.

- I'm somewhat disappointed with the battery life of the 2022. Even new, I can't get it to last all day without a charge (with heavy use and brightness at about 50%).

I still prefer the 2016, but I think there comes the time where you just have to let go.

Edit: See also update here.

 

[Tsepz]

I decided to get an SE 2022 to replace my SE 2016 because of battery life. Here are some things that I find surprising:
- The default text size in Safari, Mail, etc. is smaller on the 2022 than on the 2016. This was the most surprising find. If I adjust the text in settings, for some reason it doesn't change the text within web pages on Safari. So I'm just trying to get used to the smaller text.
- When using the speaker whether for videos or calls, there's a lot of vibration in the phone body, both the back and the front, even at modest volumes. I guess I'll get used to this eventually.
- I find the home button way sensitive on the 2022 and I keep accidentally activating Siri. I think this is just a learning curve thing.

I still prefer the 2016, but I think there comes the time where you just have to let go.

Regarding Safari:
Go to Settings - Safari - Page Zoom, and see if you can adjust it to your liking.
You can also go here inside Safari and adjust:

In terms of speaker:
Yep, the speakers in newer iPhones and iPads are quite powerful, this was also an issue in the iPad Air 2, I guess there is less space in the SE to disseminate the vibration, so it’s more pronounced.

 

[ghanwani]

I also miss the white front. The black front makes it harder to find the phone in the dark.

 

[eyoungren]

…but I think there comes the time where you just have to let go.

My son would disagree. He has the SE2020, but has kept his SE2016. No idea what he does with it, but it's still on the network at home.

 

[ghanwani]

My son would disagree. He has the SE2020, but has kept his SE2016. No idea what he does with it, but it's still on the network at home.

What I meant is that it can't be the primary phone because of the very poor battery life. Mine is around too, but I will probably give it away in a couple of months or so.

I'm actually a bit disappointed with the battery life even on the 2022. I can barely make it through the day without charging with heavy use.

 

[Andeddu]

What I meant is that it can't be the primary phone because of the very poor battery life. Mine is around too, but I will probably give it away in a couple of months or so.

I'm actually a bit disappointed with the battery life even on the 2022. I can barely make it through the day without charging with heavy use.

If you liked your SE ‘16 so much why didn’t you just get the battery replaced? I have been using an SE for a week, despite owning a 12 Mini, and I am surprised at how well the old A9 processor holds up today. The web browsing experience is decent, all the video streaming apps I use such as Netflix, Disney+ and YouTube work just fine and it’s great for instant messaging due to the size of the screen. I actually don’t miss my Mini much at all despite the processor and OLED screen improvements!

The SE will also be useful for at least another year and a half as, even if Apple drop support in iOS 16, all the apps will run fine and still be supported for at least a further year.

 

[eyoungren]

What I meant is that it can't be the primary phone because of the very poor battery life. Mine is around too, but I will probably give it away in a couple of months or so.

I'm actually a bit disappointed with the battery life even on the 2022. I can barely make it through the day without charging with heavy use.

My son has never complained about his battery, on any phone he's had. But, it generally takes a lot to get him to mention he's got a problem with anything so there's that.

However, I frequently have to remind him that he has unlimited data and should actually be using it. His sister more than makes up for his lack of data use it seems. So either he uses WiFi all the time or just does not use much data period. Either way, he's more like me in preferring an actual computer to do things.

My point to all that is I don't think he has battery issues with either SE he owns.

 

[eyoungren]

If you liked your SE ‘16 so much why didn’t you just get the battery replaced? I have been using an SE for a week, despite owning a 12 Mini, and I am surprised at how well the old A9 processor holds up today. The web browsing experience is decent, all the video streaming apps I use such as Netflix, Disney+ and YouTube work just fine and it’s great for instant messaging due to the size of the screen. I actually don’t miss my Mini much at all despite the processor and OLED screen improvements!

The SE will also be useful for at least another year and a half as, even if Apple drop support in iOS 16, all the apps will run fine and still be supported for at least a further year.

Because OP was 'letting go.'

 

[Andeddu]

Because OP was 'letting go.'

Well he can always go back.

He said he was a heavy user and complained about the SE2022’s battery which is apparently much improved over the 2020’s battery. The original SE, even at 100% battery health, doesn’t last anywhere near as long as the subsequent SE’s. I guess his usage has increased due to the larger screen.

 

[Mark Stone]

(Edited to add a few more findings.)

I decided to get an SE 2022 to replace my SE 2016 because of battery life. Here are some things that I find surprising:

- The default text size in Safari, Mail, etc. is smaller on the 2022 than on the 2016. This was the most surprising find. If I adjust the text in settings, for some reason it doesn't change the text within web pages on Safari. So I'm just trying to get used to the smaller text.

- When using the speaker whether for videos or calls, there's a lot of vibration in the phone body, both the back and the front, even at modest volumes. I guess I'll get used to this eventually.

- I find the home button way sensitive on the 2022 and I keep accidentally activating Siri. I think this is just a learning curve thing.

- I have a gold 2016 SE which has a white front. I miss the white front because it's easier to find the phone in the dark.

- I'm somewhat disappointed with the battery life of the 2022. Even new, I can't get it to last all day without a charge (with heavy use and brightness at about 50%).

I still prefer the 2016, but I think there comes the time where you just have to let go.

I'm surprised about the 2022 battery life --

I looooved my old 2016 SE. The only reason I moved to an 8 Plus 4 years ago was screen size - but the SE was (and is) a great performer. I have frequently looked at them longingly on ebay -

 

[ghanwani]

Well he can always go back.

He said he was a heavy user and complained about the SE2022’s battery which is apparently much improved over the 2020’s battery. The original SE, even at 100% battery health, doesn’t last anywhere near as long as the subsequent SE’s. I guess his usage has increased due to the larger screen.

Yes, the main issue was battery life. I found that battery was close to dead by early afternoon with the 2016. With the 2022, I probably could make it through the day if I ran the battery close to 0, but I give it a charge when it gets to around 30% which is in the evening probably around 7. I start my usage around 8 am.

 

[rui no onna]

I'm actually a bit disappointed with the battery life even on the 2022. I can barely make it through the day without charging with heavy use.

Heavy use and small batteries generally don’t mix.

I’m on iPads primarily so I’m willing to trade battery life for pocketability on the iPhone. If battery life was a big concern though, I’d probably be on the iPhone 11 (last 6.1” model with LCD).

 

[ghanwani]

Heavy use and small batteries generally don’t mix.

I’m on iPads primarily so I’m willing to trade battery life for pocketability on the iPhone. If battery life was a big concern though, I’d probably be on the iPhone 11 (last 6.1” model with LCD).

I used to use my laptop for content consumption but the M1 Air was causing really bad headaches. As I depended more on the phone, battery life started to become a concern. I can't tell yet if iPad screens will also cause headaches since I have never owned one. I don't have a problem with my Windows laptop from work.

 

[Andeddu]

Yes, the main issue was battery life. I found that battery was close to dead by early afternoon with the 2016. With the 2022, I probably could make it through the day if I ran the battery close to 0, but I give it a charge when it gets to around 30% which is in the evening probably around 7. I start my usage around 8 am.

My usage is quite similar to yours. That’s why I am glad I have an 12 Mini because I can slap on the MagSafe battery pack once my phone hits 30% and it’ll give me double the battery life which can easily last me the entire day. I no longer have to worry about streaming videos, playing games or web-browsing and playing music, etc…

 

[ghanwani]

My usage is quite similar to yours. That’s why I am glad I have an 12 Mini because I can slap on the MagSafe battery pack once my phone hits 30% and it’ll give me double the battery life which can easily last me the entire day. I no longer have to worry about streaming videos, playing games or web-browsing and playing music, etc…

I'd have gone with the Mini if it were not for being sensitive to PWM. Definitely prefer the feel of the Mini in hand, although I do prefer the notch-free experience and Touch ID of the SE.

 

[wordsworth]

I bought my original SE new in 2019 and got it for a great price. I'm generally at my home office desk for much of the time and so the SE was, in fact, my first smartphone. I don't spend much time on it, have kept my work life separate from it, and it's usually only switched on when I'm out and about anyway. It has certainly come in handy enough times to warrant its purchase (and my joining the modern world in doing so) and I'm pleased I have it but I'm probably a niche-niche-niche-market example of an iPhone user.

It's a very low-cost overhead for me to run it and when I do come to replace it (in another year or two, perhaps) I would probably be looking for a similar budget small phone. I like the form factor of the SE. It doesn't bother me that it looks 'dated' and the overall low cost and the fact that it's part of the Apple ecosystem are further advantages. A laptop and/or desktop Apple Mac has always been the top priority with me and even there an entry level machine has always been more than capable of doing what I need it to do.

Personally I like the simplicity of the SE and wouldn't like to be carrying round a thousand-dollar-plus smartphone that also looks as though it's beginning to sprout Borg enhancements in order to take a better photo. But that's just me.

 

[ghanwani]

After spending some more time with the SE 2022, I think it's growing on me and I'm accepting some of its differences with the SE 2016 and also limitations like battery life not living up to expectations.

I'm definitely enjoying the speed improvement.

I'm enjoying the improved audio quality and the vibrations in the front and back of the phone from the audio don't bother me as much as they did when I first got the phone.

I'm getting used to the sensitive home button and accidental activation of Siri is less.

One more thing that I had to get used to was the location of the power button. I typically use the upper volume button as a shutter release button when taking pictures and I found that if I'm not careful, I end up touching the power button and turning the camera off, and then I have to go through opening the camera app again.

 

[subjonas]

I decided to get an SE 2022 to replace my SE 2016 because of battery life.

Decreased battery life is probably the top 1 or 2 reasons* people buy a new phone, but that seems like one of the worst reasons to me. Apple replaces batteries for only $50-70. Why buy a whole new phone when a battery replacement is so cheap?
The SE 2016 might be considered “obsolete” though so you would have had to go to a third party, but probably would have cost similar.
Unless of course you mean your usage changed and even the original battery life of the SE, being a smaller phone, became insufficient for you.

*worn battery and better camera were top two reasons in this poll:

What led to you get a new iPhone?

Was wondering what your reasons were for getting a new and improved iPhone… Many of us hang on to our phones for years before upgrading. Others buy more frequently. Was wondering what was behind your upgrade. Perhaps that will give us slow adopters reasons to upgrade! After all, new toys...

forums.macrumors.com

 

[rui no onna]

Decreased battery life is probably the top 1 or 2 reasons* people buy a new phone, but that seems like one of the worst reasons to me. Apple replaces batteries for only $50-70. Why buy a whole new phone when a battery replacement is so cheap?
The SE 2016 might be considered “obsolete” though so you would have had to go to a third party, but probably would have cost similar.
Unless of course you mean your usage changed and even the original battery life of the SE, being a smaller phone, became insufficient for you.

*worn battery and better camera were top two reasons in this poll:

What led to you get a new iPhone?

Was wondering what your reasons were for getting a new and improved iPhone… Many of us hang on to our phones for years before upgrading. Others buy more frequently. Was wondering what was behind your upgrade. Perhaps that will give us slow adopters reasons to upgrade! After all, new toys...

forums.macrumors.com

At least for us, worn battery is a major factor but there are often other mitigating reasons for upgrading (e.g. performance starting to degrade due to newer firmware, new features like dual SIM/eSIM, improved network signal/connectivity, insufficient storage, general wear and tear, etc).

For my mom, it was difficult to let go of the SE 2016 because she didn’t want bigger phones. However, after going to locations where my dad’s iPhone 11 had signal and her SE 2016 didn’t with the same network provider, she decided it was finally time to upgrade.

Now we did do a fairly unnecessary upgrade from SE 2020 to SE 2022 because we’re afraid the SE 2022 might be the last small, TouchID iPhone that Apple releases.

 

[ghanwani]

Decreased battery life is probably the top 1 or 2 reasons* people buy a new phone, but that seems like one of the worst reasons to me. Apple replaces batteries for only $50-70. Why buy a whole new phone when a battery replacement is so cheap?
The SE 2016 might be considered “obsolete” though so you would have had to go to a third party, but probably would have cost similar.
Unless of course you mean your usage changed and even the original battery life of the SE, being a smaller phone, became insufficient for you.

*worn battery and better camera were top two reasons in this poll:

What led to you get a new iPhone?

Was wondering what your reasons were for getting a new and improved iPhone… Many of us hang on to our phones for years before upgrading. Others buy more frequently. Was wondering what was behind your upgrade. Perhaps that will give us slow adopters reasons to upgrade! After all, new toys...

forums.macrumors.com

I said this in a different thread, but basically a 2016 processor seems to consume more battery to run today’s OS than a newer processor. So if I get 2-3 hours of usage with 80% battery capacity, even with a new battery I would be at < 4 hours. With an SE 2022, I get about 6-8 hours of use.

 

[ghanwani]

…we’re afraid the SE 2022 might be the last small, TouchID iPhone that Apple releases.

I hope not. Apple sent a survey asking why I chose the SE and I said Touch ID + LCD, the latter because of PWM sensitivity. I also mentioned that I prefer the aspect ratio and no notch on the screen.

 

[subjonas]

At least for us, worn battery is a major factor but there are often other mitigating reasons for upgrading (e.g. performance starting to degrade due to newer firmware, new features like dual SIM/eSIM, improved network signal/connectivity, insufficient storage, general wear and tear, etc).

For my mom, it was difficult to let go of the SE 2016 because she didn’t want bigger phones. However, after going to locations where my dad’s iPhone 11 had signal and her SE 2016 didn’t with the same network provider, she decided it was finally time to upgrade.

Now we did do a fairly unnecessary upgrade from SE 2020 to SE 2022 because we’re afraid the SE 2022 might be the last small, TouchID iPhone that Apple releases.

In my view, any one of the other reasons you mentioned can be a major reason to upgrade even on their own. It makes sense because that’s the only way to fix the issue. You can’t really replace a chip or storage or radio. And even if someone is just bored with their old phone, that can be a major reason, because the only way to fix it is to buy a new phone. But with worn batteries that can be replaced without buying a new phone, normally at 1/10 the cost or less, it doesn’t make sense for it to be a major reason. An analogy I used in another thread was like buying a new car because one needed new tires. It’s purely a math question. Worn batteries can only be 1/10 of the overall reason(s). 9/10 has to come from somewhere else, even if it’s just wanting a new phone.

 

[ghanwani]

In my view, any one of the other reasons you mentioned can be a major reason to upgrade even on their own. It makes sense because that’s the only way to fix the issue. You can’t really replace a chip or storage or radio. And even if someone is just bored with their old phone, that can be a major reason, because the only way to fix it is to buy a new phone. But with worn batteries that can be replaced without buying a new phone, normally at 1/10 the cost or less, it doesn’t make sense for it to be a major reason. An analogy I used in another thread was like buying a new car because one needed new tires. It’s purely a math question. Worn batteries can only be 1/10 of the overall reason(s). 9/10 has to come from somewhere else, even if it’s just wanting a new phone.

The tire analogy is not good since the battery costs more than the phone is worth. Would you replace tires on a car if the car was worth less than the cost of the tires?

 

[subjonas]

I said this in a different thread, but basically a 2016 processor seems to consume more battery to run today’s OS than a newer processor. So if I get 2-3 hours of usage with 80% battery capacity, even with a new battery I would be at < 4 hours. With an SE 2022, I get about 6-8 hours of use.

This is the first I’ve heard the claim that older chips consume more battery on newer OSes. I know after every OS update there are posts about battery life going down, but those are usually because of bugs and indexing etc., and it applies to even new phones.
Is this just a theory or did you actually compare the old OS and new OS, using both with new batteries and exact same usage? If so, how much difference was there? Also keep in mind one comparison would only be one data point.

As far as the SE 2020 having better battery life, it has a bigger battery, so that’s a given.

 

[subjonas]

The tire analogy is not good since the battery costs more than the phone is worth. Would you replace tires on a car if the car was worth less than the cost of the tires?

IF the car would serve me well otherwise, then yes. It’s still a question of $800 vs. $40,000. The difference is smaller on a phone but the principle is the same. If you want to upgrade, then upgrade—but if it’s ONLY about the battery then it doesn’t make mathematical sense.