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ApplesAreSweet&Sour

macrumors 68000
Sep 18, 2018
1,961
3,581
I saw the midnight SE3 at Best Buy on display. It is an extremely sleek looking, and impossibly light to hold phone.

Wow, I can’t believe it’s only $429 :O

It will be sad when it’s gone.

Man if I needed a phone right now for cheap I would rock this so hard.

Apple design team is not asleep.
..is only something someone who hasn't bought, used, and unsuccessfully tried to live with the battery-life on an SE 2022 would say.

If Apple's design team is in part responsible for its power-consumption and small battery, then they definitely have been "asleep".

Any substantial display on time and you'll be charging it at least twice per day.

*Don't at me about how it's good for non-power users. Obviously most iPhones are acceptable if you barely have any display-on-time.

But when you can get a 12 for $599 and an 11 for <$499 the value/$ for an SE 2022 is really low considering battery-life alone. Look into the fine print of SE 2022 specs, and you'll see that it's much lower value than you initially thought. Only thing great about SE 2022 is A15 and 5G(*although you're not going to use it because of the additional battery drain).

Don't buy the 64GB unless you can get it for $299-$349. More than that is way to low value per $ spent.
 

ApplesAreSweet&Sour

macrumors 68000
Sep 18, 2018
1,961
3,581
I can see this phone for children for sure.
Not if the kids are free to use TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, any kind of video-streaming on their iPhones.

They'll be putting battery packs or iPhones 11-14 on their wishlists very soon if you get them an SE 2022 or 2020.

Great in standby. Terrible battery life for social media and streaming (video) in 2022.

XR or 11 is the best fit for kids while spending as little as possible. You might even get one cheaper than an SE 2022.

A15 does not make up for the low mAhs. Neither SoC nor iOS is that efficient.
 
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mk313

macrumors 68000
Feb 6, 2012
1,982
1,086
What can a guy with an iPhone 8 with a new battery and plenty of storage expect to get for $450 for an SE3?

I love my 8. But in preparing for the future I’m teetering between a 13 mini and SE3.

My 8 is flawless. Perfect. Pristine.

With a new battery I feel like I have a new phone. It can do everything (basic) any other phone can do.
Depends on the network you use, but the SE3 (and 13 mini) has some newer cellular bands that aren't on the 8. I'm not going to go back & check, but on T Mobile, I'm 99% sure that the 8 was missing band 71, which makes a pretty big difference in coverage, especially outside of major cities. Not sure about the other carriers bands though.
 
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JM

macrumors 601
Original poster
Nov 23, 2014
4,082
6,373
Not if the kids are free to use TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, any kind of video-streaming on their iPhones.

They'll be putting battery packs or iPhones 11-14 on their wishlists very soon if you get them an SE 2022 or 2020.

Great in standby. Terrible battery life for social media and streaming (video) in 2022.

XR or 11 is the best fit for kids while spending as little as possible. You might even get one cheaper than an SE 2022.

A15 does not make up for the low mAhs. Neither SoC nor iOS is that efficient.
All the iPhones consume high amounts of battery using those apps.

What is best for those kids is no phone at all to use those garbage apps.

It is terrible to give kids gigantic phones to spend hours on those apps.
 

JM

macrumors 601
Original poster
Nov 23, 2014
4,082
6,373
Assuming you are talking about USD, the mini is not $300 more than the SE right now. A new 128GB 13 mini is $200 more than a new 64GB SE and with like storage (both 128GB or 256GB), the difference is only $150.
Well when you put it like that, the SE just seems like it’s only rationale is to upsell to mini.

But, truth be told, I still think mini is too big; while you can COMFORTABLY and EASILY reach the top of the screen with a thumb on the SE.
 
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Andeddu

macrumors 68000
Dec 21, 2016
1,656
2,052
Well when you put it like that, the SE just seems like it’s only rationale is to upsell to mini.

But, truth be told, I still think mini is too big; while you can COMFORTABLY and EASILY reach the top of the screen with a thumb on the SE.
The Mini is not too big, it just seems that way because it has no bezels. You can only comfortably one hand a phone if it has bezels otherwise your thumb will likely not reach the top of the screen.
 

JM

macrumors 601
Original poster
Nov 23, 2014
4,082
6,373
The Mini is not too big, it just seems that way because it has no bezels. You can only comfortably one hand a phone if it has bezels otherwise your thumb will likely not reach the top of the screen.
Yes. Exactly why the SE3 is easier to use one handed, while the mini is nearly impossible to pull the control center with the left hand.
 
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Andeddu

macrumors 68000
Dec 21, 2016
1,656
2,052
Yes. Exactly why the SE3 is easier to use one handed, while the mini is nearly impossible to pull the control center with the left hand.
It’s a shame because the SE3 is probably going to be the last iPhone with bezels that we will ever see.

It sort of makes me want to make it my next phone!
 
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SteveJawbs

macrumors member
Oct 30, 2022
73
96
Yes. Exactly why the SE3 is easier to use one handed, while the mini is nearly impossible to pull the control center with the left hand.

This and the silly notch has me leaning towards SE3.

I cannot have a daily driver that is not totally capable of one handed usage.

My only conundrum is when to buy one - buy now or wait for next price drop.

I wonder when Apple will cut off 8 iOS updates. I could use my 8 for life.
 

snipr125

macrumors 68000
Oct 17, 2015
1,813
2,860
UK
..is only something someone who hasn't bought, used, and unsuccessfully tried to live with the battery-life on an SE 2022 would say.

If Apple's design team is in part responsible for its power-consumption and small battery, then they definitely have been "asleep".

Any substantial display on time and you'll be charging it at least twice per day.

*Don't at me about how it's good for non-power users. Obviously most iPhones are acceptable if you barely have any display-on-time.

But when you can get a 12 for $599 and an 11 for <$499 the value/$ for an SE 2022 is really low considering battery-life alone. Look into the fine print of SE 2022 specs, and you'll see that it's much lower value than you initially thought. Only thing great about SE 2022 is A15 and 5G(*although you're not going to use it because of the additional battery drain).

Don't buy the 64GB unless you can get it for $299-$349. More than that is way to low value per $ spent.
Yes, but there are people who just prefer Touch ID and classic form factor that the iPhone SE3 gives them. In this regard there is nothing else available to buy but the SE3. Also some people are ‘non power’ users even though you struggle to accept this, and those people will get 36 hours in between charge with this phone easily. A larger 2400 mh battery like in the 13 mini would have been nice, but at least they did increase the battery size slightly from the SE2.
 
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chanchowancho

macrumors newbie
Dec 18, 2017
28
36
I daily drive an SE3 alongside my Pro Max (SE is work phone) and I love the form factor - very pocketable, although not as great for media and text consumption. Would love an SE size with a full coverage screen - Like my beloved Mini (RIP)
 
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janeauburn

macrumors 65816
Nov 22, 2015
1,298
2,206
I wonder when Apple will cut off 8 iOS updates. I could use my 8 for life.

I still have and use a 6 that has long since lost "support" by Apple. Guess what? They still occasionally release security updates.

So don't sweat it.

Actually being a release or two behind on iOS is a relief. Most of the time these major iOS updates do nothing but slow your phone down. iOS 16, for example, has shown me nothing that I need or want beyond what 15 had...or 14 or 13 or 12.

Most iOS updates are really designed to sell you more sheet...i.e., take your money.
 

Traverse

macrumors 604
Mar 11, 2013
7,702
4,472
Here
I have no reason to want one, but I really kind of do. I’d like to replace an aging bedside iPod touch and  TV remote and let me keep the classic form factor as a novelty.
 

SteveJawbs

macrumors member
Oct 30, 2022
73
96
I have no reason to want one, but I really kind of do. I’d like to replace an aging bedside iPod touch and  TV remote and let me keep the classic form factor as a novelty.

I have a 6 and a 7 for those tasks.
 

SteveJawbs

macrumors member
Oct 30, 2022
73
96
I still have and use a 6 that has long since lost "support" by Apple. Guess what? They still occasionally release security updates.

So don't sweat it.

Actually being a release or two behind on iOS is a relief. Most of the time these major iOS updates do nothing but slow your phone down. iOS 16, for example, has shown me nothing that I need or want beyond what 15 had...or 14 or 13 or 12.

Most iOS updates are really designed to sell you more sheet...i.e., take your money.

My main concern are zero day releases. I think we have around 1 year left for iPhone 8 zero day updates. But we will see.
 

ian87w

macrumors G3
Feb 22, 2020
8,704
12,636
Indonesia
Nah, the 2022/2020 SE/8 design is dated and no longer relevant today. The tiny battery size it can hold is no longer acceptable for today's normal smartphone usage. The rest can be excused, but the battery is just not pass any muster today, especially at the price Apple is charging.

For the price Apple is charging the 2022 SE in my country, one can get a Galaxy S21FE, with better camera, larger battery, and larger storage. Even the iPhone 11 is cheaper than the SE over here. The value proposition for the SE is literally just the Apple brand.
 
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