iPhone SE (2022) Well, I went with the SE 3 over the 13 Mini

[lkalliance]

Thank you for the information on Backtap and Reachability! I know about Reachability as I accidentally activate it from time to time, and I've read about Backtap somewhere or other – but I confess I thought it was more like a 'go back to last used function' feature, rather than actually tapping the back of the phone. Good to know, for if/when there is no home button option. But I'm sticking with the good ol' button + swipe up for control centre for now. If I'm quickly turning the torch or camera on I'm almost always using the phone one handed, plus my thumb is dodgy so I don't want to tax it any more...

It's hard to say about the glass – I always have my SE2020 in a case, and it's black not white/starlight – but I do think there was a subtle difference, in a good way. I will evaluate more closely once I pick up the new phone.

You know it's funny...I've typed a lot in this thread about the differences between Touch ID and Face ID and how I like Touch ID better...and that's still true. BUT in going over backtap I came to realize that the muscle memory IS starting to establish itself, and I'm clearly doing things automatically. Even though I was "practicing" with backtap this morning as I composed the response, I caught myself automatically going to swipe up from bottom instead of using it. It's a relief, actually. I look forward to seeing whatever Apple's next attempt is as far as these basic interactions go.

 

[Tunster]

I got my red SE2022 today. Glad to be back on a smaller phone. Always excused the problems with the iPhone X (size, faceID, camera). It's a great design no doubt with a vibrant screen (vs the 12/13 line up). But they should have made a smaller one that could have replaced the SE as this year's model.

 

[chaoslimits]

Every time I use Apple Pay, the possibility of ever returning to a Face ID phone limits to 0.
I take my phone out of my pocket with my thumb already on the button. The single reason why I sold my iPhone X and went back to a 6s.

Apple is really screwing up by not putting it on the new phones as I would have bought a 12 mini and 13 mini on day 1 with it.

 

[ian87w]

I got my red SE2022 today. Glad to be back on a smaller phone. Always excused the problems with the iPhone X (size, faceID, camera). It's a great design no doubt with a vibrant screen (vs the 12/13 line up). But they should have made a smaller one that could have replaced the SE as this year's model.

They did make a smaller phone, the iphone mini.... 😉

 

[ian87w]

I have grown to like both Face ID and Touch ID. What I can’t stand are in display fingerprint sensors of any kind that I’ve had to use on more recent premium Android phones. They’re very inconsistent and fussy. Originally my Pixel 6 Pro one worked fantastically, albeit only with my left thumb. But now it’s very inconsistent, probably due to winter chapping and dryness. I don’t have the same issues with most capacitive sensors I’ve used.

Yes, the under display fingerprint scanners tech are no match for capacitive sensors yet, despite how many people here think they are. Capacitive still rules in speed and accuracy.

I'm guessing this is why Apple just decided to go FaceID instead for their full screen iphones.

 

[Tunster]

They did make a smaller phone, the iphone mini.... 😉

TouchID is a big selling point after having the first version of FaceID on iPhoneX.

When it works, it works. But always became glitchy in moments.

Plus, not a fan of the current top line phone design. Works fine on the iPad devices with the harder edges. But I think the really protruding camera bump is something they just need to solve. Make the damn phones thicker so we get benefits of bigger batteries and a flat casing.

The also need to go back less versions of the same product.

 

[Mega ST]

Call me old fashioned but a home button is a wonderful thing. Simple and easy to find with any hand.

 

[ApplesAreSweet&Sour]

There's just barely a jump in performance or features over SE 2nd Gen. It's only 1.3x better single core score, 1.4x better multi-core, and 1.2x better graphics over SE 2020.

There's no new hardware besides 5G modem and A15 chip.

So if you can get a new SE 2nd at 30% or less than a new SE 3rd Gen, then I'd get the SE 2nd Gen.

Or even better, just get an 11 at $499 or less -iPhone 11 has 2x optical zoom on cameras, FaceID, ultra wide chip, much larger battery, Night mode for Photos(and also Deep Fusion), U1 chip.

SE 3rd Gen is a huge step back on so many specs. Even iPhone X is a step up on most components (besides SoC and RAM).

When chips are as fast as they have been for the last 5-7 years, upgrades from year-to-year get negligible, even going 2-3 years back won't even be noticeable for most users.

Apple is making everyone overestimate the jumps in performance of its latest chip over past ones and getting so many to put SoC upgrades over substantial hardware upgrades.

A15 won't turn the iPhone 8 into an iPhone 13. It's still an iPhone "8S" no matter what Apple calls it or how high A15 benchmarks go.

 

[danb1979]

IMO if they did a 6.3-6.5" iPhone SE with touch ID and 5G I reckon it'd sell really well.

Not everyone needs the power of the Pro but a lot of folk like the big screen...

There's a market there I reckon. Just a shame it's not being utilised

 

[xenoako]

My spouse insisted on touch button until she compared the screen of her iP 11 pro to the new SE.
Hope no problem when I return the SE to the AS

 

[rr23]

Every time I use Apple Pay, the possibility of ever returning to a Face ID phone limits to 0.
I take my phone out of my pocket with my thumb already on the button. The single reason why I sold my iPhone X and went back to a 6s.

Apple is really screwing up by not putting it on the new phones as I would have bought a 12 mini and 13 mini on day 1 with it.

This x 100

Same exact experience and thoughts on my end.

 

[rr23]

There's just barely a jump in performance or features over SE 2nd Gen. It's only 1.3x better single core score, 1.4x better multi-core, and 1.2x better graphics over SE 2020.

There's no new hardware besides 5G modem and A15 chip.

So if you can get a new SE 2nd at 30% or less than a new SE 3rd Gen, then I'd get the SE 2nd Gen.

Or even better, just get an 11 at $499 or less -iPhone 11 has 2x optical zoom on cameras, FaceID, ultra wide chip, much larger battery, Night mode for Photos(and also Deep Fusion), U1 chip.

SE 3rd Gen is a huge step back on so many specs. Even iPhone X is a step up on most components (besides SoC and RAM).

When chips are as fast as they have been for the last 5-7 years, upgrades from year-to-year get negligible, even going 2-3 years back won't even be noticeable for most users.

Apple is making everyone overestimate the jumps in performance of its latest chip over past ones and getting so many to put SoC upgrades over substantial hardware upgrades.

A15 won't turn the iPhone 8 into an iPhone 13. It's still an iPhone "8S" no matter what Apple calls it or how high A15 benchmarks go.

2nd day using my SE 2022 now that I got rid of my 13 Pro and I cannot relate to anything you said.

The SE is snappy as hell. Size is perfect and so is the camera. Touch ID is rocking my world.

Took some photos (in normal mode) with both 13 Pro and my new SE. Couldn’t tell a difference between them.

The only step the SE is a step back on that I can notice is battery, but that’s obvious given how much larger and heavier my 13 Pro was. But on my first day, the SE battery easily lasted the entire day, so that’s plenty good for me.

All other so-called “specs” are pure gimmicks that, to me, are utterly useless. Extra cameras: never used them on my 13 Pro. The 120 hz OLED screen: my headaches are finally gone now that I’m back on LCD. Face ID: couldn’t be happier with Touch ID. I no longer have to position the damn phone for Apple Pay to work. It just works with my arm extended. Touch ID is simply far more natural and convenient.

So yeah. I find the SE is an upgrade over the 13 Pro is every regard besides battery. It feels faster too.

5G UC speeds on my SE are identical to what they were on my 13 Pro. Roughly ~500 Mbps in my area. That’s plenty fast for anything to load, including HD videos.

 

[Vincent South Florida]

I Went With The SE 2022 Too - Staying with Touch ID, plus 5G were what I was looking for in my SE 2022 upgrade from an SE 2020. A new iOS life cycle starting point, A15 chip, improved battery life and a few new camera features for US$429 were all bonuses. I'm an early adopter for a lot of Apple stuff, but Face ID is a negative for me and I can't emotionally justify spend hundreds of dollars more for features I don't need or a screen size that's not convenient.

 

[5105973]

There's just barely a jump in performance or features over SE 2nd Gen. It's only 1.3x better single core score, 1.4x better multi-core, and 1.2x better graphics over SE 2020.

There's no new hardware besides 5G modem and A15 chip.

So if you can get a new SE 2nd at 30% or less than a new SE 3rd Gen, then I'd get the SE 2nd Gen.

Or even better, just get an 11 at $499 or less -iPhone 11 has 2x optical zoom on cameras, FaceID, ultra wide chip, much larger battery, Night mode for Photos(and also Deep Fusion), U1 chip.

SE 3rd Gen is a huge step back on so many specs. Even iPhone X is a step up on most components (besides SoC and RAM).

When chips are as fast as they have been for the last 5-7 years, upgrades from year-to-year get negligible, even going 2-3 years back won't even be noticeable for most users.

Apple is making everyone overestimate the jumps in performance of its latest chip over past ones and getting so many to put SoC upgrades over substantial hardware upgrades.

A15 won't turn the iPhone 8 into an iPhone 13. It's still an iPhone "8S" no matter what Apple calls it or how high A15 benchmarks go.

I have an iPhone 11 and it is indeed very capable and I enjoy it a lot. I’m going to try the SE 2022 and see how it goes. I was looking to have the small, light option again. I’m curious to see how they stack up against each other. If I don’t like the SE I can always send it and trade my spare XR for another 11, instead.

 

[sorgo †]

SE in this size, with the A15 chip, not the design though, take my money right now.

Sammy upcoming mid range phones with another mediocre processor.

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These feel like a pretty direct riff on 13 Pro colors. Sammy ain’t slick

 

[rui no onna]

SE in this size, with the A15 chip, not the design though, take my money right now.

Sammy upcoming mid range phones with another mediocre processor.

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Apple already sells something like that with A15: iPhone 13/13 Pro/13 Pro Max.

Now if you want something sub-$500 with modern design and specs, you're out of luck. Apple's not gonna make the SE line good enough that it will cannibalize $700+ mainstream iPhone sales.

 

[ApplesAreSweet&Sour]

Apple already sells something like that with A15: iPhone 13/13 Pro/13 Pro Max.

Now if you want something sub-$500 with modern design and specs, you're out of luck. Apple's not gonna make the SE line good enough that it will cannibalize $700+ mainstream iPhone sales.

Exactly. This is also why the SE only ever gets major SoC upgrades but will be way behind on nearly every other spec and component.

Apple are masters of product ladders, the SE is a prime example of that.

Apple can’t mess with the value of the rest of its iPhones so the SE can only ever get a very limited number of upgrades over last SE iteration.

 

[Tunster]

There's just barely a jump in performance or features over SE 2nd Gen. It's only 1.3x better single core score, 1.4x better multi-core, and 1.2x better graphics over SE 2020.

There's no new hardware besides 5G modem and A15 chip.

So if you can get a new SE 2nd at 30% or less than a new SE 3rd Gen, then I'd get the SE 2nd Gen.

Or even better, just get an 11 at $499 or less -iPhone 11 has 2x optical zoom on cameras, FaceID, ultra wide chip, much larger battery, Night mode for Photos(and also Deep Fusion), U1 chip.

SE 3rd Gen is a huge step back on so many specs. Even iPhone X is a step up on most components (besides SoC and RAM).

When chips are as fast as they have been for the last 5-7 years, upgrades from year-to-year get negligible, even going 2-3 years back won't even be noticeable for most users.

Apple is making everyone overestimate the jumps in performance of its latest chip over past ones and getting so many to put SoC upgrades over substantial hardware upgrades.

A15 won't turn the iPhone 8 into an iPhone 13. It's still an iPhone "8S" no matter what Apple calls it or how high A15 benchmarks go.

You wouldn't imagine how much the iPhone X struggles with the components with latest iOS (dual camera and OLED display - batteries in phones that old are paying the price, mine was at 75% capacity). If I could get a smaller version of iPhone X with latest SoC now, I'd have taken it. iPhone X (with A11?) could barely download an Apple Music playlist in background whilst playing songs to my AirPods without jumping badly.

For a lot of people, the recent SE will be a huge jump from anything from 2-3 generations older. In irony, that's where lots of the upgrades will come from (iPhone 6,7,8,X). It's the cheapest iPhone with recent SoC to get into or keep in the Apple Ecosystem. Power isn't always a factor. Power efficiency on A15 Bionic may play well for longevity for iPhone SE3.

As someone who works in technology sector, I'd normally opt for a top-line model. But it's fine to go sideways. Last time I did this was with a iPhone 5c. iPhone SE3 seems like a good fun phone.

 

[rui no onna]

Exactly. This is also why the SE only ever gets major SoC upgrades but will be way behind on nearly every other spec and component.

Apple are masters of product ladders, the SE is a prime example of that.

Apple can’t mess with the value of the rest of its iPhones so the SE can only ever get a very limited number of upgrades over last SE iteration.

Yep, and I expect they upgrade the SoC because they know the folks buying the SE are the one who keep their phones 4-6 years or more.

Their point of comparison on the keynote was iPhone 8 and older for a reason. They’re not expecting folks with X/Xr or newer to buy the SE3.

 

[Tunster]

Their point of comparison on the keynote was iPhone 8 and older for a reason. They’re not expecting folks with X/Xr or newer to buy the SE3.

I think you'll be surprised how many might side-grade from the X/Xr. Those phones (even with good physical cameras compared to current top lineup) are struggling as almost 4 1/2 years old. A11 Bionic is showing a little with less imaging processing capability in iOS that cannot be backported to take advantage.

 

[rui no onna]

I think you'll be surprised how many might side-grade from the X/Xr. Those phones (even with good physical cameras compared to current top lineup) are struggling as almost 4 1/2 years old. A11 Bionic is showing a little with less imaging processing capability in iOS that cannot be backported to take advantage.

They’re likely the exception rather than the norm though. The normal upgrade path would usually be the iPhone 12 or 13 series.

 

[Tunster]

They’re likely the exception rather than the norm though. The normal upgrade path would usually be the iPhone 12 or 13 series.

I'm an exception (X to SE2022) . I have a suspicion that the PWM gave me some horrible headaches/visual migraines in recent couple years. So really wanted an LCD screen again. It's noticeable on comparison between OLED/LCD (before I have to send the X in for trade-in). It's not a killer though. I'm a huge audio buff over video. And have other devices to get a better video experience.

I agree with you though. But maybe events in costs going up (inflation) in the western world may make more everyday people from spending money on the top range 12/13 iPhone.

I'll be interested to see how everyday photos can be pushed with the A15 post-processing capabilities without the telephoto lens.

 

[rui no onna]

I'm an exception (X to SE2022) . I have a suspicion that the PWM gave me some horrible headaches/visual migraines in recent couple years. So really wanted an LCD screen again. It's noticeable on comparison between OLED/LCD (before I have to send the X in for trade-in). It's not a killer though. I'm a huge audio buff over video. And have other devices to get a better video experience.

I suffer from migraines so I hear you. I tried the 12 mini (while keeping my SE 2020) but the headaches quickly made me switch back to the SE.

 

[ian87w]

I think you'll be surprised how many might side-grade from the X/Xr. Those phones (even with good physical cameras compared to current top lineup) are struggling as almost 4 1/2 years old. A11 Bionic is showing a little with less imaging processing capability in iOS that cannot be backported to take advantage.

There might be some who prefers TouchID, but I would think those who are already accustomed to the full screen design would be more likely to upgrade to the 13. The SE is really targeted towards those who are still holding on to their 6s/7/8.

 

[silas576]

I am also such an exception , went from X to SE2 and still happy with it. Price was a nice benefit but main reasons were Touch ID , 16:9 aspect ratio without notch, weight and size. Glad they keep the classic design so I can upgrade to SE3 some day.