iPhone SE (2016) XR to new SE

[Sarbun96]

Hi forum, I'm wondering if any of you have had an iPhone X style 'all screen' phone and then went on to own an iPhone SE 2020 - with the older style 'letterbox' chin and forehead bezel screen. I ask as I've just moved to a Note 20 Ultra from an iPhone XR and am now selling the Note to come back to Apple. And decided to spend more money on a Mac than a cutting edge iPhone 12 model. also had some PWM issues with OLED screens so opted for the SE.

Was it hard to re-adjust back to the old kind of screen? Do you regret not going for a phone with the newer style bigger screen or are you happy with your SE?

Curious to hear your experiences. I've ordered from Apple so will have 14 days to return if I really really hate going back. But I'm hoping it's not as big a stumbling block as I imagine it might be

 

[martin2345uk]

I also considered this move, for me I was worried I would miss the XR's excellent battery life, will be interested to hear your thoughts on that when you get the SE!

 

[tt061282]

I have had the SE. It’s a decent device. It’s also possible to get over the “all screen display”. I bought the SE on launch weekend in April, but also kept my XS and 11. I recently sold my 11 and have kept my XS, but I have found myself using the XS more recently.

That said, the SE is a very good Device and it is possible to use even after being used to the “newer” design.

 

[Gregintosh]

Why not just get a second hand or refurbished XS or 11? At this point you can get those phones for probably around the same price as the SE and you would have way better features/cameras/etc.

 

[jimmy_uk]

I think the SE2020 feels alot nicer in the had as it's thinner and almost feels more premium to me. The XR and 11 with there thickness and large all around screen borders feel cheaper. Naturally the downside is the smaller battery, but if you will use your phone less as your planning the SE2020 is a solid choice.

Why did you ditch the Note 20 Ultra and if your PWM sensative how did you cope with a Samsung display that has low hz rate?

 

[dj1891]

You'll really notice the battery. Off course it's all down to personal use but with the se I've never had a phone with a battery as bad. Size and everything else is perfect though. Think of a fiat punto with a Ferrari engine and a tiny fuel tank you won't be far away

 

[ssledoux]

I went from an 11 to an SE earlier in the year, and used it for a while. I was tired of having big, heavy phones, and just wanted to go back to something small. I loved it. I actually really enjoyed the touch ID, and wasn’t bothered by the bezels. The only thing that wound up being a drawback for me is typing on it. Even with the screen/keyboard zoomed, I just could not type without constant errors (and I can’t get used to the swiping method).

I had originally intended to use the SE til the fall when new phones (12s) came out, and planned to go with the mini, but I wound up with a regular 12, because the weight difference really wasn’t that much, and the overall size was smaller than the 11, so it worked out to be a nice in between for me. That being said, I really missed the SE at first, and struggled with whether it was worth it to keep the 12. In the end I did wind up with the 12 - the ease of texting on the bigger keyboard won me over - but I still think the SE is a great little phone.

You’ll definitely take a battery hit, but it charges up so quickly, and I often had mine plugged in when in my car anyway for Apple play, so it just wasn’t an issue for me.

 

[pdp1]

I have an iPhone XR as my daily driver and got an iPhone 8 for my work phone about 6 months after I got the XR. Going back and forth between the two on a daily basis isn't as big of a hassle as I originally thought it would be. Unless I'm watching I video, I don't really mind the smaller screen of the 8 compared to the XR. There are a few web pages that definitely benefit from the XRs bigger screen, but for the most part, web surfing on the 8 is not a nuisance compared to the XR. I do notice the chin and forehead of the 8, but it doesn't bother me as much as I thought it would.

As for touch id and face id, both have their merits. For me, the face id wins by a hair because I feel it is more convenient (except when wearing a mask). Funny thing is, I sometimes find myself trying to do touch id on my XR or swiping up on the 8

I think the biggest deal when going between the two is the battery life, I notice the 8, with minimal use, can last a little more than a day, where the XR can be used much more heavily and last just as long. Plus, I'd be missing the better camera of the XR if I went solely back to the 8.

But overall, it wasn't hard to adjust back to an 8 after using solely the XR for 6 months. However, I do continue to use the XR at the same time as the 8, so keep that in mind; there would probably be more FOMO (fear of missing out), if I didn't have the XR as well as the 8 together.

 

[Mikeyt1818]

I have an SE 2020 since launch day. I got all hyped up when the 12 mini was announced and jumped on it. After a week I sent it back. The 12 mini battery life was a little bit better than the SE 2020 but compared to the iPhone 12 my wife uses it was mediocre. However what really got me was that I missed Touch ID during this awful pandemic. Scrambling to enter my my security code on the 12 mini was annoying when I have my mask on which seems to be always. When they release a mini 13 with Touch ID under the screen I will trade in my SE 2020. Very happy with this model for another year if need be.

 

[MPclk2006]

Hi forum, I'm wondering if any of you have had an iPhone X style 'all screen' phone and then went on to own an iPhone SE 2020 - with the older style 'letterbox' chin and forehead bezel screen. I ask as I've just moved to a Note 20 Ultra from an iPhone XR and am now selling the Note to come back to Apple. And decided to spend more money on a Mac than a cutting edge iPhone 12 model. also had some PWM issues with OLED screens so opted for the SE.

Was it hard to re-adjust back to the old kind of screen? Do you regret not going for a phone with the newer style bigger screen or are you happy with your SE?

Curious to hear your experiences. I've ordered from Apple so will have 14 days to return if I really really hate going back. But I'm hoping it's not as big a stumbling block as I imagine it might be

What service do you have? I got the iphone 12 mini for free from Tmobile, dont know if that is an option for you. I moved from the X to the mini and aside from better handling I cannot tell much difference on the screen size.

 

[Rick America]

Went from 5S to XR and could never get used to the size...went from XR to 12 Mini and have never been happier...no problem at all with the battery (at least for my use) and love the camera...

 

[MPclk2006]

Went from 5S to XR and could never get used to the size...went from XR to 12 Mini and have never been happier...no problem at all with the battery (at least for my use) and love the camera...

Agreed. I do not see much of a difference, if anything, I think I get better life from the mini than I did the X. Maybe because it was 3 years old haha.

 

[1rottenapple]

WHy sell the XR in the first place? Better battery, bigger screen, better speakers. Why not just keep the XR?