Apple deserves a great deal of credit for the iPhone SE. I outlined yesterday why I believe the product makes long-term strategic sense, and the vast majority of you agree. But Apple has also managed to tempt not just one but two 9to5Mac writers to do something almost unthinkable for tech junkies: downgrade our iPhones! Like Zac, I too am seriously considering selling my iPhone 6s and replacing it with the SE.
I’ve long been a fan of small-screened phones. I actually sat out both the iPhone 5 and 5s because neither seemed to me at the time to offer enough reason to upgrade. But there’s only so long I can be without the latest tech, so eventually I had to bite the bullet and buy first the iPhone 6 and then the 6s.
However, the iPhone SE comes very close to offering the best of both worlds: the latest tech and a smaller form-factor …
Zac said that there were two reasons he was interested in the iPhone SE: the practicality of one-handed use, and pocketability. He also mapped out his must-have features prior to the announcement, and it seems to me that the SE ticks all the boxes.
Usability isn’t such an issue for me. I have large hands, and don’t generally spend a lot of time using the iPhone one-handed. But pocketability is a big deal to me.
There’s the jeans thing. An expensive gadget in your back pocket in London is just asking to have it stolen by pick-pockets. And an iPhone 6/s doesn’t fit comfortably into a front jeans pocket.
But for me, it’s also not an ideal size for front pockets of other trousers, for one simple reason: I cycle pretty much everywhere.
In my view, cycling is the only sane way to get around London. Our underground metro system – affectionately known as the tube – operates massively over its design capacity. Travel on it in the rush-hour, which is to say anytime between 4pm and 8pm, and you will find yourself in rather closer proximity to strangers’ arm-pits than is desirable. It’s bad enough in winter, but add in the summer heat on what is still a largely non-air-conditioned system and you have something remarkably close to my idea of hell.
As for driving in central London, you’d have to be completely certifiable to even consider it: the average speed on the most crowded London roads in the rush hour is now down to 3.6mph. So I cycle, and the iPhone 6/s is large enough to be at high risk of falling from a pocket as you navigate the pot-holed lunar landscape that passes for London roads.
It’s not a deal-breaker, obviously, or I wouldn’t still be using my 6s. But I have had a few close calls, leaving me with a choice between feeling slightly nervous about it each time I ride, or stuffing it into a bag, where it’s a lot less convenient when people call.
Sure, I could leave the phone in my bag and answer calls on my Watch, and I have done it a few times, but the tiny speaker is no match for the sound of London traffic, so that just leaves me yelling “Hang on a minute while I dig out my phone so I can hear you.”
There’s no denying that the large-ish screen of the iPhone 6 is more pleasant to use than a smaller one. But, truth be told, I’m a light user of my phone. It mostly gets used for a relatively small number of tasks. I’d estimate that around 90% of my iPhone use comprises some mix of phone calls, dictating messages, listening to music, taking snapshots, checking train times and controlling my various home automation gadgets. If I want to do anything involved, I pull out my iPad – which travels everywhere with me.
Some of the tasks that might otherwise be done on my iPhone, I do on my Apple Watch. Apple Pay transactions, checking messages, checking the weather, scrolling through upcoming appointments and more.
So my iPhone fills the somewhat small gap between things that are convenient to do on my Watch and things that are easier and more pleasant to do on my iPad. Screen size, in short, is not a big deal.
Of course, size isn’t everything: I also need to consider features. But Apple was remarkably generous here. The iPhone SE gets the same A9 chip with embedded M9 coprocessor. It gets the same 12MP camera with 4K video. The still camera includes the 63MP panorama mode, and the video camera offers the same slo-mo options. You get the same ultrafast LTE and Voice over LTE. Battery life is even better than the 6 and 6S thanks to the smaller screen needing less power – up to 13 hours on LTE, for example, against 10 hours for the 6S.
But there are a few comprises. Touch ID is the older, slower version. I’m not expecting that to be a big deal, but you never know: once you get used to a faster speed, what felt fine before can suddenly feel sluggish.
The FaceTime camera is 1.2MP rather than 5MP. I’m not a massive selfie fan – I think I’ve probably taken fewer than a dozen in the past year – so I’m not expecting that to be an issue.
Then there is 3D Touch. That is one of the things that really impressed me when I first got the 6s, and was a feature I expected to use a lot. Once the novelty wore off, I actually found myself using it less than expected, however. And app developers have been rather slow to support it, so many of the apps I use don’t offer it anyway.
Additionally, there is one big drawback to 3D Touch: it actually makes it fiddlier to move and delete apps, as it’s easy to accidentally force-touch when you meant to long-hold.
But I do think 3D Touch may be the feature I will miss most. There is an undoubted convenience to being able to very quickly phone a favorite contact, resume a podcast, choose between still and video camera, upload a photo and so on. I’ve made less use of Peek, and zero use of the trackpad feature, so those won’t be an issue for me.
There is another spec issue, though: storage. I bought the 128GB iPhone 6 and 6s not because I have a specific need for masses of storage, but because I didn’t ever want to have to think about it. I wanted to know I would never run out of space. The iPhone SE tops out at 64GB.
However, I’m only using 48GB at present. That includes a good selection of on-board music for times when I don’t have a data connection, a whole bunch of podcasts and a few audio books. I’m not much of a video shooter, and tend to transfer and delete footage the same day I shoot it, so that shouldn’t be an issue for me.
So while 64GB feels a little tighter than I would ideally like for comfort, I think I can live with it.
The final factor is design. Here the iPhone SE wins for me: I actually prefer the flat-sided look to the rounded edges of the iPhone 6 and 6s. I don’t hate the iPhone 6 design or anything, but I definitely prefer the more classic aesthetics of the SE.
So, we’ll see. I’m going to order one while holding on to my 6s for now, and give it what has now become my standard trial period of one week. With the Watch, I was a skeptic who became a fan. With the iPad Pro, I was a skeptic who was nearly won over, but not quite. With the iPhone SE, I’m really not sure. I could see this one going either way.
Do you have a prediction? Take our just-for-fun poll, and share your thoughts in the comments.
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Though i can’t comment on someone opinion about liking a smaller phone, I CAN comment on simply false information. A 6s can absolutely fit comfortably in mens’ jeans pockets. Hell, I have a 6S Plus, and it fits JUST fine in mine. And I’m not purchasing pants featuring extra large pocket options. Maybe you’re buying ladies jeans?
Only in the world of Internet commenting would someone consider that their jeans differing from mine would amount to ‘simply false information’ …
Don’t you get it Ben? If you don’t think like him, your completely wrong. Don’t you know that you should be wearing the same clothes as him?
As for me, I personally don’t give a fu** what he thinks. I’m sick of having to take my phone out of my pocket every time I sit down. I’ve also felt that the iPhone 6 design is a step back from the 4 and 5 with I consider a classy design.
And – for the record- I’m a Seidio belt clip fan. Have been since my Blackberry Bold (pre-iPhone). Not going in my jeans! my jeans. ;)
Some Americans just can’t accept those trendy Europeans like a posh smaller pocket ;)
Revised headline: “Ben proves that Pharrisart has big pockets.”
The problem is not you pocket actually. iPhone 6/Plus cannot be used with a single hand which is a big deal. iPhone with 3.5 and 4 inches screens perfectly fit in to your hand.
That’s the kind of valuable insight helpful to these discussions – dhanyawaad
I only have one pair of jeans where my 6 plus doesn’t sit deep in the front pocket, The phone still feels comfortable in my pockets though.
6s Plus also fits inside me Levis just fine.
Don’t think that means Ben suddenly owns girly jeans or anything. I guess if he wanted he could try different brand or style jeans but.
*my
Ben – I hope you will do your now “Famous” blog-type posts about your first week with the SE. I found your blog style posts to be both entertaining and informative!
I look forward to reading your thoughts and experiences.
Thanks, that is indeed the plan!
I for one am really looking forward to your “first week with the SE” review. I still have an iPhone 5s (still loving it’s aesthetics) but am contemplating upgrading to 6s for two main reasons – the larger 4.7″ screen, and 3D Touch – both features of which I’m not convinced is completely worth the upgrade for me. I am particularly interested in your view as I may consider the SE model over the planned 6s upgrade instead.
Ben, thanks for the clarification. I’m actually thinking about a simple case when I get a new iPhone, although most of the iPhones I see on the subway have cracked screens. Convenience has its price I suppose.
Nigel, I have an iPhone 5 and was impressed with the responsiveness of the 6S when I saw a friend use one. It is lightning fast. Applications pop open and there is little lag time from tapping the screen to having a result delivered. I will be interested in Ben’s report, but I also know the new iPhone will be released in September as usual, just six months away.
I wanna UPGRADE to iPhone 6S from my 5S because 4.7″ display is just fine for normal hands with day to day tasking and I think 4″ displays are just extincted in the modern world 📱.
“Considering” and “doing” are just not the same, period!
Both of you will. Me included, but that’s completely unbiased and besides the point.
I really don’t know on this one!
Good thing we can return an iPhone after using it for a week. But I think I’ll keep it; every time I use a friends 4″ iPhone I am happy to feel its smaller size, remember what it felt like, reminiscing the bumper, and long for the day Apple would ‘reintroduce’ the 4″ iPhone. That day has come, and I’m hoping they’ll release it here in The Netherlands soon after the first batch of countries.
If you want a 4″ iPhone, I don’t see it as a downgrade. That’s what you want. It has near feature parity with the 6s, so its just about size preference.
There is nothing wrong with people wanting different sizes.
I was thinking the same thing. The gold 5s is one of if not the best looking gadget I’ve ever owned and I was sad to sell it when upgrading a year later. Normally this isn’t the case, but that’s one device I almost wanted to hang onto purely because the design was so great.
With a faster processor, better camera and Apple Pay the 5se holds its weight.
I give 3D Touch a few years until it becomes particularly useful anyway so losing out on it now is not a biggie. My only disappointment in that regard is the more people that have it the more likely developers are to implement it so I’m not sure if the 5se not having the feature is a great move so far as the adoption rate of that function goes.
To be honest, the biggest surprise to me is the older Touch ID sensor. By no means a deal breaker…and I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Apple silently slips the newer sensor into the phone over the coming 18 months as it becomes easier from a manufacturing perspective to build a common component across models.
Absolutely bonkers but I would give up my 6s plus if the battery on the SE was comparable. I hate my huge phone but the battery is too good. Can’t wait to read reviews of the battery on the SE.
Apple offers 3 different screen sizes which is for 3 different types of customers. I just wish they would bump up the storage to 32GB standard and leave the MSRP the way it is. I think their margins can afford that and still have great net profits.
Your situation does warrant contemplating a smaller form factor. I actually went from a 6PLUS to a 6S on my last upgrade because the 5.5″ form factor was nice to game but talking to the phone (you know.. what a phone is actually for) looked and felt silly. It’s like trying to talk with your slice of bread on the ear. And not all occasions lend themselves to using a headset… like picking up a call for a crashed server at 3AM.
However, for my usage, the 4.7″ size works best. It has the larger screen for my mole eyes to see GPS instructions AND I don’t feel i’m talking to my breakfast.
iphone 6s is cost almost same as the newly announced iphone SE 40000 rupees
Unless that’s an difference of taxation or something in that country, it’s $250 USD of difference.
If you do get one and review it I’d be really interested to know how the battery holds up when being used as a mobile hotspot. The specs look quite promising but it would be good to get a real world test :)
My go-to mobile device is my LTE iPad, so mobile hotspot is not something I use often, but if you remind me when I get it, it’s something I’ll happily test.
It would have been good to include this info in your article; having a traveling iPad makes sense to me to be able to live with a smaller screen size. I don’t travel with an iPad and I can’t imagine going back to a 4″ phone – 4.7″ handles browser screens so much better!
Awesome,thanks Ben :) An LTE iPad makes a lot of sense, but I’m a developer and use coffee shops a lot so need a Mac for that stuff. Infact I’m hoping to switch to a 12inch MacBook from a 13inch Pro so I might even end up with an LTE iPad and use that as a second screen / hotspot… Time will tell :)
If you want a smaller phone that’s fine. I don’t see the 6s to the SE as a downgrade. The only real difference is Force Touch and a larger screen both are kind of preference. I like a larger display but i also never use Force Touch so it would just be a size thing. I would wait for whatever this years flagship model is if they can make the phone shorter without making the screen smaller then it may be a better fit.
I think the iPhone SE is the best value Apple has offered its customers in quite some time, even though it costs $100 to gain 48 GB storage (which is crappy, particularly since 16 GB is a joke). Also, I’m very pleased Apple went retro, back to its classic iPhone design. IMHO, that look is far more appealing than its rounded edge design which emphasize thinness. If anything, the iPhone should be made thicker, not thinner; and I have yet to understand Apple’s obsession with thinness.
I’ve got a 6, and I plan on “downgrading”. I don’t use my phone for anything that I really need the bigger screen for, and the ease of use of the smaller screen plus lighter weight is appealing to me. I never got used to the bigger 4.7″ form factor, even with my big hands (I’m 6’5″). Plus, I get the upgrade of a better camera and an A9 processor.
This is what it comes down to for me and why even my 3.5″ iphone is perfectly fine. I don’t benefit from a larger phone to do these things. Speed, security, camera, and apple pay are all things would improve my experience. Up until now I couldn’t get those without a larger screen being tacked on when it actually made using it in one hand, for all of those tasks, more difficult.
It’s not about always using it one handed or “my hands being small”. It’s about using it one handed comfortably when it counts. That means using it while holding on to the subway, or walking in the rain with an umbrella while looking at directions, or replying to a text while carrying groceries.
I think so many people now just don’t use their mobile devices like that. Maybe they drive or whatever but to me it’s super important and I’m so happy that the SE came out. I Think they really need a new 4″ model with a fresh design and 3d touch. It sucks they are wrapping the one-handed-use market in with “first time iphone buyers” market. I’d gladly pay more for something that really felt new and exciting.
My 6S size is actually quite perfect for me – I remember holding the Moto X when it came out and wishing my 5S felt like that. Though I still liked the 5S. I think it’s important to have all three sizes – though if pressed I would say the Plus size has to be the least essential.
I will “upgrade” from my 6s to the SE
I like the smaller size without performance trade offs
3D Touch is not useful for me (yet)
The smaller phone is definitely more convenient to retrieve from a jeans pocket
I will not miss the larger screen
If the top and bottom bezels go away in iPhone 8, I will love a tiny SE version.
If the rumors of minor design changes on the 7 are true, I think that 3 new models of the 8 will come in fall of 2017.
The screen sizes of the SE and medium-sized phone should stay the same (without the bezels), the screen on the plus could grow a little and still be pocketable (for some)
The only design request I have is flattened (less slippery than the 6) edges
My take on the SE is very close to yours:
– I definitely like the optics. Any inferior rear camera would have been a deal-breaker. And the 1.2MP front shooter should be fine for FaceTime / Skype calls (no selfies here)
– Better battery life is a very welcome feature
– Pocketability isn’t an issue for me, but being able to hold+use the phone with one hand is a big one. With my 6s I very frequently have to stop whatever I’m doing to hold the phone with the other hand so that I can type something (and I have large-ish hands).
– The smaller screen also isn’t an issue. I almost always carry my iPad mini along, which is perfect for more things than you’d expect and it’s a shame to get the feeling that it’s being regarded a lower-priority product within Apple. I simply don’t bother “consuming” videos or any other visual content in any screen smaller than my mini’s.
– 3D Touch hasn’t really amazed me. It’s nice when I want to quickly Shazam something, call a fav or find directions to home, but that’s about it really.
– Touch ID: I actually think it’s WAY too quick in the 6s. Try simply activating the screen (not unlocking the phone) by tapping the home button. 9 out of 10 times, even with the slightest touch, I’m past the lock screen and onto the home screen. So, a slower TouchID sensor is actually very welcome for me here.
Where do I get that sea anemone wallpaper?
The image is a screengrab from the keynote. That’s as much as I know about the wallpaper, I”m afraid!
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT200285
The first cellphones were rather massive and then manufacturers were able to make them smaller. Smaller was equated with desirability and it’s the only time in my life when I’ve seen two men making comparisons with one bragging that his is smaller.
Then with smartphones it all changed and we have ended up with some phones that are almost as big as a paperback book.
It seems to me that some people have lost sight of what a cellphone really is. If it’s a computer that you carry around and rarely make calls, then screen size is likely to be important. On the other hand if your needs are more geared to calls and texts, with e-mails and web surfing being a convenient extra, then small is beautiful.
It’s absurd to talk about a downgrade. In my walk of life, I need a compact, versatile phone with a long battery life. My needs may be entirely different to those of somebody who works in an office all day. It’s good that Apple is offering a range of three sizes and I’ll certainly be ordering the 4″ size.
My wife hates carrying a bag and many of her clothes have no pockets, so she often pops her phone into her cleavage. She finds that a 5S works nicely in that respect, so she’s another taker for the 6 SE.
The 6S is a perfect size for usability and portability. My issue is that Apple may create a “Pro” device that’s only in the plus size. So I could care less if people want to downgrade to a smaller size. I do care if Apple waters down the mid and small size.
I think it’s highly possible that we’ll see at the same specs currently in the SE in a similar 6S body in the Fall. So maybe wait a bit?
to clarify… a similar 4″ 6S body in the Fall with the same specs as the SE
Zac just simply buys everything offered by Apple.
SE is a good product but downgrading from 6S Plus doesn’t make any sense.
To me it’s a crime that Apple isn’t getting 4.7″ displays in an iPhone close to the footprint of the iPhone 5 and SE. LG came close 2 years ago with the G2 Mini and it used led and OLED display which makes for smaller bezels.
It’s lazy design to put the most of guts of the 6s in the SE. Apple should be making the switch to OLED by now and be shrinking, eliminating or removing the home button. The SE price would been great 2 years agonist end of what the 5c was. I think the SE is an ok phone for emerging markets like India, but still can see the point for other markets.
I would like to see Apple release something imaginative like the new G5. There is no reason Apple should not be able to release an iPhone 7 this year with greatly reduced bezels that has a much smaller footprint, that makes the SE a moot point.
I thought Apple had plans for such a device to relthe saw this summer or they would release the SE last year. I think Apple decided late in the game to stick to the same old giant bezels for the iPhone 7. Lazy Apple on this one. I can’t see it being that hard for Apple to get enough components not to be able to release smaller 4.7″ and 5.5″ this year.
I’m happy with my iPhone 6.
But I know several people – including a relative – who will buying an SE.
It seems to be down to how people see their phone. For some people it is just a phone and SMS terminal – may be that’s all they do, but for others they have an iPad for jobs that need a bigger screen. The smaller phone makes more sense to them and they never moved on from the 4/4S
I see other people – often with an iPhone as their only device – who really want a bigger screen.
Providing a range of products to suit all needs is a positive move by Apple.
counterpoint: You are “upgrading” your satisfaction an useability of your iDevice. :)
Not a chance if you ask me. I had a 6+ and really grew Leary of its size. For the 6S I went with the non + 4.7″ to try and alleviate my gripes. Sure enough at first I was very happy. Easier in and out of pocket, easier to hold without fear of dropping, and I can type better on the more narrow keyboard.
Fast forward 2 weeks later and I took the phone and case back and exchanged it for the 6S+. Despite the my gripes being remedied by the smaller rig, I quickly realized that I missed the considerably better/larger screen, missed the enormously better battery, more of my my apps/folders on the front screen, and the camera/video is just better with the +. Lastly, with the + I am able to VPN into work and rdp to my workstation and actually really get things done if I need to. This is just too hard to accomplish on the smaller screens. After 2 weeks, too many things started to add up.
That being said, I agree that Apple needs to make the + less taller than it is. These giant bezels are ridiculous. And like Walt says, I don’t care about the phone being as thin as magazine.
Is there a way to clone an iphone so you can have 2 phones that are in sync with one another?
Sure you can. No need for cloning even, just restore a backup on both. Some games will keep your score local in the app, don’t expect it to be working in unison though.
As for phone calls, the first phone to be connected to cellular is the prevailing one and will receive calls. The other one won’t, but you can make calls with it. Just ask your telco for a 2nd SIM; it’s what I’ve done in the past.
Hey PhiB – does the SIM in the second device have another phone number than the first device? If so, id have to give people 2 numbers to call or have one phone set up to forward to the second? TY
No, it’s a clone (for lack of better wording) of your current SIM; they simply program the same phone number on it. It’s called dual SIM here in The Netherlands, and I would presume it’s called that all over the world.
Not sure I like to downgrade my iphone 6 to SE but rest 4 out of 5 in my family who still refuse to let go their 4S(2),5(1)5S(1) agreed to upgrade to SE. They never liked and probably will never like big phones. Wasn’t hard to convenience…
We must live in a world with people that have small hands. The 4.7″ is a great size despite what many people are saying. It’s slippery, sure, but that’s because of the rounded sides and not the actual size.
I know I am abnormally large at 6 foot 6, but I appreciate that Apple made a phone to fit me. I use the 6 plus, and I can fit it in the front pocket of any of my pants with room to spare. I can also touch both the near and far corner of the phone without adjusting my grip. Apple is big enough to supply devices for more than one demographic. As a stock holder, I am glad they are doing this instead of leaving money on the table while sending people to the secondary markets.
I strongly feel that 3D touch features can and should be implemented at OS level as 2 activator functions (force touch or long press)… Shoot app by Procam has done this in their app.. either 3D touch on the photo thumbnail to enlarge or if using an older non 3d touch device, just long press and it does the same action.. I can see this being added to iOS aswell.. Long Press settings icon and voila you get the same 3d touch menu with a little delete option too if that is what you wanted to do. Simple and every consumer is happy… who knows, maybe iOS 10 will enable this.
What I don’t get is why Apple decided to re-use the form factor of old. If they were to be seen as innovative why not change the form factor slightly and at least pretend like its a “new innovative” design. In fact this leaves me to think that Apple is just re-using the old 5 bodies they accumulated through buy-back deals or refurbishing them – which if it is the case will be a bloody disgrace.
The case is what they throw away; it’s the internals that gets recycled if it passes all tests.
I have small hands and would like texting with one hand while eating ramen, plus im an assistant manager in a hotel and my costume is well fit, so when i put the iphone 6s in my front pocket it looks like i have a boner or just very happy, i love the tech inside the iphone 6s but the size bothers me alot. In short the new iphone SE is perfect for me. Cant wait to get a hold if it.
A boner? Strange form then. Or is it only like that when you are flat-out happy to see someone specific¿
Ben, a cyclist complaining that his big 6 series iPhone doesn’t fit inside his skin tight spandex pants is nothing new. Many bike messengers say they prefer a small utility phone. My first iPhone and my first cell phone was an iPhone 5 in 2012. I still use it. I was concerned about braking the beautiful phone from a drop so I bought a Ballistic Hard Core case for it. Now, the phone is essentially drop proof. The phone is encased between thick pieces of plastic. I was recently in an Apple store here in Chicago and found that the regular 6s was the same size as my case with the phone inside. If you buy a heavy duty drop proof case, the iPhone SE with the case will be the size of a regular 6 or 6s.
I don’t wear spandex or use anything other than a thin skin case for my phone. :-)