iPhone SE

I’m Now Using The 3rd Generation iPhone SE As My Main Phone

And why it’s a decision that I won’t be regretting anytime soon

A few months ago, I got myself the 3rd generation iPhone SE to replace my much older iPhone XR as my work phone.

You can read about why I made the decision to get the 3rd generation SE instead of the iPhone 14 Pro which was my initial plan from the link below.

So, the 3rd generation SE became my work phone while my trusted 13 mini continued to stay as my main phone.

Well, that has now changed as I have sold my 13 mini and the replacement is my 3rd generation SE. I have also terminated my work number (just been getting too many spam messages and calls that I couldn’t tolerate it any longer) so I no longer need 2 phones.

Now, why did I not sell the SE instead and keep the 13 mini?

Well, I’ll tell you why.

Value

I’ve made no secret of my bias-ness towards Apple products as I’ve been a big fan for almost 2 decades now.

But I think even hardcore fans can agree with me that the pricing for their products can be a little out of reach for many people, especially if you’re living in countries outside of Europe and the US.

With the need of having 2 phones no longer applicable, I knew I could sell one of them and the one with the higher value is obviously the 13 mini.

The 3rd generation SE starts at $429 (64GB) while the 13 mini can be yours for $599 (128GB).

Both being a used phone, I could only get about $400 for my SE which is the 256GB model (bought at $479) while I was able to get close to $650 for the 13 mini (mine is the 256GB which sells for $699) despite it being over a year old.

Needless to say, it was a rather easy choice to make.

Design

Call me old fashioned because maybe I am, but there’s just something about the design with the Home Button that I still very much like.

Yes, the bezels are huge, especially the top and bottom of the phone but the classic design of the SE still captures my attention.

It’s not to say that I don’t like the all-screen design of the 13 mini but the SE isn’t exactly outdated looking for me.

While it may be for some but for me, the SE’s design is still very much relevant (possibly for at least 2 more years) and I’m still all for the physical Home Button. Plus, despite all the improvements made to make the iPhone buttonless, there’s still something about the notch (or punch hole with the iPhone 14 Pros) that I still don’t quite like.

Perhaps in the next few years, Apple may finally be able to release a truly all-screen iPhone.

By then, my SE may be a little outdate and it would be time for an upgrade.

Specs

In all honesty, the SE stacks up quite well to the 13 mini when it comes to specification.

Both boasts the Apple A15 chip which is still an incredibly powerful chip as the none Pro iPhone 14 models are also still using it. Only the 14 Pro models get the new A16 chip.

While the 13 mini has a slightly larger 5.4-inch display, the 4.7-inch screen on the SE isn’t that much smaller. At least to me, it doesn’t feel that way.

I don’t really need that big a screen on a phone at the moment because I do most of my browsing on either my MacBook or iPad Air so there’s plenty of screen there if I need it.

What I do most with my phone is just calls, texts, some social media browsing, and very light gaming of games which I don’t need a big screen for.

The camera on the SE is more than enough for the kind of photography that I do, as is the the battery life (which when I compare to daily use comes to about the same for both models with the mini just edging it by giving me an extra 30 mins or so).

I don’t really use the magSafe feature as much so I won’t really miss that either.

All in all, it made perfect sense for me to use the SE as my main phone rather than the 13 mini as I wouldn’t have lost any significant improvements from not using the 13 mini any longer.

While some may find my decision silly but I guess it really depends on the individual’s needs for a phone.

I’ve always said that in the future, I would eventually get a Pro model iPhone and I truly believe that one day I will.

It’s just at the moment, I don’t think it makes financial sense for me as my need for a phone doesn’t require a Pro model.

As big a fan of Apple as I am, I would like to think that I’m still pretty sensible when it comes to just simply splashing the cash on every single new product that it release — unless I’m a content creator specialising on Apple products, then that’s a different story.

But if you’re like me — an Apple fan — but don’t see the sense in just simply spending money unnecessarily despite how big a fan you are, then you’ll understand my reasoning for this.

Either way, the 13 mini is still a great phone but at the same time, so is the 3rd generation SE.

And honestly, I have no regrets with the decision that I made.

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