25-12-2022, 06:31 PM
Yes, I thought I'd miss the back button, but in practice it's not been a problem as in most apps a back option appears when you scroll up (if it's not there all the time). It's something I quickly got used to and it's a habit you never think about. And of course, you get the screen real-estate in exchange. And they are nice screens (though that's obviously true of most alternatives these days, but long before I had an iPhone I'd always credited Apple for pushing screen quality generally).
I had a basic Sony phone that put the back, home and something else (can't remember) icons below the screen, thus making best use of the screen itself. A good compromise, but of course, the icons were fixed as they were screen printed on the bezel. It also had haptics. If anything, the haptic was probably better than the 2016 SE, but later models are better in that regard.
If you don't have a home button, you get the notch in the top of the display. I've never got used to that. The SE models are based on much older designs with space above and below the screen - the tech reviewers are quick to criticise, but personally I prefer that. Guess I'm getting old... These spaces above/below the screen gives you another place to grip the phone without pressing the touchscreen. A good case is essential, as they are very slippery on their own. Also, the models with the notch and no home button are generally quite big and heavy - my son's 13 is quite chunky compared to my 2022 SE, and I'd struggle to carry it in my pocket. Using it with just one hand isn't really possible for me either. There's a lot of cases of RSI now that phones are as big and heavy as they are now - the SEs are much better in that regard, for me, at least.
Another thing to get used to is the lack of headphone jack. If you need a physical connection, the Lightning to 3.5mm adaptor is only a tenner. It was included in the box at first (with the iPhone 7), but that was dropped a while back. I've still not got around to picking one up - don't really need it. If I need to play some music while setting up a PA but before my laptop (and USB to XLR DAC) is set up, I'll just use the iPad - which is a remote control for my sound desk.
And of course, they no longer ship chargers by default. Any USB charger will do the job, and it does make sense to re-use these things, so I don't actually mind this. Genuine original chargers aren't expensive, and should last well (my 2016 original is still going strong, and has been plugged in continuously in all that time, charging my phone overnight every other night, and my wife's on alternate nights).
I mentioned Lightning - this is what they use instead of USB. At first I was wary about a propriety connector - especially when I thought about buying a spare cable and found out how expensive the genuine ones were (about £15). Clones are available, but still pricey compared to micro or mini USB cables - that's because there is a chip embedded in the plug, which was supposed to prevent cloning...
But 6 years on, I'm really impressed with Lightning. The only leads we've had fail were second-hand ones that came with the s/h phones we bought - presumably abused by non-technical previous owners. My original is still perfect, despite daily use. I can't say that about micro and mini USB - I've found those to be spectacularly unreliable, and we'd only managed to get between 6 and 12 months out of a cable before having to chuck them away (after several bursts of contact cleaner along the way). Lightning goes in either way, like USB C, and is mechanically much more rugged than USB alternatives. Literally, the only thing you have to do every year or so is clean out the pocket lint from the sockets with a pin or similar - you can tell when that needs doing because it doesn't click quite so positively when you plug in. Even the cheap after-market cables we bought are still going strong, which I really didn't expect. Generally, I have far less experience with USB C, but mechanically it doesn't inspire anything like the same confidence. Of course, Apple will have to drop Lightning for USB C in a couple of years time. While there's some sense behind that, I'll miss Lightning.
While you don't get a charger these days, the cable is still included. These days it'll likely be USB C to Lightning, rather than USB A. That's less convenient for users of older computers with USB A only who might want to transfer data such as photos manually to your computer (rather than going through iCloud).
As I'm sure is the case for Android too, wireless charging is on most of them now (certainly, the X mentioned in the first post, plus the 2020 and 2022 SEs). Lots of modern cars have a charging pad as an option, including one that I owned for a couple of years, so that's quite convenient. Plenty of official and 3rd party options too. Obviously it'll take longer to charge than a cable, and in these days of being energy-conscious, it doesn't seem right to use it as your primary charging method, but it's good for car use. In the case of the car I had, the phone was held by a spring-loaded clip in the space under the armrest, and even though I only had the 2016 SE during the time I owned that one, I still popped the phone in that position as it guaranteed that it couldn't be touched while driving (not that I ever would, but it was the most convenient place to put it without worrying about it sliding around or rattling).
Wireless charging means glass back panels. That's another reason to invest in a good case!
I had a basic Sony phone that put the back, home and something else (can't remember) icons below the screen, thus making best use of the screen itself. A good compromise, but of course, the icons were fixed as they were screen printed on the bezel. It also had haptics. If anything, the haptic was probably better than the 2016 SE, but later models are better in that regard.
If you don't have a home button, you get the notch in the top of the display. I've never got used to that. The SE models are based on much older designs with space above and below the screen - the tech reviewers are quick to criticise, but personally I prefer that. Guess I'm getting old... These spaces above/below the screen gives you another place to grip the phone without pressing the touchscreen. A good case is essential, as they are very slippery on their own. Also, the models with the notch and no home button are generally quite big and heavy - my son's 13 is quite chunky compared to my 2022 SE, and I'd struggle to carry it in my pocket. Using it with just one hand isn't really possible for me either. There's a lot of cases of RSI now that phones are as big and heavy as they are now - the SEs are much better in that regard, for me, at least.
Another thing to get used to is the lack of headphone jack. If you need a physical connection, the Lightning to 3.5mm adaptor is only a tenner. It was included in the box at first (with the iPhone 7), but that was dropped a while back. I've still not got around to picking one up - don't really need it. If I need to play some music while setting up a PA but before my laptop (and USB to XLR DAC) is set up, I'll just use the iPad - which is a remote control for my sound desk.
And of course, they no longer ship chargers by default. Any USB charger will do the job, and it does make sense to re-use these things, so I don't actually mind this. Genuine original chargers aren't expensive, and should last well (my 2016 original is still going strong, and has been plugged in continuously in all that time, charging my phone overnight every other night, and my wife's on alternate nights).
I mentioned Lightning - this is what they use instead of USB. At first I was wary about a propriety connector - especially when I thought about buying a spare cable and found out how expensive the genuine ones were (about £15). Clones are available, but still pricey compared to micro or mini USB cables - that's because there is a chip embedded in the plug, which was supposed to prevent cloning...
But 6 years on, I'm really impressed with Lightning. The only leads we've had fail were second-hand ones that came with the s/h phones we bought - presumably abused by non-technical previous owners. My original is still perfect, despite daily use. I can't say that about micro and mini USB - I've found those to be spectacularly unreliable, and we'd only managed to get between 6 and 12 months out of a cable before having to chuck them away (after several bursts of contact cleaner along the way). Lightning goes in either way, like USB C, and is mechanically much more rugged than USB alternatives. Literally, the only thing you have to do every year or so is clean out the pocket lint from the sockets with a pin or similar - you can tell when that needs doing because it doesn't click quite so positively when you plug in. Even the cheap after-market cables we bought are still going strong, which I really didn't expect. Generally, I have far less experience with USB C, but mechanically it doesn't inspire anything like the same confidence. Of course, Apple will have to drop Lightning for USB C in a couple of years time. While there's some sense behind that, I'll miss Lightning.
While you don't get a charger these days, the cable is still included. These days it'll likely be USB C to Lightning, rather than USB A. That's less convenient for users of older computers with USB A only who might want to transfer data such as photos manually to your computer (rather than going through iCloud).
As I'm sure is the case for Android too, wireless charging is on most of them now (certainly, the X mentioned in the first post, plus the 2020 and 2022 SEs). Lots of modern cars have a charging pad as an option, including one that I owned for a couple of years, so that's quite convenient. Plenty of official and 3rd party options too. Obviously it'll take longer to charge than a cable, and in these days of being energy-conscious, it doesn't seem right to use it as your primary charging method, but it's good for car use. In the case of the car I had, the phone was held by a spring-loaded clip in the space under the armrest, and even though I only had the 2016 SE during the time I owned that one, I still popped the phone in that position as it guaranteed that it couldn't be touched while driving (not that I ever would, but it was the most convenient place to put it without worrying about it sliding around or rattling).
Wireless charging means glass back panels. That's another reason to invest in a good case!
