Choosing my First iPhone

I'm currently a college undergraduate, and for sentimental reasons, I've been saving up for an iPhone to be my personal phone, separate from my current Samsung A25, which I use for academics and family-related tasks.


I'm considering the upcoming iPhone SE 4 due to its updated specs and affordability. However, I'm unsure whether I should go with this model or wait longer and save up for an iPhone 16 or 16 Pro due to the compromises on the SE 4. My main uses will be personal tasks, media consumption, transactions, and possibly returning to mobile gaming, as my current phone struggles with gaming for more than an hour.


Side note: About a decade ago, I briefly used my dad's iPhone 4s, but I haven't used any Apple devices since then.



iPhone 16

Posted on Feb 11, 2025 10:37 AM

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7 replies

Feb 11, 2025 11:21 AM in response to tankman59

Apple has not released any description for a hypothetical iPhone SE (4th generation), and I believe that you will find that detailed speculation about future products is not allowed on these forums.


We don't know what "compromises" a hypothetical iPhone SE (4th generation) will make – as we have no definitive information about such a phone to go on. So I don't think we can do any sort of detailed comparison of a couple of real iPhones (16, 16 Pro) to a rumored iPhone for you.

Feb 11, 2025 11:42 AM in response to tankman59

Servant of Cats is correct. Speculating is not allowed in these forums, and there's no way to know what if any compromises a hypothetical SE 4 may or may not have.


You are asking for us to look into the future for that. You can compare the currently available devices and see which you like and can afford.

click here ➜ https://www.apple.com/iphone/compare/?modelList=iphone-16-pro,iphone-16,iphone-se-3rd-gen


Feb 19, 2025 8:16 PM in response to tankman59

The iPhone 16E that was announced today (iPhone 16e - Apple) is an excellent device for gaming. It's got great battery life and a A18 processor. Those are the main ingredients for a great gaming experience.


If you compare specs though, you'll notice the A18 in the 16e has only 4 gpu cores and not 5, like the iPhone 16. It's a small difference and compared to A17 or below processors, the A18 in the 16e will perform amazingly.

Feb 19, 2025 11:03 PM in response to tankman59

Some other differences between the iPhone 16 and 16e:

  • The iPhone 6e does not have an ultra-wide camera. The widest you can go is 1x – there is no 0.5x setting.
  • The iPhone 6e supports Qi wireless charging – but not the extra features of MagSafe. The Apple MagSafe charging pad is compatible with Qi-only iPhones, but you won't get magnetic help with alignment, or high charging rates.


Apple - Compare iPhone models – iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 16e vs. iPhone SE (3rd generation)


(The SE being the one that was just discontinued.)

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Choosing my First iPhone

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