iPhone SE mystery problem . . . battery? (update, automatic, opera, websites)

[Mike from back east]

Hello group, time to ask for help . . .

For some time now my iPhone SE, early version, has the habit of going dark while I'm using it for various things even though the battery indicator says it has a 95% battery charge.

It goes dark then a minute later the apple logo appears on a dark screen.

Then the dark screen shows a white outline of a battery with a red sliver indicating less than 10% charge.

I plug it into the charger and then it comes back to life showing maybe an 85% charge.

It may work well for a while without any problem or it may crap out again.

I assumed a battery issue so I took it to a battery store. An hour later they called and said they couldn't get into the phone because the two pentalobe screws were stripped out and they could not get into the battery via any of their other ways to doing that.

I called Apple support and they had me download the newest operating system. A bit of a surprise since I've it set for automatic updates, but it needed the latest operating system so I downloaded that and installed it.

The phone ran fine for a couple of days then poof, back to the same problem.

I called Apple again and this time they had me backup my phone to the cloud and reset all softwares which I did. It ran fine for a half hour and then poof, back to the same problem.

The Apple lady called my Saturday night to see how it was going and I told her it still wasn't fixed so she set me up for a Genius Bar appt on Monday at noon.

Anyone heard of such a problem before?

Replies appreciated and I'll let everyone know what the genius bar folks tell me, which will probably be to buy a new phone.

Since I use my SE only for emails, phone calls, a few pictures, reading websites, or map uses I don't need a super duper one ... so in case I need a new iPhone what does the group suggest. Ideally it will be the same size as the SE which fits perfectly in my shirt pockets.

Thank you.

[Mr5150]

I’ve used the Genius Bar once with a good result. Best option; A new phone. But that was ok as it solved the problem and I preferred that solution. No repeat of issue

If you want the same size phone you have two choices. The SE2, a much improved version of the SE @$400 or the iPhone 12 mini @$700. The mini has a number of real pluses over the SE2. Better camera. Better and larger screen. Is 5G ready and a better processor. Plus more. Worth the extra $$$, but the SE2 is a fine choice also.

[Mike from back east]

Okay, I've been to Apple and they took my old SE in trade and gave me a similar SE for just $49.

When they took the frame off my old phone it was obvious the battery was swollen as it pushed the lens up a bit to where it could be seen slightly elevated. They could press on the lens and push it down but it came right back up.

So they transferred everything over from the old phone to the new one and off I went.

The store was busy, people waiting for appointments were queued up out in the main mall hallway, masks and temperature checks required.

[markjames68]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

Okay, I've been to Apple and they took my old SE in trade and gave me a similar SE for just $49.

When they took the frame off my old phone it was obvious the battery was swollen as it pushed the lens up a bit to where it could be seen slightly elevated. They could press on the lens and push it down but it came right back up.

So they transferred everything over from the old phone to the new one and off I went.

The store was busy, people waiting for appointments were queued up out in the main mall hallway, masks and temperature checks required.

So you got another SE1? Definitely like for like but the SE2 would have been worth the upgrade.

[Bo]

Originally Posted by markjames68

So you got another SE1? Definitely like for like but the SE2 would have been worth the upgrade.

On the plus side, this was probably half the price that taking the phone to a third-party repair shop for a replacement battery would have been. I've done that with out-of-warranty phones that I knew needed a new battery. OP got a good deal.

[Mike from back east]

For just $49 I'm willing to bide my time for another year or two while 5G gets rolled out but not sure I'll need that capability as I do just basic stuff.

[davebarnes]

If Apple had not helped you, I would have suggested buying a new iPhone SE 2020.
Your iPhone SE (version 1) was a tad old.
Old men should have new phones.

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by davebarnes

If Apple had not helped you, I would have suggested buying a new iPhone SE 2020.
Your iPhone SE (version 1) was a tad old.
Old men should have new phones.

I'd much rather have a new set of "plumbing" that works like it used to.

In his wisdom, the Almighty sets things up so that the memory goes first, then when your "plumbing" stops working we won't remember what it was that we've lost and sit there on the park bench crying while we feed the pigeons.

The new SE will work fine for a few more years when I might really need newer or better features.

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by davebarnes

If Apple had not helped you, I would have suggested buying a new iPhone SE 2020.
Your iPhone SE (version 1) was a tad old.
Old men should have new phones.

You got that right!

~from another old man

[V8 Vega]

Is the new SE the same size and weight as a iphone 6?