Should you upgrade your iPhone SE for double the storage?

Is your iPhone SE too small on the inside? You can upgrade to double the storage for the same price!

Apple has updated the iPhone SE with double the storage capacity from 16 or 64GB to 32 or 128GB. If you've been using the four-inch model since its release one year ago, you might be thinking of upgrading. The question is, should you?

What's the difference?

After almost exactly one year, Apple has made a minor change to the iPhone SE that is actually quite huge. Its now double the capacity of the original model. The 16 and 64GB iPhone SE are now 32 and 128GB models.

That's the only difference. The iPhone SE still has the same A9 and M9 processor chip, the same 12 mp camera, and comes in the same four colors — Silver, Gold, Space Gray, and Rose Gold. The good news is that it still has a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Can I upgrade through the iPhone Upgrade Program?

If you purchased your iPhone SE on launch day in March of 2016, you can trade up using the iPhone Upgrade Program. The original iPhone SE launched on March 31. The new model goes on sale March 24. Apple does provide a small window of flexibility for one-year upgrades.

Should I upgrade or not?

That all depends on your needs. If you purchased the 16GB iPhone SE, chances are you are bursting at the seams as far as storage capacity is concerned. I'm on the 64 GB model and I've got about 18GB of storage space left, so even the larger capacity model feels a bit tight.

If you're constantly running into full capacity issues on the regular, you should definitely think about bumping to one of the larger capacity models.

If you still have a lot of wiggle room for adding apps, music, movies, and other content, you should probably stick with what you've got. The iPhone SE didn't get any other spec upgrade, so you'd be buying a larger capacity version of the exact same thing. Not worth it if you don't need the room.

If you're on the iPhone Upgrade Program, you can exchange your current model for double capacity without having to pay more. The only thing that will happen is your contract will extend one more year. It's worth it if you need more storage.

If you're not on the iPhone Upgrade Program and you're not paying it off in installments with your carrier, you can take advantage of the resale market. The iPhone SE is only a year old, and there are definitely going to be a lot of people looking for a 16 or 64GB model. You'll be able to get a pretty penny for your current iPhone, which you can put toward your upgrade.

Which one should I get?

Whether your current iPhone SE is 16 GB or 64 GB, you should definitely think about bumping up to the 128 GB model. You may not think you need the extra storage, but you'd be surprised at how fast you fill up your device. With more capacity, you have the ability to download plenty of music, movies, podcasts, apps, and games on your device without worrying about whether you're going to run out of room. For only $100 more than the base model, you're getting a lot. Plus, it's the same price as the 64 GB model was a year ago.

If money is a concern, the 32GB model is still a decent bump from the 16GB model. So, if you're currently holding the lowest storage capacity iPhone SE, and you don't have that extra $100 to jump up to the 128GB model, you're still going to be happy with the upgrade.

Still thinking about it?

If you're still on the fence about whether to upgrade your current model iPhone SE to a larger capacity model, you can check in with the iMore community on our iPhone SE discussion forums to talk about your questions and concerns.

What do you think about Apples double capacity update for the iPhone SE? Let's talk about it in the comments below.