DS needs new phone.... iPhone 8 or?

[Triffid1]

DS is shortly turning 11 and heading to high school next year. He's been using a very old, very damaged, old iPhone 5 or 6 (I'm not even sure) of ours but needs a better phone now and we've agreed to get him one as his main 11th birthday present.

He wanted the iPhone 8 - he likes the size of it and doesn't want a super fancy one. But it turns out that Apple is no longer selling iPhone 8s. You can get a refurbed one, which I have no issue with, but I always feel a bit wary that once you're only on refurb options, Apple is unlikely to offer support etc and that you then land up with a phone with a much shorter shelf life.

I can get a good contract deal on the SE. It's the same physical size as the SE but the latest generation in terms of tech. But it's more expensive, which I'm okay with , but I do worry that if he damages it that's more of an issue. And will it make him a target?

I also don't know if my concerns about either phone are valid. Any one with useful advice?

[CheshireCats]

I would get the se. 8's are 4.5 yrs old now. If you are expecting him to keep it for 2 years, they might be obsolete before then.

[Triffid1]

@CheshireCats

I would get the se. 8's are 4.5 yrs old now. If you are expecting him to keep it for 2 years, they might be obsolete before then.

Thanks, that's what I'm concerned about with the 8. And he really doesn't want a physically big one so the SE is the only other choice currently.

[SweetPetrichor]

The only thing I'd watch for is how long it will be supported by updates. I think the iphone 7 is pretty much becoming obsolete now or will with the introduction of the next release. That would suggest that the iphone 8 only has a year or so of supported updates left in it. But I could be entirely wrong...I'm not much of a tech person. I just happen to have made the leap to update myself recently. Had been using an iphone 7 for many years but didn't want to be phased out of updates so I moved to the iphone 13 mini. I love it, perfect size, but obviously not really the best for a pre-teen.
In your shoes, I'd go for the SE. I think the lifespan of the iphone 8 will make it a poor investment.