SE recommendations from the field

1. When you unbox the brandy new SE it has a one piece plastic covering front and back.  Don't take it off until you have some sort of screen guard in hand. The people at T-Mo store sort of flipped out when I did, moaning about leaving the store without "protection". Maybe they were trying to sell me one but when I asked they didn't have what I wanted.

2. I find the SE hard to hold because of it's size. I ordered one of these -
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07S52XT38?ref=ppx_pt2_dt_b_prod_image

It includes a clear cover for the screen and hopefully adds just enough thickness to improve the grip.
It arrives today.

3. During the initial setup you'll be presented with choices, for instance which keyboard.  Be careful what you chose. I haven't yet found a way to change the choices later. But I am going to talk to T-Mo about this issue.

Thanks, that is helpful to know. Since I already decided to purchase the SE (in the end for my daughter), I ordered a screen protector directly from UAG (Urban Armor Gear), and a clear UAG Plasma Series case (Ice) from Amazon. I've been using UAG cases since early 2017. They provide superior grip, excellent protection, and they're not bulky like the Otter Defender series.

Thanks for the heads-up on the keyboard. That is great info and I'll take my time. I'm happy I'll get to unbox it at home, as I'd rather do it myself with help from my offspring. Costco provides an activated SIM with the phone, but the rest is on me.

I might have told the T-Mo reps to stick it. Lol. I've never had a screen protector on any of my smartphones. The only reason I ordered one is because it will become my daughter's phone, and I want to ensure she receives it in new condition. When I buy an iPhone 12 for myself, it is highly unlikely I will put a screen protector on it.

That's interesting , no screen protector.  The wallet was delivered and I'm withdrawing my recommendation. The plastic screen protector is garbage.  I have ordered tempered glass and a case just around the edges and back. 
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M1SCIOV/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I looked at the case you poasted and it reminds me of a ruggedized computer case, and, maybe more than I need. But thanks. If the lastest I ordered doesn't work I'll look at yours again.

Having used Spigen before, I can tell you they are good enough for your temporary needs. No need to overspend. However, once you have an iPhone 12 you might want to reconsider my recommendation. If my phone was not going to Megan, I would have happily settled for Spigen as well. I'm sure it will be fine.

I like that the UAG Plasma series provides great protection without bulk or excess rubber, which makes it hard to take in/out of a pocket. The case is high-quality, looks sharp and provides solid protection where it matters most.

My wife uses tempered glass on her phone, but I most prefer a bare screen since I take care of my toys anyway. My only advice on tempered glass is to make sure your hands are clean and ensure there's not even a speck of dust on the screen when you install the glass over it.

Have you tried the Firefox (Beta?) app yet?

I will try to get out to Costco today to pick up a white SE, and then to a nearby Apple Store to buy a white, Apple-branded case (my daughter's preference).

I have FF loaded, I'm not sure it's the Beta version it doesn't have the distinctive icon that was on the 6T. I have tried it briefly but not enough to have an opinion.

Is the Apple case in lieu of the UAG case you ordered?

BTW the plastic screen protector looked like garbage, particularly around the edges, so I took it off.  I ordered the UAG protector just to try real glass. Not a big investment....

The UAG case arrived yesterday. It's very nice, as I expected, but I gave my daughter the option and she asked for the Apple case. No problem. A white phone in a white case is not my cup of tea, but I can deal with it for a couple months. The UAG is going back to Amazon, and I already did the online return process.

I'm headed off to Costco shortly. Assuming they have the model I'm looking for (64GB white), I'll be sporting an SE later today. Hopefully the UAG screen protector will have arrived by the time I get home.

When T-mo set up my phone, they were at a loss as to what to do with my second email account.  Gmail was no problem but the one from my ISP they chose to link to Outlook.  For at least ten years I have both accounts work with the Gmail app.  I just succeeded in adding the second address to Gmail so that all incoming mail is accessed by opening the Gmail app. 
I stumbled with trying to get into Outlook to break the connection with the ISP email.  I called T-MO and the two different techies I talked to had no idea how to do it. I finally reached the end of my patience and deleted Outlook from my phone, problem solved.

Sounds like a good solution to me.

Did you get your Spigen phone case? Any better, along with the tempered glass?

The Spigen arrived and I put it into service.  Seems like a great case.  At the moment the screen is bare. The plastic protector looked terrible, particularly around the edges and I took it off.  I am waiting for UAG to ship the 2mm glass protector, but I'm not sure if I'm going to use it.
The tempered glass I ordered from Amazon arrived but it too seems pretty flimsy. It was less than $10

Thanks for the update. I still need some sort of case and may go that route. I have the UAG tempered glass next to me, still in the box. I'll install it in the next hour or two and report back.

I installed the UAG screen protector. My first impression is meh.

It took a second try, as I had some large bubbles on the first attempt that I could not remove. I carefully pried it off, and the second time I started at the bottom edge and then slowly flexed it down toward the top as I applied it. No bubbles the second time, but the edges are lifted and painfully visible. No amount of effort keeps the edges down. The lifted edge is providing an ugly 1/8" border all the way around, and it's obvious it won't be long before dust gets underneath.

I will leave it on for now to protect the phone as much as possible over the next couple months. Once I have my own phone, the screen will be bare.

Thanks for that, I'm going to cancel my order.

If you really want screen protection, then this is probably the best one to get. I'm betting it won't have the same issues as the UAG:

Apple Store:  Belkin Anti-Glare Screen Protection for iPhone SE