Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max vs. Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)

Phone Comparison, Reviews and Tests

In depth comparison and review of Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max and Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation). Compare sizes, cameras, batteries, memory, and other important specifications and features to easily choose the right phone for you. Our goal is to help you uncover differences between the products and find the phone that will best fit your needs.

Phone Specifications Comparison

Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max vs. Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) Comparison Chart
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
Product Type Smartphone Smartphone
Manufacturer Model Number A2411 A2783
Form Factor Touch Touch
Height 160.8 mm 138.4 mm Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max has greater height than Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation).
Width 78.1 mm 67.3 mm Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max has greater width than Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation).
Depth 7.4 mm 7.3 mm Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) is narrower than Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Weight 226 g 144 g Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) is lighter than Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Body Colour Graphite | Silver | Gold | Pacific blue Starlight | Midnight | Red
Body Material Surgical‑grade stainless steel, textured matt glass Aluminium, glass
Protection Dustproof, splashproof, waterproof Dustproof, water-resistant, splash-resistant
Waterproof (Water-resistant) Yes Yes Both phones are waterproof.
IP rating IEC 60529 IP68 IEC 60529 IP67
Repairability Index 6.9 (out of 10) -
SAR Value 0.99 W/kg (body), 0.99 W/kg (head), 3.85 W/kg (limb) 0.99 W/kg (body), 0.98 W/kg (head)
Connector Type Lightning Lightning
SIM Card Type (Size) Nano SIM, Electronic SIM card (e-SIM) Nano SIM, Electronic SIM card (e-SIM)
SIM Card Qty Dual-SIM Dual-SIM
DISPLAY Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
Display Type OLED display LCD display
Display Technology Super Retina XDR Display Retina HD display with IPS technology
Screen Size (Display Size) 6.7" 4.7" Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max has larger screen size than Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation).
Screen Resolution (Display Resolution) 2778 x 1284 pixels 1334 x 750 pixels Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max has better screen resolution than Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation).
Pixel Density 458 ppi 326 ppi Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max has better pixel density than Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation).
Max Brightness 800 cd/m² 625 cd/m² Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max has better display brightness than Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation).
Contrast Ratio 2000000:1 1400:1 Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max has better display contrast ratio than Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation).
HDR Yes - Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max has HDR.
HDR Technology HDR10 -
Display Enhancement Technology Dolby Vision Dolby Vision
Display Features True Tone display, Wide colour display (P3), Haptic touch, Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG), 1200 nits max brightness (HDR) Display Zoom, Reachability (screen shifting), True Tone display, Wide colour display (P3), Dark mode, Haptic touch, Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG)
Display Protection (Screen Protector) Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating, Ceramic Shield Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating
PROCESSOR Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
Processor Type (CPU) Apple A14 Bionic Apple A15 Bionic
Processor Core Qty 6-core -
MEMORY Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
Internal Memory Size (Storage Capacity) 128 GB 64 GB Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max has more internal memory than Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation).
CAMERA Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
MAIN CAMERA
Number of Main Cameras 3 1
Sensor Resolution 12 Megapixel 12 Megapixel Both phones have the same camera resolution.
Lens Type Wide-angle lens -
Lens Aperture F/1.6 F/1.8 Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max has better lens aperture than Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Lens Construction 7-element 6-element
Pixel Size 1.7 μm -
Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Sensor-shift OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation) Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Both phones have optical image stabilization.
Focus Adjustment Automatic Automatic
Minimum Focal Length (Focal Distance) 26 mm -
Optical Zoom 5x -
Digital Zoom 12x 5x Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max has better digital zoom than Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation).
Special Effects Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High‑Key Mono Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High‑Key Mono
HDR Mode Smart HDR 3 Smart HDR
Camera Modes Burst mode, Panorama, night mode, low-light shots, Live Photos, Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control, Portrait Lighting, wide colour capture for photos and Live Photos, Time Lapse (Night mode), Apple ProRAW Burst mode, Panorama, Live Photos, Timelapse video, Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control, Portrait Lighting, wide colour capture for photos and Live Photos
Face Recognition (Face ID) Face recognition - Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max has face detection.
Light Source True Tone LED flash True Tone LED flash
Video Resolutions 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 30 fps, 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 60 fps, 1280 x 720 (720p) at 30 fps, Slo-mo video 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 120 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 30 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 60 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 24 fps, Slo-mo video 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 240 fps 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 30 fps, 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 60 fps, 1280 x 720 (720p) at 30 fps, Slo-mo video 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 120 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 30 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 60 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 24 fps, Slo-mo video 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 240 fps
Camera Features (Functions) Sapphire crystal lens cover, Cinematic video stabilisation, Cinematic video stabilisation, Playback zoom, geotagging, Stereo Recording, Continuous autofocus video, 8MP still photos recording 4K video, Time‑lapse video with stabilisation, Slow Sync, Advanced red-eye correction, HEIF image capture, Audio zoom, 100% Focus Pixels, QuickTake video, Extended dynamic range for video at 60 fps, Deep Fusion, Dolby Vision HDR video recording up to 60 fps, Smart HDR 3 with Scene Detection, Sensor-shift optical image stabilisation for video, Digital zoom up to 7x for video Sapphire crystal lens cover, Cinematic video stabilisation, Focus Pixels, Cinematic video stabilisation, Playback zoom, geotagging, Stereo Recording, Continuous autofocus video, 8MP still photos recording 4K video, Time‑lapse video with stabilisation, Slow Sync, Advanced red-eye correction, Optical image stabilization for video, Extended dynamic range for video, HEIF image capture, Digital zoom up to 3x for video, QuickTake video, Deep Fusion, Photographic Styles
SECOND CAMERA
Sensor Resolution (2nd Camera) 12 Megapixel -
Lens Type (2nd Camera) Ultra wide-angle lens -
Lens Aperture (2nd Camera) F/2.4 -
Lens Element Qty (2nd Camera) 5-element -
Field of View (2nd Camera) 120 degree(s) -
Minimum Focal Length (2nd Camera) 13 mm -
Camera Features (2nd Camera) 5-piece lens, Lens correction -
THIRD CAMERA
Sensor Resolution (3rd Camera) 12 Megapixel -
Lens Type (3rd Camera) Telephoto lens -
Lens Aperture (3rd Camera) F/2.2 -
Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) - Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max has optical stabilisation of the third camera.
Minimum Focal Length (3rd Camera) 65 mm -
Camera Features (3rd Camera) 6-piece lens, Focus Pixels -
FRONT CAMERA
Number of Front Cameras 1 1
Sensor Resolution (Front) 12 Megapixel 7 Megapixel Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max has better front camera resolution than Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation).
Lens Aperture (Front) Ƒ/2.2 F/2.2 Both phones have the same front camera lens aperture.
Special Effects (Front) Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High‑Key Mono Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High‑Key Mono
HDR Mode (Front) Smart HDR 3 Auto HDR mode
Camera Modes (Front) Burst mode, Live Photos, Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control, Portrait Lighting, wide colour capture for photos and Live Photos, Time Lapse (Night mode), Smart HDR 3 with Scene Detection Burst mode, Live Photos, Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control, Portrait Lighting, wide colour capture for photos and Live Photos
Face Recognition (Face ID) Face recognition - Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max has face detection.
Light Source (Front) Retina Flash Retina Flash
Video Resolutions (Front) 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 30 fps, 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 60 fps, Slo-mo video 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 120 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 30 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 60 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 24 fps 1280 x 720 (720p), 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 30 fps, Slo-mo video 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 120 fps
Camera Features (Front) Auto image stabilisation, Animoji, Memoji, TrueDepth camera, Cinematic video stabilisation, Extended dynamic range for video at 30 fps, QuickTake video, Time‑lapse video with stabilisation, Lens correction, Deep Fusion, HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 30 fps Auto image stabilisation, Cinematic video stabilisation, QuickTake video, Deep Fusion
BATTERY AND CHARGING Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
Battery Capacity (Battery Size) - -
Fast Charging Technology Apple fast charging technology, Apple MagSafe wireless charging - Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max has fast charging technology.
Wireless Charging Yes Yes Both phones can be charged wirelessly.
Wireless Charging Standards Qi Qi
Run Time Details Playback (video): up to 20 hrs
Playback (streamed video): up to 12 hrs
Playback (audio): up to 80 hrs
Playback (audio): up to 50 hrs
Playback (video): up to 15 hrs
Playback (streamed video): up to 10 hrs
Battery Technology Lithium Ion Lithium Ion
CELLULAR Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
Technology CDMA2000 1X / GSM / WCDMA (UMTS) WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM
Mobile Broadband Generation 5G 5G Both phones have the same mobile network generation.
Operating System iOS 14 iOS 15
Intelligent Assistant Siri Siri
Payment Technology Apple Pay Apple Pay
Navigation GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS
COMMUNICATIONS Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
Data Transmission EDGE, EV-DO, HSPA+, DC-HSDPA, VoLTE, FDD-LTE, TDD-LTE, VoWiFi, Gigabit LTE, LAA, 5G NR FR1 EDGE, HSPA+, LTE, DC-HSDPA, LTE Advanced, VoLTE, FDD-LTE, TDD-LTE, VoWiFi, LAA, 5G NR FR1
2G Band 850 GSM, 900 GSM, 1800 GSM, 1900 GSM, 800 CDMA2000 1X, 1900 CDMA2000 1X 850 GSM, 900 GSM, 1800 GSM, 1900 GSM
3G UMTS Band Band 1, Band 5, Band 8, Band 10, Band 25 Band 1, Band 2, Band 5, Band 8, Band 10
3G UMTS Frequency 2100, 850, 900, 1700 EAWS, 1900 2100, 1900, 850, 900, 1700 EAWS
4G LTE Band Band 1, Band 2, Band 3, Band 4, Band 5, Band 7, Band 8, Band 12, Band 13, Band 17, Band 18, Band 19, Band 20, Band 25, Band 26, Band 28, Band 30, Band 32, Band 34, Band 38, Band 39, Band 40, Band 41, Band 42, Band 46, Band 48, Band 66 Band 1, Band 2, Band 3, Band 4, Band 5, Band 7, Band 8, Band 12, Band 13, Band 17, Band 18, Band 19, Band 20, Band 25, Band 26, Band 28, Band 30, Band 32, Band 34, Band 38, Band 39, Band 40, Band 41, Band 42, Band 46, Band 48, Band 66
4G LTE Frequency FDD 2100, FDD 1900 PCS, FDD 1800+, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS, FDD 850, FDD 2600, FDD 900, FDD 700a, FDD 700c, FDD 700b, FDD 800 lower, FDD 800 upper, FDD 800 DD, FDD 1900+, FDD 850+, FDD 700 APT, FDD 2300 WCS, FDD 1500 L, TDD 2000, TDD 2600, TDD 1900, TDD 2300, TDD 2500, TDD 3500, TDD 5150, TDD 3600, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS-3 FDD 2100, FDD 1900 PCS, FDD 1800+, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS, FDD 850, FDD 2600, FDD 900, FDD 700a, FDD 700c, FDD 700b, FDD 800 lower, FDD 800 upper, FDD 800 DD, FDD 1900+, FDD 850+, FDD 700 APT, FDD 2300 WCS, FDD 1500 L, TDD 2000, TDD 2600, TDD 1900, TDD 2300, TDD 2500, TDD 3500, TDD 5150, TDD 3600, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS-3
5G NR Band N1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n20, n28, n38, n41, n66, n77, n78, n79, n40, n25, n12 N1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n20, n28, n38, n41, n66, n77, n78, n79, n40, n25, n12, n48, n30
5G NR Frequency FDD 2100, FDD 1900PCS, FDD 1800, FDD 850, FDD 2600, FDD 900, FDD 800, FDD 700APT, TDD TD 2600, TDD TD 2500, FDD AWS-3, TDD TD 3700, TDD TD 3500, TDD TD 4500, TDD 2300, FDD 1900, n12 FDD 2100, FDD 1900PCS, FDD 1800, FDD 850, FDD 2600, FDD 900, FDD 800, FDD 700APT, TDD TD 2600, TDD TD 2500, FDD AWS-3, TDD TD 3700, TDD TD 3500, TDD TD 4500, TDD 2300, FDD 1900, n12, TDD 3500, FDD 2300
Wireless Interface IEEE 802.11ax IEEE 802.11ax
Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.0 Bluetooth 5.0
NFC Yes Yes Both phones have an NFC reader for mobile payments.
Ultra-Wideband (UWB) Yes - Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max has UWB wireless technology.
MEDIA Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
Supported Digital Audio Standards Audible, MP3, FLAC, Apple Lossless, AC-3, AAC-LC, LPCM, HE-AAC, Audible AAX, Audible AAX+, protected AAC, EAC3, HE-AAC v2 Audible, MP3, FLAC, Apple Lossless, AC-3, AAC-LC, LPCM, HE-AAC, Audible AAX, Audible AAX+, protected AAC, EAC3, HE-AAC v2
Supported Digital Video Standards M-JPEG, H.264, HEVC, MPEG-4 Part 2, HEIF M-JPEG, H.264, HEVC, MPEG-4 Part 2, HEIF
Sound Enhancements Dolby Digital Plus sound, Dolby Atmos sound technology, Dolby Digital sound Dolby Digital Plus sound, Dolby Digital sound
Video Enhancements HDR with Dolby Vision, HDR10 HDR10, Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG)
FEATURES Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
Phone Functions Speakerphone, voice control, call timer, conference call, flight mode, voice dialing, vibrating alert -
Sensors Accelerometer, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, 3-axis gyro sensor, digital compass, barometer, LiDAR scanner Accelerometer, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, 3-axis gyro sensor, digital compass, barometer
Security Devices Face recognition Fingerprint reader
Security Technology Face ID -
Additional Phone Features AirDrop function, Audio zoom function, MIMO technology, Wi-Fi Calling, iBeacon microlocation, QuickType keyboard, Night Shift, Apple TV support (2nd or later), Raise to wake, Next-generation Neural Engine, Express Transit cards with power reserve, 4K HDR AirPlay Mirroring, FaceTime HD (1080p), RTT/TTY compatible MIMO technology, Apple TV support (2nd or later), AirPlay Mirroring, Third‑generation Neural Engine, Express Transit cards with power reserve, 4K HDR AirPlay Mirroring, FaceTime HD (1080p), 16‑core Neural Engine
OTHERS Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
Included Accessories Lightning to USB-C cable Lightning to USB-C cable
Compliant Standards IEC 60529 IP68, HAC (Hearing Aid Compatible) IEC 60529 IP67, HAC (Hearing Aid Compatible)
Max Depth of Water Resistance 6 m 1 m
Max Operating Temperature 35 °C 35 °C
Min Operating Temperature 0 °C 0 °C
Humidity Range Operating 5 - 95% (non-condensing) 5 - 95% (non-condensing)
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