Apple iPhone SE (2nd generation) vs. Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)

Phone Comparison, Reviews and Tests

In depth comparison and review of Apple iPhone SE (2nd generation) 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 SE (2nd generation) vs. Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) Comparison Chart
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS Apple iPhone SE (2nd generation) Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
Product Type Smartphone Smartphone
Manufacturer Model Number A2296 A2783
Form Factor Touch Touch
Height 138.4 mm 138.4 mm Both phones are the same height.
Width 67.3 mm 67.3 mm Both phones are the same width
Depth 7.3 mm 7.3 mm Both phones are the same depth.
Weight 148 g 144 g Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) is lighter than Apple iPhone SE (2nd generation).
Body Colour White | Black | Red Starlight | Midnight | Red
Body Material Aluminium, glass Aluminium, glass
Protection Dustproof, water-resistant, splash-resistant Dustproof, water-resistant, splash-resistant
Waterproof (Water-resistant) Yes Yes Both phones are waterproof.
IP rating IEC 60529 IP67 IEC 60529 IP67
Repairability Index 6 (out of 10) -
SAR Value 0.99 W/kg (body), 0.98 W/kg (head) 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 SE (2nd generation) Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
Display Type LCD display LCD display
Display Technology Retina HD display with IPS technology Retina HD display with IPS technology
Screen Size (Display Size) 4.7" 4.7" Both phones have the same screen size.
Screen Resolution (Display Resolution) 1334 x 750 pixels 1334 x 750 pixels Both phones have the same screen resolution.
Pixel Density 326 ppi 326 ppi Both phones have the same pixel density.
Max Brightness 625 cd/m² 625 cd/m² Both phones have the same display brightness
Contrast Ratio 1400:1 1400:1 Both phones have the same display contrast ratio.
Display Enhancement Technology Dolby Vision Dolby Vision
Display Features Display Zoom, Reachability (screen shifting), True Tone display, Wide colour display (P3), Dark mode, Haptic touch 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 Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating
PROCESSOR Apple iPhone SE (2nd generation) Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
Processor Type (CPU) Apple A13 Bionic Apple A15 Bionic
64-bit Architecture Yes - Apple iPhone SE (2nd generation) has 64-bit architecture.
MEMORY Apple iPhone SE (2nd generation) Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
Internal Memory Size (Storage Capacity) 64 GB 64 GB Both phones have the same internal memory capacity.
CAMERA Apple iPhone SE (2nd generation) Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
MAIN CAMERA
Number of Main Cameras 1 1
Sensor Resolution 12 Megapixel 12 Megapixel Both phones have the same camera resolution.
Lens Aperture F/1.8 F/1.8 Both phones have the same camera lens aperture.
Lens Construction 6-element 6-element
Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Both phones have optical image stabilization.
Focus Adjustment Automatic Automatic
Digital Zoom 5x 5x Both phones have the same digital zoom.
Special Effects Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High‑Key Mono Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High‑Key Mono
HDR Mode Smart HDR Smart HDR
Camera Modes 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 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
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, 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 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
FRONT CAMERA
Number of Front Cameras 1 1
Sensor Resolution (Front) 7 Megapixel 7 Megapixel Both phones have the same front camera resolution.
Lens Aperture (Front) F/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) Auto HDR mode 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 Burst mode, Live Photos, Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control, Portrait Lighting, wide colour capture for photos and Live Photos
Light Source (Front) Retina Flash Retina Flash
Video Resolutions (Front) 1280 x 720 (720p), 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 30 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, Cinematic video stabilisation, QuickTake video Auto image stabilisation, Cinematic video stabilisation, QuickTake video, Deep Fusion
BATTERY AND CHARGING Apple iPhone SE (2nd generation) Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
Battery Capacity (Battery Size) - -
Wireless Charging Yes Yes Both phones can be charged wirelessly.
Wireless Charging Standards Qi Qi
Run Time Details Playback (audio): up to 40 hrs
Playback (video): up to 13 hrs
Playback (streamed video): up to 8 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 SE (2nd generation) Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
Technology WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM
Mobile Broadband Generation 4G 5G Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) has more advanced generation mobile network.
Operating System iOS 13 iOS 15
Intelligent Assistant Siri Siri
Payment Technology Apple Pay Apple Pay
Navigation GPS, GLONASS GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS
COMMUNICATIONS Apple iPhone SE (2nd generation) Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
Data Transmission GPRS, EDGE, HSUPA, HSPA+, LTE, DC-HSDPA, VoLTE, FDD-LTE, TDD-LTE, VoWiFi, LAA 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 850 GSM, 900 GSM, 1800 GSM, 1900 GSM
3G UMTS Band - Band 1, Band 2, Band 5, Band 8, Band 10
3G UMTS Frequency - 2100, 1900, 850, 900, 1700 EAWS
4G LTE Band Band 1, Band 2, Band 3, Band 4, Band 5, Band 7, Band 8, Band 11, Band 12, Band 13, Band 17, Band 18, Band 19, Band 20, Band 21, Band 25, Band 26, Band 28, Band 29, 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 1500, FDD 700a, FDD 700c, FDD 700b, FDD 800 lower, FDD 800 upper, FDD 800 DD, FDD 1500 upper, FDD 1900+, FDD 850+, FDD 700 APT, FDD 700d, 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, 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, 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.
Messaging Services SMS, MMS -
MEDIA Apple iPhone SE (2nd generation) 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 M-JPEG, H.264, HEVC, MPEG-4 Part 2, HEIF
Sound Enhancements Dolby Digital Plus sound, Dolby Digital sound Dolby Digital Plus sound, Dolby Digital sound
Video Enhancements HDR10, Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG) HDR10, Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG)
FEATURES Apple iPhone SE (2nd generation) 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 Accelerometer, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, 3-axis gyro sensor, digital compass, barometer
Security Devices Fingerprint reader Fingerprint reader
Additional Phone Features FaceTime, AirPrint wireless printing, iCloud Photo Sharing, AirDrop function, MIMO technology, Wi-Fi Calling, iBeacon microlocation, CarPlay function, QuickType keyboard, HomeKit, Apple TV support (2nd or later), Fast Charging, AirPlay Mirroring, Third‑generation Neural Engine, Audio Sharing 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 SE (2nd generation) Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
Included Accessories Lightning to USB-C cable Lightning to USB-C cable
Compliant Standards IEC 60529 IP67, HAC (Hearing Aid Compatible) IEC 60529 IP67, HAC (Hearing Aid Compatible)
Max Depth of Water Resistance 1 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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