Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) vs. Apple iPhone 15

Phone Comparison, Reviews and Tests

In depth comparison and review of Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) and Apple iPhone 15. 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 (3rd generation) vs. Apple iPhone 15 Comparison Chart
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) Apple iPhone 15
Product Type Smartphone Smartphone
Manufacturer Model Number A2783 A3090
Form Factor Touch Touch
Height 138.4 mm 147.6 mm Apple iPhone 15 has greater height than Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation).
Width 67.3 mm 71.6 mm Apple iPhone 15 has greater width than Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation).
Depth 7.3 mm 7.8 mm Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) is narrower than Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation).
Weight 144 g 171 g Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) is lighter than Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation).
Body Colour Starlight | Midnight | Red Black | Pink | Yellow | Blue | Green
Body Material Aluminium, glass Glass, aerospace-grade aluminium
Protection Dustproof, water-resistant, splash-resistant Water-resistant, splash-resistant, dust-resistant
Waterproof (Water-resistant) Yes Yes Both phones are waterproof.
IP rating IEC 60529 IP67 IEC 60529 IP68
Repairability Index - 7.5 (out of 10)
SAR Value 0.99 W/kg (body), 0.98 W/kg (head) -
Connector Type Lightning USB Type-C - 24 pin USB-C
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 (3rd generation) Apple iPhone 15
Display Type LCD display OLED display
Display Technology Retina HD display with IPS technology Super Retina XDR Display
Screen Size (Display Size) 4.7" 6.1" Apple iPhone 15 has larger screen size than Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation).
Screen Resolution (Display Resolution) 1334 x 750 pixels 2556 x 1179 pixels Apple iPhone 15 has better screen resolution than Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation).
Pixel Density 326 ppi 460 ppi Apple iPhone 15 has better pixel density than Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation).
Max Brightness 625 cd/m² 1000 cd/m² Apple iPhone 15 has better display brightness than Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation).
Contrast Ratio 1400:1 2000000:1 Apple iPhone 15 has better display contrast ratio than Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation).
HDR - Yes Apple iPhone 15 has HDR.
HDR Technology - HDR10
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, Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG) True Tone display, Wide colour display (P3), All Screen Display, Haptic touch, Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG), Dynamic Island, 1600 nits max brightness (HDR), 2000 nits max brightness (outdoor)
Display Protection (Screen Protector) Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating, Ceramic Shield
PROCESSOR Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) Apple iPhone 15
Processor Type (CPU) Apple A15 Bionic Apple A16 Bionic
Processor Core Qty - 6-core
MEMORY Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) Apple iPhone 15
Internal Memory Size (Storage Capacity) 64 GB 128 GB Apple iPhone 15 has more internal memory than Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation).
CAMERA Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) Apple iPhone 15
MAIN CAMERA
Number of Main Cameras 1 2
Sensor Resolution 12 Megapixel 48 Megapixel Apple iPhone 15 has better camera resolution than Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation).
Lens Aperture F/1.8 F/1.6 Apple iPhone 15 has better lens aperture than Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation).
Lens Construction 6-element -
Pixel Size - 2 μm
Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Sensor-shift OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation) Both phones have optical image stabilization.
Focus Adjustment Automatic Automatic
Minimum Focal Length (Focal Distance) - 26 mm
Optical Zoom - 2x
Digital Zoom 5x 10x Apple iPhone 15 has better digital zoom than Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation).
Special Effects Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High‑Key Mono Photographic Styles
HDR Mode Smart HDR Smart HDR 5
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, slow motion video, Panorama, Time-lapse mode, night mode, Live Photos, Portrait Lighting, wide colour capture for photos and Live Photos, Cinema mode, Macro video, Time Lapse (Night mode)
Face Recognition (Face ID) - Face recognition Apple iPhone 15 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, 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 25 fps, Slo-mo video 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 240 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 25 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, Deep Fusion, Photographic Styles 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, Advanced red-eye correction, Panorama (up to 63MP), HEIF image capture, Audio zoom, 100% Focus Pixels, Digital zoom up to 3x for video, QuickTake video, HEVC (High Efficiency Video coding), Deep Fusion, Sensor-shift optical image stabilisation for video, Digital zoom up to 6x for video, Dolby Vision HDR video recording up to 4K at 60 fps, 2x optical zoom out, Cinematic mode up to 4K HDR at 30 fps, Action mode up to 2.8K at 60 fps, Photonic Engine, 4x optical zoom range, 2x optical zoom in
SECOND CAMERA
Sensor Resolution (2nd Camera) - 12 Megapixel
Lens Type (2nd Camera) - Ultra wide-angle lens
Lens Aperture (2nd Camera) - F/2.4
Field of View (2nd Camera) - 120 degree(s)
Minimum Focal Length (2nd Camera) - 13 mm
Camera Features (2nd Camera) - Lens correction, 100% Focus Pixels, Quad Pixel sensor
FRONT CAMERA
Number of Front Cameras 1 1
Sensor Resolution (Front) 7 Megapixel 12 Megapixel Apple iPhone 15 has better front camera resolution than Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation).
Lens Aperture (Front) F/2.2 F/1.9 Apple iPhone 15 has better front lens aperture than Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation).
Focus Adjustment - Automatic
Special Effects (Front) Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High‑Key Mono Photographic Styles
HDR Mode (Front) Auto HDR mode Smart HDR 5
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, night mode, portrait mode, Live Photos, Portrait Lighting, wide colour capture for photos and Live Photos, Time Lapse (Night mode)
Face Recognition (Face ID) - Face recognition Apple iPhone 15 has face detection.
Light Source (Front) Retina Flash Retina Flash
Video Resolutions (Front) 1280 x 720 (720p), 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 30 fps, Slo-mo video 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 120 fps 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, 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 25 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 25 fps
Camera Features (Front) Auto image stabilisation, Cinematic video stabilisation, QuickTake video, Deep Fusion Auto image stabilisation, Animoji, Memoji, TrueDepth camera, Cinematic video stabilisation, QuickTake video, Time‑lapse video with stabilisation, Lens correction, Deep Fusion, Dolby Vision HDR video recording up to 4K at 60 fps, Autofocus with Focus Pixels, Photonic Engine, Cinematic mode up to 4K HDR at 30 fps
BATTERY AND CHARGING Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) Apple iPhone 15
Battery Capacity (Battery Size) - -
Fast Charging Technology - Apple MagSafe wireless charging Apple iPhone 15 has fast charging technology.
Wireless Charging Yes Yes Both phones can be charged wirelessly.
Wireless Charging Standards Qi Qi
Run Time Details Playback (audio): up to 50 hrs
Playback (video): up to 15 hrs
Playback (streamed video): up to 10 hrs
Playback (video): up to 20 hrs
Playback (streamed video): up to 16 hrs
Playback (audio): up to 80 hrs
Battery Technology Lithium Ion Lithium Ion
CELLULAR Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) Apple iPhone 15
Technology WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM
Mobile Broadband Generation 5G 5G Both phones have the same mobile network generation.
Operating System iOS 15 iOS 17
Intelligent Assistant Siri Siri
Payment Technology Apple Pay Apple Pay
Navigation GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS
COMMUNICATIONS Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) Apple iPhone 15
Data Transmission EDGE, HSPA+, LTE, DC-HSDPA, LTE Advanced, VoLTE, FDD-LTE, TDD-LTE, VoWiFi, LAA, 5G NR FR1 EDGE, HSPA+, DC-HSDPA, VoLTE, FDD-LTE, Gigabit LTE, LAA, 5G NR FR1, TD-LTE
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 Band 1, Band 2, Band 5, Band 8, Band 10
3G UMTS Frequency 2100, 1900, 850, 900, 1700 EAWS 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, Band 53
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, Band 53
5G NR Band N1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n20, n28, n38, n41, n66, n77, n78, n79, n40, n25, n12, n48, n30 N1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n20, n28, n38, n41, n66, n70, n77, n78, n79, n40, n25, n12, n48, n26, n30, n53
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 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, FDD AWS-4, TDD TD 3700, TDD TD 3500, TDD TD 4500, TDD 2300, FDD 1900, n12, TDD 3500, FDD 850, FDD 2300, n53
Wireless Interface IEEE 802.11ax IEEE 802.11ax
Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.0 Bluetooth 5.3
NFC Yes Yes Both phones have an NFC reader for mobile payments.
Ultra-Wideband (UWB) - Yes Apple iPhone 15 has UWB wireless technology.
MEDIA Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) Apple iPhone 15
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 AAC, MP3, FLAC, Apple Lossless, Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus
Supported Digital Video Standards M-JPEG, H.264, HEVC, MPEG-4 Part 2, HEIF H.264, HEVC, ProRes
Sound Enhancements Dolby Digital Plus sound, Dolby Digital sound Dolby Digital Plus sound, Dolby Atmos sound technology, Dolby Digital sound, Spatial audio
Video Enhancements HDR10, Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG) HDR with Dolby Vision, HDR10, Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG)
FEATURES Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) Apple iPhone 15
Sensors Accelerometer, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, 3-axis gyro sensor, digital compass, barometer Accelerometer, proximity sensor, digital compass, barometer, magnetometer, dual ambient light sensor, gyroscope with high dynamic range
Security Devices Fingerprint reader Face recognition
Security Technology - Face ID
Additional Phone Features 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 MIMO technology, Wi-Fi Calling, iBeacon microlocation, QuickType keyboard, Apple TV support (2nd or later), AirPlay 2 wireless streaming, FaceTime audio, Apple MagSafe, Express Transit cards with power reserve, 4K HDR AirPlay Mirroring, FaceTime HD (1080p), RTT/TTY compatible, Voice isolation, 16‑core Neural Engine, Zoom with rear-facing camera, Wide Spectrum microphone mode, SharePlay, Screen sharing, Portrait mode in FaceTime video, Dual eSIM support, FaceTime call with SharePlay, Crash Detection, magnet array, alignment magnet, accessory identification NFC, Emergency SOS via satellite, StandBy, second-generation Ultra Wideband chip
OTHERS Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) Apple iPhone 15
Included Accessories Lightning to USB-C cable USB-C to USB-C cable (1 m)
Compliant Standards IEC 60529 IP67, HAC (Hearing Aid Compatible) IEC 60529 IP68, BFR-free, PVC-free, Beryllium-free, Mercury-free, HEARING AID M3/T4, Arsenic-free
EPEAT Compliant - Yes
EPEAT Level - EPEAT Gold
Carbon Footprint - 56 kg carbon emissions
Product Recycled Content - 23 % - recycled or renewable content
Max Depth of Water Resistance 1 m 6 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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