Four years after the launch of the first iPhone SE, Apple updated its line of compact and affordable phones with the new iPhone SE 2020. But the fact that it is affordable does not necessarily mean that Apple’s new phone offers the best value for money.
There are several other interesting options that you can make if you are looking for an iPhone but don’t want to spend a lot of money. We are talking about buying an iPhone from previous generations. Apple still has the 2019 iPhone XR and iPhone Xs in stock, and you can get them at interesting prices.
The following is a comparison of the features of the iPhone SE 2020, iPhone XR, and iPhone Xs so you can better understand which one best suits your needs.
Apple iPhone SE 2020 vs Apple iPhone XR vs Apple iPhone Xs
| Apple iPhone SE 2020 | Apple iPhone XR | Apple iPhone Xs | |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIMENSIONS & WEIGHT | 138,4 x 67,3 x 7,3 mm, 148 grams | 150,9 x 75,7 x 8,3 mm, 194 d | 143,6 x 70,9 x 7,7 mm, 177 d |
| DISPLAY | 4,7 inches, 750x1334p (Retina HD), Retina IPS LCD | 6,1 inches, 828x1792p (HD +), IPS LCD | 5,8 inches, 1125x2436p (Full HD +), Super Retina OLED |
| CPU | Apple A13 Bionic, six-core processor, 2,65 GHz | Apple A12 Bionic, six-core processor, 2,5 GHz | Apple A12 Bionic, six-core processor, 2,5 GHz |
| MEMORY | 3 GB of RAM, 128 GB 3 GB of RAM, 64 GB 3 GB RAM 256 GB | 3 GB of RAM, 128 GB 3 GB of RAM, 64 GB 3 GB of RAM, 256 GB | 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB 4 GB of RAM, 256 GB 4 GB of RAM, 512 GB |
| SOFTWARE | iOS 13 | iOS 12 | iOS 12 |
| COMPOUND | Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac / ax, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS | 802.11 Wi-Fi a / b / g / n / ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS | 802.11 Wi-Fi a / b / g / n / ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS |
| CAMERA | 12 MP f / 1.8 7-megapixel f / 2.2 front camera | 12 MP, f / 1,8 7-megapixel f / 2.2 front camera | Dual 12 + 12 MP, f / 1.8 and f / 2.4 7-megapixel f / 2.2 front camera |
| BATTERY | 1821 mAh, fast charge 18 watts, Qi wireless charging | 2942 mAh, fast charge 15 watts, Qi wireless charging | 2658 mAh, fast charge, Qi wireless charging |
| ADDITIONAL FEATURES | IP67 - waterproof, eSIM | Dual SIM card slot, waterproof IP67 | eSIM, IP68 waterproof |
Design
The iPhone SE Series is renowned for its incredibly compact design. The iPhone SE 2020 is by far the most compact flagship of the latest generation. But it has an outdated aesthetics: it has the same design as the iPhone 8, released in 2017 (only slight differences, such as the location of the Apple logo).
The most beautiful phone is undoubtedly the iPhone Xs with the narrowest bezels around the display, a glass back and a stainless steel frame. The phone is the only one with IP68 certification for water resistance (up to 2 m in depth). Despite having a much larger display than the iPhone SE, the iPhone Xs is still one of the most compact flagships of the latest generation.
Display
It has the best design and even the best display panel. Naturally, we are talking about the iPhone Xs, which, unlike the two opponents of this comparison, boasts an OLED display. The iPhone Xs display supports wide color gamut, it is compatible with HDR10 and even supports Dolby Vision technology. Among the other features that make it an outstanding panel, we got a sensor sampling frequency of 120 Hz, 3D Touch and True Tone technology, as well as high peak brightness. Right after we got the iPhone XR, which comes with a wider display, but provides worse image quality for the iPhone Xs.
Hardware and software
iPhone SE 2020 is equipped with the best and latest Apple chipset: A13 Bionic. iPhone Xs and XR come with the older and less powerful Apple A12 Bionic. The iPhone Xs offers 1 gigabyte of RAM more than the iPhone SE 2020, but I prefer to have a better chipset than more RAM on the phone.
So, iPhone SE 2020 wins in hardware comparison. It comes with iOS 13, while the iPhone Xs and XR have iOS 12 out of the box.
Camera
The most advanced camera department belongs to the iPhone Xs, which is the only one with a dual rear camera, including a telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom. But the iPhone SE 2020 and iPhone XR are still amazing camera phones.
Battery
The battery of the iPhone SE 2020 is a little disappointing compared to all other iPhones. With a capacity of 1821 mAh, it can only guarantee one day of moderate use at max. The iPhone XR wins in comparison with the more capacious 2942 mAh battery, but despite the fact that it wins in this comparison, it is not one of the best battery phones.
With all these phones you can only get average battery life at max. If you want an Apple device with a long battery life, you should choose the iPhone 11 Pro Max with a 3969 mAh battery.
Price
The starting price of the iPhone SE 2020 is $ 399/499 euros, the iPhone XR is priced from $ 599 and the iPhone Xs has a starting price of $ 999, but you can easily find it for less than $ 700/700 euros thanks to the internet to stores.
The iPhone Xs is naturally the best phone in this comparison, but the iPhone SE 2020 offers the highest value for money. You should go for the iPhone XR only if you are not satisfied with the iPhone SE 2020 battery.
Apple iPhone SE 2020 vs. Apple iPhone XR vs. Apple iPhone Xs: Pros and Cons
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iPhone XR | |
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Apple iPhone Xs | |
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