Compared: iPhone SE (2020) versus iPhone SE (2016)

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AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in iPhone edited May 2020
With a new iPhone 8-inspired design, the 2020 iPhone SE boasts many improvements over the 2016 original. For anyone on the old model who is considering upgrading, here is everything Apple packed into its new budget handset.

The old 2016 iPhone SE compared to the new 2020 iPhone SE
The old 2016 iPhone SE compared to the new 2020 iPhone SE


When Apple dropped the iPhone SE in 2016 it featured a design very similar to the other iPhone 5-era devices. Metal body, chamfered flat edges, and a four-inch display. Now, the iPhone SE has grown up. It featuers an iPhone 8-inspired design with aluminum rounded edges and an upgraded 4.7-inch display.

The new iPhone SE display versus the original

The new display isn't just larger. Apple upgraded it in several other aspects as well, making it a big step forward in quality from the previous design.

The upgraded display of the 2020 iPhone SE
The upgraded display of the 2020 iPhone SE


This new Retina display still retains the same 326PPI, but otherwise is all new. It has a 1400:1 contrast ratio up from 800:1 on the older model, and 625 nits of brightness up from 500 nits.

The 2020 iPhone SE has support for True Tone and the P3 wide color gamut, and the original (obviously) does not. Haptic Touch is here this time around as well which allows you to preview links, open contextual menus, and more.




A huge step forward in cameras

There are massive differences in image quality between the two cameras, as you may suspect.

The new iPhone SE (2020) camera
The new iPhone SE (2020) camera


The updated iPhone SE is using a new imaging sensor with better six-element lenses up from five, and a wider f/1.8 aperture up from f/2.2. It features Smart HDR that can enable or disable automatically, shoot stereo audio for video and has integrated video stabilization.

The 2016 iPhone SE could record slo-mo video at 1080p at 120 fps and at 720 at 240 fps. The updated model can now shoot slo-mo at 240 fps at 1080p as well.

iPhone SE (2020) supports Portrait mode
iPhone SE (2020) supports Portrait mode


Another big difference is support for portrait mode, even though iPhone SE only has one rear lens. The camera also has enhanced dynamic range when shooting video up to 30 frames per second and it can record 4K at 60 frames per second.

The front-facing camera was upgraded as well. It has gone from a 1.2MP camera to a 7MP camera. It can record 1080p video (up from 720p), has a wider f/2.2 aperture, wide color capture, image and video stabilization, and portrait mode with depth control.

A new iPhone SE

Other changes for the iPhone SE (2020) include IP67 water resistance, Qi wireless charging thanks to the new glass back, higher storage capacities, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5, and Dual-SIM support.

Both devices do still have the Home button with Touch ID. The 2016 version has a physical button whereas the 2020 model went to the solid-state with Haptic feedback providing the clicking sensation. This is notable because the physical button mechanism is much more prone to failure than the solid-state one. Apple-designed this phone to last and changes like that are important.

Part of that long lifespan is the processor inside. It is the new A13 Bionic processor which runs circles around the A9 found in the 2016. This is the same chip Apple uses in the iPhone 11 Pro line which makes it all the more likely to be support for many years.

The new 2020 iPhone SE is much more powerful than the 2016
The new 2020 iPhone SE is much more powerful than the 2016
iPhone SEiPhone SE(2020)
Display4-inch,326 PPI,500 nits,800:1 contrast ratio4.7-inch,326 PPI.625 nits,1400:1 contrast ratio,True Tone,P3 wide color gamut support
ProcessorA9A13 Bionic
AuthenticationTouch IDTouch ID
Storage16GB,64GB,128GB64GB,128GB,256GB
Headphone JackYesNo
Water ResistanceNoIP67
Wi-Fi802.11ac802.11ax Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth4.25
Dual SIMNoYes
Haptic TouchNoYes
Front-Facing Camera1.2MP,720P video7MP,1080P video
Rear-Facing Camera12MP,five-element lens,f/2.2,5X digital zoom,True Tone Flash,HDR,4K @30FPS,Slo-mo @240FPS at 720P12MP,new imaging sensor,six-element lens,f/1.8,5X digital zoom,True Tone Flash with Slow Sync,Smart HDR,4K @60FPS,Slo-mo @240 at 1080P,Portrait mode
Qi wireless chargingNoYes

Deals on the iPhone SE

Apple's latest iPhone SE is already on sale with special incentives from leading retailers.

Those looking to free up cash for a new phone (or to put money away for upcoming expenses) can secure a 10% trade-in bonus on all phones at Decluttr with exclusive coupon code INSIDER10. Trades outside of the smartphone category also qualify for a 6% bonus with promo code INSIDER6.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 8
    Hank2.0hank2.0 Posts: 151member
    appleinsider said, "When Apple dropped the iPhone SE in 2016 it featured a design very similar to the other iPhone 5-era devices. Metal body, chamfered flat edges, and a four-inch display. Now, the iPhone SE has grown up. It featuers (sic) an iPhone 8-inspired design with aluminum rounded edges and an upgraded 4.7-inch display."

    Ahhhhh, so the new iPhone 12 is a RETRO model?

     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 2 of 8
    mattinozmattinoz Posts: 2,608member
    Comparison misses the fact the primary feature of the SE was lost in the redesign.
    it didn’t grow up it ballooned. 
    cecil4444baconstangleftoverbacon
     3Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 3 of 8
    cecil4444cecil4444 Posts: 34member
    mattinoz said:
    Comparison misses the fact the primary feature of the SE was lost in the redesign.
    it didn’t grow up it ballooned. 
    Exactly right. Best feature of the 2016 SE was its size — perfect for one-handed use, at a time when the newest phones lost that benefit. Sadly they only got bigger and bigger since then. Not everyone wants a jumbo phone.
    baconstangleftoverbacon
     2Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 4 of 8
    am8449am8449 Posts: 392member
    cecil4444 said:
    mattinoz said:
    Comparison misses the fact the primary feature of the SE was lost in the redesign.
    it didn’t grow up it ballooned. 
    Exactly right. Best feature of the 2016 SE was its size — perfect for one-handed use, at a time when the newest phones lost that benefit. Sadly they only got bigger and bigger since then. Not everyone wants a jumbo phone.
    While I agree the SE is no longer the one-handed wonder it used to be, I think the 2016 size is no longer that useful in terms of today's web content and UI design.

    Even back in 2018 when I was still wedded to my beloved SE, surfing the web was like reading a bulletin board through a telescope—an unending loop of zooming in and out of the same web page to read very small type and look at images. Not only that, but apps were so short on space that interface elements became smooshed together. An app might have a row of buttons on the top and bottom of the screen (with the "Back" button already encroaching on the center title), and then only have enough space in the center of the screen for a scant two or three lines of text. Additionally, trying to read ebooks on the SE was a marathon for your thumbs because you'd have to scroll every two sentences.

    Do I miss the diminutive size of the 2016 SE? Definitely. It felt great in the hand, and easy to pocket. But for my own uses, the resulting small screen was nearing the limit of its usability.

    From my in-person experience of holding the new SE, it still feels great in the hand (which are probably smaller than average). But is it pocketable? Well, that depends on how big your pants are.
    chiamuthuk_vanalingamwatto_cobra
     3Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 5 of 8
    OskarHasNewUsernameoskarhasnewusername Posts: 1member
    Years back I could choose from iPhone SE and iPhone 6S. To me SE was better: camera was finely integrated (didn't protruded up), smaller phone was easy to hold and easy to pick-up. 6S was worse in that. Now new iPhone SE has exactly those qualities which I disliked then and I still don't like them now.
    Hank2.0mattinozbaconstangleftoverbacon
     4Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 6 of 8
    DAalsethdaalseth Posts: 3,269member
    am8449 said:
    cecil4444 said:
    mattinoz said:
    Comparison misses the fact the primary feature of the SE was lost in the redesign.
    it didn’t grow up it ballooned. 
    Exactly right. Best feature of the 2016 SE was its size — perfect for one-handed use, at a time when the newest phones lost that benefit. Sadly they only got bigger and bigger since then. Not everyone wants a jumbo phone.
    While I agree the SE is no longer the one-handed wonder it used to be, I think the 2016 size is no longer that useful in terms of today's web content and UI design.

    Even back in 2018 when I was still wedded to my beloved SE, surfing the web was like reading a bulletin board through a telescope—an unending loop of zooming in and out of the same web page to read very small type and look at images. Not only that, but apps were so short on space that interface elements became smooshed together. An app might have a row of buttons on the top and bottom of the screen (with the "Back" button already encroaching on the center title), and then only have enough space in the center of the screen for a scant two or three lines of text. Additionally, trying to read ebooks on the SE was a marathon for your thumbs because you'd have to scroll every two sentences.

    Do I miss the diminutive size of the 2016 SE? Definitely. It felt great in the hand, and easy to pocket. But for my own uses, the resulting small screen was nearing the limit of its usability.

    From my in-person experience of holding the new SE, it still feels great in the hand (which are probably smaller than average). But is it pocketable? Well, that depends on how big your pants are.
    I loved my SE because of the size, but yes the screen was small and only seemed more cramped over time. Old eyes didn't help either. I ended up replacing it with an 11. Is it big? Yes. Can I use it one handed? Not really much of the time, and I have big hands. But is it pocketable? Much to my surprise, yes for me at least. But the screen is wonderful. I can do things on it that I wouldn't have dreamed of with the SE.
    watto_cobra
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 7 of 8
    atomic101atomic101 Posts: 134member
    DAalseth said:
    am8449 said:
    cecil4444 said:
    mattinoz said:
    Comparison misses the fact the primary feature of the SE was lost in the redesign.
    it didn’t grow up it ballooned. 
    Exactly right. Best feature of the 2016 SE was its size — perfect for one-handed use, at a time when the newest phones lost that benefit. Sadly they only got bigger and bigger since then. Not everyone wants a jumbo phone.
    While I agree the SE is no longer the one-handed wonder it used to be, I think the 2016 size is no longer that useful in terms of today's web content and UI design.

    Even back in 2018 when I was still wedded to my beloved SE, surfing the web was like reading a bulletin board through a telescope—an unending loop of zooming in and out of the same web page to read very small type and look at images. Not only that, but apps were so short on space that interface elements became smooshed together. An app might have a row of buttons on the top and bottom of the screen (with the "Back" button already encroaching on the center title), and then only have enough space in the center of the screen for a scant two or three lines of text. Additionally, trying to read ebooks on the SE was a marathon for your thumbs because you'd have to scroll every two sentences.

    Do I miss the diminutive size of the 2016 SE? Definitely. It felt great in the hand, and easy to pocket. But for my own uses, the resulting small screen was nearing the limit of its usability.

    From my in-person experience of holding the new SE, it still feels great in the hand (which are probably smaller than average). But is it pocketable? Well, that depends on how big your pants are.
    I loved my SE because of the size, but yes the screen was small and only seemed more cramped over time. Old eyes didn't help either. I ended up replacing it with an 11. Is it big? Yes. Can I use it one handed? Not really much of the time, and I have big hands. But is it pocketable? Much to my surprise, yes for me at least. But the screen is wonderful. I can do things on it that I wouldn't have dreamed of with the SE.
    I was a long holdout for the original SE form factor, but I buckled down and picked up the 2020 model as it came down to a great deal and needing a battery replacement on the old SE. 

    Losing the one handed operation was my biggest fear, but I was able to mitigate this by getting a “stand” case that shifts the weight lower and moves the center of gravity away from the middle of the phone. This is the biggest issue I had with larger phones in that they became fiddly and precarious if you tried to strain for the tops of screen.  With the COG moved lower, the phone “anchors” into the palm better and doesn’t feel like it’s going to topple over. “Reachability” isn’t ideal, but it works well enough in combination.  

    To the previous poster’s point: the smaller screen of the original SE was beginning to be left behind and developers were catering to larger phones, leaving the small screen with some unintentional anomalies and obscured views. This is something that progressively got worse and moving to a slightly larger screen made this painfully obvious. 

    I’m satisfied with the 2020 SE. It feels like a legit upgrade, although compromising a bit of the size, one handedness, and svelte form factor of the original. 
    watto_cobra
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 8 of 8
    lam92103lam92103 Posts: 153member
    Dual SIM - Check
    Water resistant - Check
    Upgraded Hardware - Check

    Sounds like a winner to me
    watto_cobra
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
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