looks to be same black and white as XR
XR black was darker than iPhone 8 space grey
This would make sense from a cost saving perspective, as it would be from same supplier that currently colours the XR
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
iPhone SE 2 vs. iPhone XR Buyer's Guide
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
looks to be same black and white as XR
XR black was darker than iPhone 8 space grey
This would make sense from a cost saving perspective, as it would be from same supplier that currently colours the XR
I guess you were equally accusing Apple of being lazy with the (original) iPhone SE, with it not being much (design) difference from iPhone 5 that launched four years earlier?
And with that, they can ditch the Droid-likes names. "XR," "XS," "Pro Max," where's the class in that? At least "SE" isn't so cheesy.
No headphone jack for new SE = more "courage" from Apple 
It all seems pretty straightforward to me. Throw out the specs, they’re very close to each other. Decide which you like: larger screen/body with Face ID and no home button, or smaller screen/body with Touch ID, a home button and bezels. If you prefer the latter, you’re done. If you prefer the former, you determine if it’s worth the extra couple hundred dollars.
I know I'm being a bit shallow, but all of my other devices (iPod Touch, iPad Mini, iPad Air, iPhone SE) are silver with white bezels. I could just about get over the lack of a headphone socket for my hands-free kit (it could do with replacing), and the rest of the spec is fine for me, but I'll stick with my SE original for now.
An iPod Touch is looking less and less appealing. For $200 more I get all these features along with the ability to pop in a SIM card if I ever need to use this as a phone. Maybe for a child (iPad may be a better choice?).
This will also be an option for companies that use iOS devices. Some are currently using XRs, now they'll have a cheaper option.
This will also be an option for companies that use iOS devices. Some are currently using XRs, now they'll have a cheaper option.
A few weeks ago I bought a xr knowing that this phone was coming out. For me I didn’t want a phone with the big bezels and home button. To me that design looks so dated. I mean they could at least shrink the top bezel or something.
I was coming from a galaxy s9 so I wanted something similar when it came to bezels and such. For me it was only a choice between a xr, 11 or 11 pro. I didn’t care for the 11/11 pro square for the cameras, and the price was a little better on the xr. I don’t feel like I would really be able to tell the difference with the processor as I don’t play games on phones much and i don’t care that much about camera performance as. All modern camera phones are better than they were 5 years ago but I got the small bezels, Face ID, a phone with awesome battery life, one without the storage square camera bump and my favorite color(red).
I was coming from a galaxy s9 so I wanted something similar when it came to bezels and such. For me it was only a choice between a xr, 11 or 11 pro. I didn’t care for the 11/11 pro square for the cameras, and the price was a little better on the xr. I don’t feel like I would really be able to tell the difference with the processor as I don’t play games on phones much and i don’t care that much about camera performance as. All modern camera phones are better than they were 5 years ago but I got the small bezels, Face ID, a phone with awesome battery life, one without the storage square camera bump and my favorite color(red).
I can tell you when I moved from XR to 11 Pro, there was no difference in speed or overall performance. The XR screams. But the OLED of the 11 Pro shines with blacks, and the camera is a noticeable upgrade, but the XR takes great photos, and sometimes I wish I would have kept my XR and the money to upgrade. It’s a great phone. Anyone who bashed the screen hasn’t spent much time with it. It’s a great screen in its own right.
Whatever advantages the SE has over the XR is negated by the ancient and outdated home button. There’s just no going back to that garbage.
If true, that would be a bummer, but also remarkable that they're able to best a bigger, newer sensor just by using software tricks (2nd gen Smart HDR). I couldn't find any exif info on Apple's sample images.
iPhone 8: 1/3" sensor, 28mm (equivalent) f1.8 lens
iPhone XR: 1/2.55" sensor, 26mm (equivalent) f1.8 lens
Guess we'll know soon enough.
I still prefer it and find it faster and more useful 80% of the time. It's not outdated, it just came first. Both are great tech which provide a secure and fast (though Touch ID tends to be faster) way to get into your phone.
I think it remains to be seen. The biggest advancements since iPhone 8 are Deep Fusion, Night Mode, and fast auto-focus. Those all rely on an improved sensor. Smart HDR is nice but I don't think it's as great a leap as the previously mentioned features.
After nearly a year of rumors, Apple has finally introduced the 2020 edition of the iPhone SE. The device shares the same design as the iPhone 8, including a 4.7-inch display and a Touch ID home button, but it has a faster A13 Bionic chip and an extra GB of RAM. Most importantly, the new iPhone SE starts at just $399 in the United States.
With the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus now discontinued, the lower end of Apple's smartphone lineup now includes the new iPhone SE and the iPhone XR, released in October 2018. Thinking about upgrading? Read our comparison of the devices below.
Differences
Smaller vs. Larger Display
The new iPhone SE has a 4.7-inch display, while the iPhone XR has a 6.1-inch display.
Both displays are LCDs with 326 pixels per inch, True Tone, 625 nits max brightness, a 1400:1 contrast ratio, and support for the P3 wide color gamut.
A13 Bionic vs. A12 Bionic
The new iPhone SE is powered by the A13 Bionic, which is the same latest-and-greatest chip inside the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro. By comparison, the iPhone XR is equipped with the previous-generation A12 Bionic chip.
Apple advertises the A13 chip as up to 20 percent faster and up to 30 percent more power efficient than the A12 chip.
Bezels vs. Notch
The new iPhone SE has the same design as the iPhone 8, with thicker bezels above and below the display for the front camera and Touch ID home button. By comparison, the iPhone XR drops the home button and instead has a nearly edge to edge display with a notch at the top for the front camera and Face ID sensors.
Touch ID vs. Face ID
The iPhone SE has a Touch ID home button for fingerprint authentication, while the iPhone XR uses Apple's more advanced Face ID system for facial authentication.
Face ID debuted on the ?iPhone? X in 2017. At the time, Apple said the probability that a random person could unlock someone else's ?iPhone? X was approximately one in 1,000,000, versus one in 50,000 for ?Touch ID?. However, both forms of authentication are quite safe, so it really comes down to personal preference.
Face ID does not work well with masks, while Touch ID does not work well with wet or sweaty fingers, so neither system is perfect.
Since the new iPhone SE lacks Face ID, it does not support Animoji or Memoji.
Rear Camera
While both the new iPhone SE and the iPhone XR are equipped with a single 12-megapixel wide-angle rear camera with an f/1.8 aperture, the iPhone XR has a newer sensor with 1.4µm pixels and larger Focus Pixels, whereas the iPhone SE has the same sensor as the iPhone 8. However, the new iPhone SE benefits from the A13 chip's improved image signal processor, so the gap between the cameras is likely minimal.
Battery Life
As a physically larger device, the iPhone XR has longer battery life than the new iPhone SE.
Apple says the new iPhone SE can last up to 13 hours for non-streaming video playback and up to 40 hours for audio playback, which is about the same as the iPhone 8. By comparison, Apple says the iPhone XR lasts up to 16 hours for non-streamed video playback and up to 65 hours for audio playback.
Wi-Fi
The new iPhone SE supports Wi-Fi 6, aka 802.11ax, while the iPhone XR supports Wi-Fi 5 or 802.11ac.
Wi-Fi 6 delivers faster speeds, greater network capacity, improved power efficiency, lower latency, and connectivity improvements in areas with several Wi-Fi devices. Wi-Fi 6 devices are also required to support WPA3, the latest Wi-Fi security protocol with improved cryptographic strength.
LTE
The new iPhone SE supports Gigabit-class LTE, potentially allowing for slightly faster LTE speeds compared to the iPhone XR.
Thickness and Weight
The new iPhone SE is 7.3mm thick and weighs 0.3 pounds, while the iPhone XR is slightly thicker and heavier at 8.3mm and 0.4 pounds.
Pricing
The new iPhone SE starts at $399, while the iPhone XR starts at $599, both with 64GB of storage. Both devices are also available with 128GB of storage, but only the iPhone SE has a 256GB option as of now.
For perspective, the iPhone SE with 256GB of storage for $549 is still cheaper than the iPhone XR with 64GB of storage for $599.
Colors
Both the new iPhone SE and iPhone XR come in Black, White, and (RED), and the iPhone XR is also available in Blue, Coral, and Yellow.
Similarities
Tech Specs Compared
- Glass and aluminum design
- Wireless charging
- Fast charging with USB-C: up to 50% battery life in 30 minutes
- IP67-rated water resistance to a depth of 1 meter for up to 30 minutes
- 4K video recording at up to 60 FPS
- Lightning connector
- No headphone jack
- Dual SIM (nano-SIM and eSIM)
- Bluetooth 5.0
- VoLTE
- Dolby Vision and HDR10 support
- EarPods with Lightning connector in box
iPhone SE
iPhone XR
- 4.7-inch LCD display
- 1334×750 resolution and 326 PPI
- True Tone display
- Single 12-megapixel rear camera (wide lens)
- Single 7-megapixel front camera
- Portrait Mode with Depth Control: humans only
- Six Portrait Lighting effects
- Next-gen Smart HDR
- A13 Bionic chip with third-gen Neural Engine
- Touch ID
- Haptic Touch
- Lightning connector
- Fast charging capable: up to 50% charge in 30 minutes
- Qi-based wireless charging
- IP67-rated water resistance to a depth of 1 meter for up to 30 minutes
- 64/128/256GB
- Dual SIM (Nano-SIM and eSIM)
- Gigabit-class LTE
- VoLTE
- 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6
- Bluetooth 5.0
- 3GB RAM
- Similar battery life as iPhone 8
Bottom Line
- 6.1-inch LCD display
- 1792×828 resolution and 326 PPI
- True Tone display
- Single 12-megapixel rear camera (wide lens)
- Single 7-megapixel front camera
- Portrait Mode with Depth Control: humans only
- Three Portrait Lighting effects
- Smart HDR
- A12 Bionic chip with second-gen Neural Engine
- Face ID
- Haptic Touch
- Lightning connector
- Fast charging capable: up to 50% charge in 30 minutes
- Qi-based wireless charging
- IP67-rated water resistance to a depth of 1 meter for up to 30 minutes
- 64/128GB (256GB discontinued)
- Dual SIM (Nano-SIM and eSIM)
- LTE Advanced
- VoLTE
- 802.11ac Wi-Fi 5
- Bluetooth 5.0
- 3GB RAM
- 1.5 hours longer battery life than iPhone 8 Plus
If price is the key factor in your upgrade decision, then the new iPhone SE is a very compelling device considering that it has the same A13 Bionic chip as the iPhone 11 Pro despite starting at just $399.
If you are upgrading from an older device like an iPhone 6 or iPhone 7, you will already be familiar with the home button experience on the new iPhone SE, whereas Face ID and gestures on the iPhone X and newer take some time to get used to. And with a 4.7-inch display, the new iPhone SE is also the same size as the iPhone 6, iPhone 7, and iPhone 8.
The new iPhone SE might also receive at least one additional year of iOS updates compared to the iPhone XR given its newer A13 Bionic chip.
Two reasons to choose the iPhone XR over the new iPhone SE would be its larger 6.1-inch display and its modern design with slim bezels, a notch, and Face ID. The new iPhone SE could quite possibly end up being the last iPhone that Apple sells with a home button, so those who choose the new iPhone SE will be settling for an older design.
Article Link: iPhone SE vs. iPhone XR: Features Compared
If this had been an iphone 8 size device with the XR form factor I would have bought 4 of them for my family. Even with an extra 100€ on top
I think the author did not consider that the Xr will probably drop another $100 in a couple of months due to the new models arriving, making it much closer in price to the SE (only $100 more).
My Xr is definitely too heavy. That's the only real negative. It has even forced me to wear a belt at times when I otherwise could have gotten away without one. But I would never go back. I am spoiled by the larger screen, the stereo separation when in landscape mode, and the battery life.
When I pick up my wife's 8 and have to double click the thing, a button that, mind you, is barely a button anymore since it does not move, I cringe. I was very skeptical when Face ID came out, but I am 100% sold now on it, and the gestures. The only think I am not thrilled about is not seeing battery percentage on the home screen and having to remember which side of the notch to pull down for notifications vs. settings.
Saleswise, the XR was not a flop at all. Designwise, however, it was a total potato.
I'm with you on the SE/8. What people wanted as a successor was a modernised 5S-sized phone, which was also the whole point of the SE when it released (the 6/s/7/8 was considered too big -now it's just right?)
What the management wants is to move those unsold 8's. It's a short sighted greedy decision but I wouldn't call it stupid.
[automerge]1587384054[/automerge]
If you still have to doubleclick it, I suggest you change it in settings to activate on touch.
I'm also quite content with FaceID, except those times when I'm in bed and half of my face is squished against the pillow, or the phone is lying on the table and I want to unlock it without picking it up.
[automerge]1587384184[/automerge]
I personally like the ancient home button on my 2017 iPad Pro. What never grew on me was the solid-state "button" (which curiously never made its way to the non-Pro iPads). Button or not, those gigabezels are a thing of the past and had better stay there.
Last edited:
Yes. It's a whole new unlockable achievement in laziness to milk the iPhone 6 design five times, whereas the iPhone 5 was used thrice.
Aha! Now you've got to go through the rumors and the counter-rumors and the leaks and not knowing what it'll be and then the constant debates about whether it's worth it to upgrade and all the stuff we SE purchasers have already been through! Your turn! Bwahahahahah!!!!!
[automerge]1587389483[/automerge]
That's not an SE-type release, though, that would be part of a flagship announcement. Who knows, you might get exactly that!
[automerge]1587389605[/automerge]
You mean like the "courage" it takes to root for the Mariners?No headphone jack for new SE = more "courage" from Apple
[automerge]1587390213[/automerge]
Though I agree with you, I don't think it's untoward for buyers waiting for this new SE to have wanted a smaller phone, and to be disappointed that it isn't smaller. "I wish it was smaller like the original SE" or even "I thought it would be smaller like the original SE" are different than "This isn't what an SE is." It's now clear that the SE is meant to be the last iteration of an existing design tree, with close to flagship specs and a low price tag...but that wasn't the only conclusion someone could reasonably reach until a few days ago. I think it's fair to have thought otherwise, even if Apple didn't intend it that way.
Last edited: