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iPhone SE vs. iPhone 12 Buyer's Guide: Comparing Some of Apple's Cheapest iPhones

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The third-generation iPhone SE and the iPhone 12 are among Apple's lowest-cost iPhone options, starting at $429 and $599 respectively. Apple released the iPhone 12 in late 2020, and has bumped it down in price since then to make it more accessible as new iPhone models have been released. On the other hand, the third-generation iPhone SE launched in early 2022, refreshing the most affordable iPhone option in the lineup.

iphone-se-1.jpg

With just $170 between them, should you get the new, smaller, entry-level iPhone or the older, larger, standard model that has come down in price over the years? Our guide helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these two iPhones is best for you.

Differences
Smaller form factor, weighs 144 gramsLarger form factor, weighs 164 grams
Glass front and backCeramic Shield front and glass back
4.7-inch Retina HD LCD display6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display
625 nits max brightness (typical)625 nits max brightness (typical) and 1,200 nits peak brightness (HDR)
1400:1 contrast ratio (typical)2,000,000:1 contrast ratio (typical)
Home Button with Touch IDNotch with Face ID
A15 Bionic chipA14 Bionic chip
Single rear camera (ƒ/1.8 Main)Dual rear cameras with 2x optical zoom range (ƒ/1.6 Main and ƒ/2.4 Ultra Wide)
Photographic StylesNight mode
Smart HDR 4 for photosSmart HDR 3 for photos
Front-facing 7MP FaceTime HD camera with 1080p HD video recording and Smart HDR 4Front-facing 12MP TrueDepth camera with 4K video recording and Audio zoom, Smart HDR 3, slo-mo video support, Animoji, and Memoji
Battery life with up to 15 hours video playbackBattery life with up to 17 hours video playback
Rated IP67 water-resistant to a depth of one meter for up to 30 minutesRated IP68 water-resistant to a depth of six meters for up to 30 minutes
Bluetooth and U1 Ultra Wideband chip for spatial awarenessBluetooth only
-Supports Dolby Atmos audio playback
-Compatible with MagSafe cases, wallets, wireless chargers, and more
Midnight, Starlight, and PRODUCT(RED) color optionsPurple, Blue, Green, Black, White, and PRODUCT(RED) color options

[th]iPhone SE 3[/th]
[th]iPhone 12[/th]



Overall, the iPhone SE is an excellent entry-level iPhone option for just $429. In some respects, the iPhone SE is better than the iPhone 12 since it is a newer device, featuring a faster and more efficient chip, Photographic Styles, and Smart HDR 4.

For $170 more, the iPhone 12 offers a more modern design and a larger, OLED display, as well as Face ID, an Ultra Wide camera, Night mode, considerably better front-facing and Main cameras, MagSafe, and longer battery life. There is also the benefit of improved water resistance, the U1 chip, and Dolby Atmos audio playback, and even additional color options to choose from. All of this makes for a significant upgrade over the iPhone SE if you value these features and can afford the $170 extra, but it is worth bearing in mind that they are not essential capabilities for many users.

The main drawback of buying the iPhone 12 is its age, with the device featuring an older and less powerful chip. Some users may even value the smaller size and weight of the iPhone SE, as well as features like Touch ID. Overall, it comes down to whether you value having a smaller, newer device, or can look past this to get the benefits of a device with Face ID and a larger, OLED display.

If you prefer the iPhone 12's set of features, then it is still a good option for $599, but generally most users looking for an affordable iPhone should opt for the iPhone SE since it is more future-proof and offers a similar A15 chipset as Apple's latest iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus models.

It is also worth noting that the iPhone 13 mini starts at the same $599 price point as the iPhone 12 and continues to be available from Apple, but it features a smaller display at just 5.4-inches. The iPhone 13 mini is a newer device and starts with double the storage of the iPhone 12 at 128GB, so the iPhone 13 mini will be a better option for users who are considering the iPhone 12 but do not mind having a slightly smaller display.

Article Link: iPhone SE vs. iPhone 12 Buyer's Guide: Comparing Some of Apple's Cheapest iPhones
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/guide/iphone-se-2022-vs-iphone-12/
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Touch ID is still more convenient and more reliable than Face ID. I love my SE and will keep buying Touch ID phones as long as possible. A lot of friends have Face ID phones and I see it failing and being annoying soooo often.
 
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Since it does not look like Touch ID will be coming back, I guess once my iPhone 7 Plus is no longer functioning and is no longer worth it to be repaired, I will go with the iPhone SE 2022 even though it is a downgrade in terms of the screen size and screen resolution and could either be an upgrade or downgrade when it comes to battery life [A10 vs A15]

It's just that as of the moment my iPhone 7 Plus will just be 2 years old in my possession this November 2022 [bought brand new on November 2020] and is still in pretty good condition and currently 92% battery health with 263 battery cycle count [checking through the logs within the iPhone]...
 
NightFox said:
Shouldn't iPhone 13 mini be in the mix here - SE size / 12 price with iPhone 13 performance? I know it's included as an afterthought, but I think it should really be a key contender for anyone weighing up these options.
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That's what I thought as well.

The comparison would have made a lot more sense if it had been SE vs 13 Mini… Both "small" phones.

I guess they are keeping that for another slow news day article. 🤣
 
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Shouldn't the comparison list be modified to note that the iPhone SE(3) includes crash detection but the iPhone 12 does not? Also, do both feature fall notifications?
 
David1964 said:
It was the other way round for me.Touch ID kept failing and Face ID just works every time.
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Imo it boils down to how you like to unlock.

I wake up, I grab the phone, face still in my pillow. Finger is a heck of a lot more convenient.

That kinda repeats itself everywhere for me. Driving and need to unlock? Don’t want to have to stop looking forward. At store and want to pay? Face ID was more awkward, imo.

I enjoy no-look unlocking. (And yes, I tried turning off attention required on my XR… not perfect and it did fun things like try to Face ID my leg. A few of these and poof, I’m forced to enter my password, which is obviously not ideal.)

Your mileage may vary, but if it’s similar, the SE is naturally the best phone you, a Touch ID lover, can buy. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I do hope the next SE, if it doesn’t stay the same, and it won’t, goes mini, though.
 
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Looking to upgrade my iPhone 7 and although the SE2 is an attractive phone, I really want a larger screen, so that rules it out. The iPhone 12 seems like a great alternative.

For someone who doesn't really need bleeding edge technology, is there any point in upgrading to an iPhone 13 or iPhone 12 pro over a (used/refurb/new) iPhone 12?
 
The main drawback of buying the ‌iPhone 12‌ is its age, with the device featuring an older and less powerful chip.
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The A14 is not underpowered, and the A16 is not that much faster. I'd wager that most people wouldn't even notice the difference. Less marketing, please.
 
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Basic75 said:
The A14 is not underpowered, and the A16 is not that much faster. I'd wager that most people wouldn't even notice the difference. Less marketing, please.
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That's not marketing, it's stating the fact that the iPhone 12 features an older and less powerful chip than the SE.

Marketing is making opinionated claims like that there's minimal difference between the two and that "most people" wouldn't notice the difference.
 
city_17 said:
Looking to upgrade my iPhone 7 and although the SE2 is an attractive phone, I really want a larger screen, so that rules it out. The iPhone 12 seems like a great alternative.

For someone who doesn't really need bleeding edge technology, is there any point in upgrading to an iPhone 13 or iPhone 12 pro over a (used/refurb/new) iPhone 12?
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How about the iPhone 13 mini? It's available new starting at $599 U.S. list price, has 128GB in the base configuration (double the base storage in the iPhone 12), and has a larger display (5.4 inches) than your iPhone 7 while still sporting a compact body. I think it's Apple's current best value iPhone, although the 2022 iPhone SE is a close second.
 
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BBCWatcher said:
How about the iPhone 13 mini? It's available new starting at $599 U.S. list price, has 128GB in the base configuration (double the base storage in the iPhone 12), and has a larger display (5.4 inches) than your iPhone 7 while still sporting a compact body. I think it's Apple's current best value iPhone, although the 2022 iPhone SE is a close second.
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Thanks, the 13 Mini definitely is a great value option, but I'd still like a larger screen. I've used a friend's 13 mini for a bit and still prefer the size of the 12. I know some people like smaller phones, but I don't find the regular iPhones that big, especially compared to some Android phones that are way larger.
 
I find the SE/12/13 mini to be something of a confusing product range (ignoring the similar 13/14 for now).

I’d have thought SE and 13 (not mini) would make more sense. Perhaps Apple have old stock they’re still trying to shift? I’m sure their markup on older models is such that they could move the price points and simplify the range?
 
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