Top 3 Ways iPhone SE, 5s and 6s Compare
With the announcement of Apple’s 4-inch iPhone SE we thought it was appropriate to take a look at how the new guy compares to both the 5s and 6s. Here are the top 3 ways iPhone SE, 5s and 6s compare!
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First let’s tackle the name – iPhone SE. Sounds a bit like a car model. In fact, I just bought a 2016 VW Tiguan SE. I already bought the SE part, they’ve should’ve just thrown in the iPhone for free.
Though at first glance the 4-inch display seems like a step down, when we look at stats it looks more like one small step for the iPhone, one giant leap for Apple.
Though the increase in screen size over the years was welcomed with open palms (you gotta love my puns) it wasn’t universally accepted especially by the tiny hands community. Just last year alone 30 million people bought a 4-inch iPhone. Apparently 30 million iPhone users have hawk-like vision and small hands.
Kudos to Apple for listening to the people.
Now, the new iPhone SE falls somewhere between the 5s and 6s. While the inside resembles more of the 6s, the outside looks a lot more like the 5s. This makes sense seeing as though the latter is the intended target of replacement
Let’s compare some of the major specs of these three phones.
Speed and Performance
Speed and general performance of a smartphone has a lot to do with the processor chip embedded in its guts. As you would expect the processor chips are upgraded every phone or two. Though the SE is a “lower-end” iPhone it still hangs with the big boys in terms of performance.
iPhone 5s – A7 processor chip
iPhone 6s – A9 processor chip
iPhone SE – A9 processor chip
That should speak volumes in terms of what Apple is intending with this new phone. I mean they could’ve gone with the A7 chip or even A8 found in the iPhone 6 but no they decided to make it a super reliable phone.
The SE also boasts faster LTE speeds than the 5s, though not as killer as the 6s. That’s how they get you, man. We all want it right now and fast. Just tell me it’s faster and I’ll hand over my American Express.
Camera
Again as new phones are released the camera is inevitably given an upgrade. It’s always at least a little bit better than the previous model. So what are we looking at with the SE?
The 12 MP rear-facing camera meaning the one you use for everything but selfies, is pretty legit. It’s on par with the 6s and definitely better than the 8 MP 5s camera.
But what about the front-facing selfie camera (FaceTime camera)? It’s only 1.2 MP. I guess to make a cheaper phone you have to forego a few luxurious features. Sorry, person who uploads 43 selfies a day on Facebook.
Rear-Facing Camera
iPhone 5s – 8 MP (1080p video)
iPhone 6s – 12 MP (4K video)
iPhone SE – 12 MP (4K video)
Front-Facing Camera (Selfies)
iPhone 5s – 1.2 MP (720p video)
iPhone 6s – 5 MP (720p video)
iPhone SE – 1.2 MP (720p video)
Live Photos which was introduced in the 6s are also available with the SE. As we go down the line you can see that the SE is in some ways even more advanced than the 6. So what’s missing in the SE?
So far it looks as though the SE is the 6s in 5s clothing. Well not quite. Sure there are a lot of similarities but they had to unload some cargo to afford to sell it at a lower price.
First, as mentioned before the 1.2 MP front-facing camera is comparable with the 5s. In the grand scheme of things it makes sense that they would deep-six a higher MP for selfies. Sure that camera’s used a lot but rarely more than a foot or two in front of your face.
And let’s be honest, the higher the resolution the more imperfections are captured on camera. A bit superficial I know but we all have at least a shred of vanity.
The fingerprint sensor in the SE isn’t as advanced as the 6s. It sports the first-gen Touch ID sensor. This means it won’t read your fingerprint as well as newer versions. Hardly a deal-breaker though.
Lack of 3D Touch in iPhone SE
A bigger omission is the lack of 3D Touch. Pretty much the hype factor of the 6s, 3D Touch allows for intuitive screen touching. By pressing on the screen with varying pressure you can perform Quick Actions and peek and pop with e-mails, hyperlinks, etc.
With the SE missing out on the party only the 6s has 3D Touch tech. Not even the newly announced 9.7-inch iPad Pro was invited.
It makes sense of course that it wouldn’t be included as cost was obviously a factor in creating the SE. Apple’s whole idea was to pack in as many advanced features as possible without breaking the bank.
After all, the phone goes for as little as $399.