Apple iPhone SE (left) starts at Rs 42,500, whereas the iPhone XR (right) costs Rs 52,500 for the base model in India.
Apple unveiled a successor to the iPhone SE on Wednesday and it’s the company’s most affordable phone today. It’s called the iPhone SE, but it features a bigger 4.7-inch Retina HD screen and the latest A13 Bionic chipset. It looks just like the iPhone 8 and has a lot of common features but at a more affordable $399 price tag. Think of the new iPhone SE as the iPhone 11 in iPhone 8 body.
While the budget-friendly iPhone SE is certainly a good deal, Apple still sells its popular iPhone XR in the market. Both iPhones cater to the premium mid-range segment but there are plenty of differences between the two handsets.
Here’s how both phones compare on the basis of specs and price.
iPhone SE (2020) vs iPhone XR: Design
The newest member of Apple’s iPhone lineup is based on the design language of the iPhone 8. Simply put, the iPhone SE retains chunky bezels and a fingerprint scanner called the Touch ID. Thankfully, the device is water-resistant (IP67, to be precise) and has a glass back, meaning it supports Qi wireless charging. The 4.7-inch iPhone SE comes in black and white. and (ProductRED).
Apple iPhone XR review
The iPhone XR, on the other hand, has an attractive design with a mix of glass and aluminium. It shuns away from the fingerprint sensor (or Touch ID) and relies completely on Face ID, which unlocks the phone if you just look at it. Like the new iPhone SE, the iPhone XR is water-resistant and supports wireless charging. However, unlike the iPhone SE, the iPhone XR does away with a chunkier bezel framing and instead has a small notch around the front-facing camera. Neither of the phones features a headphone jack. You do get a pair of Lightning EarPods in the box.
The iPhone SE is perfect for playing Apple Arcade games on the go.
iPhone SE (2020) vs iPhone XR: Display
The iPhone SE (2020) has a 4.7-inch 1,334 x 750 pixel display. It has True Tone technology built-in. The screen size and resolution are the same as the iPhone 8 display. A 6.1-inch diagonally, the iPhone XR has a bigger display compared to the iPhone SE. The displays support Dolby Vision and HDR10 playback.
The iPhone XR is a modern looking smartphone with a 6.1-inch screen and fancy FaceID.
iPhone SE (2020) vs iPhone XR: Performance
Under the hood of the iPhone SE, you’ll find the same A13 Bionic chipset used by the flagship iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro. In short, the $399 iPhone SE is as powerful as Apple’s top-end iPhone 11 series. The entry-level iPhone SE comes 64GB, 128GB and 256GB storage options.
Apple’s new ‘budget’ iPhone SE could replace iPhone XR; here’s why
The iPhone XR uses the A12 chipset like the iPhone XS. The iPhone XR comes in 64GB, 256GB and 512GB storage sizes. The iPhone SE, just like the iPhone 11, supports Wi-Fi. The iPhone XR, unfortunately, lacks Wi-Fi 6 support. Both the iPhone SE and iPhone XR have an eSIM other than a regular SIM. Both handsets are 4G enabled as Apple is yet to launch 5G iPhones in the market. Expect both phones to last a day on a single charge.
The iPhone SE has the same A13 Bionic chipset used by the flagship iPhone 11.
iPhone SE (2020) vs iPhone XR: Camera
Both the iPhone SE and iPhone XR feature a single 12-megapixel rear camera with f/1.8 aperture and OIS. But, unlike the iPhone XR, the new iPhone SE gets the camera software features from the iPhone 11. The budget iPhone has six Portrait Lighting effects and Depth Control as well as the second-gen Smart HDR. The iPhone SE’s 7MP front-facing camera also comes equipped with portrait mode, like the iPhone 11. Both phones are capable of shooting 4K videos at 60 frames per second.
iPhone SE (2020) vs iPhone XR: Which one to buy?
We know it’s a little complicated to choose between the iPhone SE and iPhone XR. Look, the iPhone SE is perfect for those who don’t want to spend $1000 on a new smartphone. At $399, the new iPhone SE has enough power and guts as the iPhone 11. Yes, there are compromises too but you should look at the real value at the end of the day. As far as the iPhone XR is concerned, the device falls somewhere between the iPhone SE and iPhone 11. Sure, it has Face ID and modern looking design, but it does not have the same A13 Bionic chip as the iPhone 11 or iPhone SE. Plus, the iPhone XR is expensive in comparison to the iPhone SE.