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iPhone Q&A
Update Published September 21, 2024
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What are the major differences between the iPhone SE 2 and iPhone SE 3? Is the iPhone SE 3 a lot better?
There are three different iPhone SE 2 models, introduced in 2020. These models were replaced by four different iPhone SE 3 models in 2022. This Everyi.com Q&A primarily covers collective differences to make it straightforward to decide if the iPhone SE 3 is significantly better to you.
Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (Left: iPhone SE 2; Right: iPhone
SE 3)
Although the color options are slightly different, as the above photos make clear, the iPhone SE 2 and iPhone SE 3 practically are indistinguishable even if side-by-side. They both have the same display, same "Home" button that supports "Touch ID" authentication, and even the same physical cameras.
However, just because they look essentially the same, doesn't mean that there aren't differences between the iPhone SE 2 and iPhone SE 3. Accordingly, because the differences are invisible, a detailed comparison is particularly worthwhile.
External Design & Functionality Similarities
Compared to other, more expensive, iPhone models released around the same time, the iPhone SE 2 and iPhone SE 3 both use a dated design with significant "dead space" above the top and bottom of the same 4.7" LCD "Retina HD" display.
Both models use the same general external case mostly made from "low carbon" aluminum with a glass front and back, although the glass is said to be more durable on the iPhone SE 3. Both models are splash, water, and dust-resistant to the IP67 standard (maximum depth of 1 meter up to 30 minutes), but not fully waterproof.
Both the iPhone SE 2 and iPhone SE 3 also support "wireless" -- or more precisely inductive -- charging and have stereo speakers, a Lightning port, a side-mounted Nano SIM access panel on the right side (specific SIM capabilities vary by country), and a solid state "clickless" Home button with integrated "Touch ID" fingerprint capability.
These similarities are summarized below. Colors are different,
but just barely:
 iPhone SE 2 |
 iPhone SE 3 |
|
| Display: | 4.7" LCD | 4.7" LCD |
| Resolution: | 1334x750 | 1334x750 |
| PPI: | 326 ppi | 326 ppi |
| Contrast Ratio: | 1400:1 | 1400:1 |
| Water Resistance: | IP67 (1 meter) | IP67 (1 meter) |
| Speakers: | Stereo | Stereo |
| Security: | Touch ID | Touch ID |
| Home Button: | Yes | Yes |
| Inductive Charging: | Yes (Qi) | Yes (Qi) |
| Material: | Aluminum/Glass | Aluminum/Glass |
| Color Options: | (PRODUCT) RED White Black |
(PRODUCT) RED Starlight Midnight |
Camera Differences
The cameras in the iPhone SE 2 and iPhone SE 3 use the same hardware, but the iPhone SE 3 has modestly upgraded software capabilities.
Front Cameras
The front-facing camera on the iPhone SE 2 and iPhone SE 3 both are "Face Time HD" cameras with a 7 megapixel sensor and an f/2.2 aperture, but the iPhone SE 3 has modestly more capable software:
iPhone SE 2 |
iPhone SE 3 |
|
| Camera Type: | FaceTime HD | FaceTime HD |
| Megapixels: | 7 MP | 7 MP |
| Aperture: | f/2.2 | f/2.2 |
| Video: | 1080p | 1080p |
| Portrait Mode: | Yes | Yes |
| Portrait Lighting: | Yes (Six Effects) | Yes (Six Effects) |
| Photographic Styles: | No | Yes |
| Deep Fusion: | No | Yes |
| AR Support: | No | No |
| Face ID: | No | No |
| Animoji/Memoji: | No | No |
Rear Cameras
The single-lens rear camera in both the iPhone SE 2 and iPhone SE 3 also are the same, but like its front-facing camera, the iPhone SE 3 has more capable software because of its more powerful processor:
iPhone SE 2 |
iPhone SE 3 |
|
| Megapixels: | 12 MP | 12 MP |
| Aperture: | f/1.8 | f/1.8 |
| Telephoto: | None | None |
| LED Flash: | Yes | Yes |
| Night Mode: | No | Yes |
| Digital Zoom: | 5x | 5x |
| Portrait Mode: | Yes | Yes |
| Portrait Lighting: | Yes (Six Effects) | Yes (Six Effects) |
| Photographic Styles: | No | Yes |
| Smart HDR: | Yes ("Next Gen") | Yes (Version 4) |
| Deep Fusion: | No | Yes |
Essentially, the iPhone SE 3 has improved image processing and
more control over the tone and color of photos.
Identification Differences
It is easy to mix up the iPhone SE 2 and iPhone SE 3 even when they are side-by-side.
However, one relatively easy way to uniquely identify the iPhone SE 2 and iPhone SE 3 is by the Model Number listed on the cardboard shipping box and within the iOS "Settings" app.
Consequently, for the purpose of this Q&A, it is sufficient to note that the following model numbers refer to these iPhone devices:
|
iPhone Model |
Model No |
EveryiPhone.com's Ultimate iLookup feature also can precisely identify these iPhone models by Order Number (referred to as "Model" within the iOS "Settings" app under General > About).
Battery Life Differences
The iPhone SE 2 and iPhone SE 3 both have respectable battery life, but the iPhone SE 3 offers longer runtimes:
iPhone SE 2 |
iPhone SE 3 |
|
| Streamed Video: | 8 Hours | 10 Hours |
| Video Playback: | 13 Hours | 15 Hours |
| Audio Playback: | 40 Hours | 50 Hours |
Wireless Connectivity & Data Differences
There are notable differences in connectivity for different iPhone SE 2 and iPhone SE 3 models depending on where either is sold, but most significantly, the iPhone SE 3 models support sub-6 GHz 5G cellular networking whereas the iPhone SE 2 models do not.
SIM capabilities are different in mainland China for both the iPhone SE 2 and iPhone SE 3, as well. Everywhere else in the world, these iPhone models support dual SIMs (one physical Nano SIM and one eSIM) whereas the China-specific models only support a single hardware Nano SIM.
Internal Differences
Compared to the iPhone SE 2, the iPhone SE 3 has a faster, more capable processor, more RAM, and 5G support:
iPhone SE 2 |
iPhone SE 3 |
|
| Clockspeed: | 2.66 GHz | 3.2 GHz |
| Processor: | Apple A13 Bionic | Apple A15 Bionic |
| Cores: | Six | Six |
| RAM: | 3 GB | 4 GB |
| GPU: | 4-Cores | 4-Cores |
| Neural Engine: | 8-Cores | 16-Cores |
| Orig. Storage: | 64/128/256 GB | 64/128/256 GB |
| Curr. Storage: | Used Market Only | 64/128/256 GB |
| 5G Cellular: | No | Yes (sub-6 GHz) |
| Apple Pay (NFC): | Yes | Yes |
In performance
tests, the newer iPhone SE 3 is around 30% faster in
single-core tasks and 60% faster in multi-core tasks than the
iPhone SE 2, but this difference is not always apparent in
real-world use.
iOS Support Differences
The iPhone SE 2 originally shipped with iOS 13. The iPhone SE 3 originally shipped with iOS 15. Regardless of the version pre-installed, both models fully support iOS 15.
The iPhone SE 2 and iPhone SE 3 also support iOS 16, iOS 17, and iOS 18, the current version of the iOS, but feature support is different.
Running iOS 16, neither support the minor Accessibility Detection and improved Depth of Field features, but the iPhone SE 2 does not support Apple Music Sing (Karaoke), whereas the iPhone SE 3 does support this feature.
Running iOS 17, the iPhone SE 2 does not support the minor React with Your Hands; More Accurate Autocorrect in English, French, and Spanish; Inline Predictions (English); and Point and Speak features, whereas the iPhone SE 3 supports all of these features.
Running iOS 18, neither model support the Apple Intelligence (AI) and Messages via Satellite features, but the iPhone SE 2 also does not support the Live audio transcriptions, Eye Tracking, and Music Haptics features, whereas the iPhone SE 3 does support these features.
iPhone SE 2 & iPhone SE 3 Comparison Chart
These differences as well as other details and pricing information is summarized below:
iPhone SE 2 |
iPhone SE 3 |
|
| Introduced: | Apr 2020 | Mar 2022 |
| Discontinued: | Mar 2022 | N/A |
| Processor: | 2.66 GHz A13 | 3.2 GHz A15 |
| RAM: | 3 GB | 4 GB |
| Orig. Storage: | 64/128/256 GB | 64/128/256 GB |
| Curr. Storage: | Used Market Only | 64/128/256 GB |
| Battery Life: | 8-40 Hours | 10-50 Hours |
| Display Type: | LCD | LCD |
| Display Size: | 4.7" | 4.7" |
| Resolution: | 1334x750 | 1334x750 |
| Pixel Density: | 326 ppi | 326 ppi |
| Contrast Ratio: | 1400:1 | 1400:1 |
| Front Camera: | 7 MP (1080p) | 7 MP (1080p) |
| Rear Camera: | 1 (12 MP) | 1 (12 MP) |
| Security: | Touch ID | Touch ID |
| Home Button: | Yes | Yes |
| Material: | Alum/Glass | Alum/Glass |
| Waterproofing: | IP67 (1m) | IP67 (1m) |
| Colors: | Three Colors | Three Colors |
| SIM Card: | Nano/eSIM | Nano/eSIM |
| Fastest Wi-Fi: | 802.11ax (6) | 802.11ax (6) |
| 5G Cellular: | No | Yes (sub-6 GHz) |
| Original iOS: | iOS 13 | iOS 15 |
| Maximum iOS: | iOS 18 | iOS 18 |
| Orig. Price* (US): | US$399 US$449 US$549 |
US$429 US$479 US$579 |
| Curr. Price* (US): | Used Market Only | US$429 US$479 US$579 |
* Note that these prices are for devices unlocked and paid in full upfront. Apple replaced the iPhone SE 2 with the iPhone SE 3 on March 8, 2022.
For pricing in dozens of countries, see the "Global Prices" on the specs page for each iPhone as well as the "By Global Original Prices" section of EveryiPhone.com.
So, is the iPhone SE 3 a lot better? Should I buy an older iPhone SE 2 or newer iPhone SE 3?
Compared to the older iPhone SE 2, the newer iPhone SE 3 provides (1) faster performance, (2) 5G cellular support, (3) better battery life, (4) modestly improved camera software, and (5) more RAM (which could mean longer operating system support). The iPhone SE 3 also supports (6) some modest additional features running newer versions of the iOS, as well.
Whether or not these improvements are "a lot" better is open to debate, but they are improvements. For someone who only wants to consider a new iPhone, and who has a limited budget, the iPhone SE 3 is the cheapest option. If you already have an iPhone SE 2 and you want to upgrade, the iPhone SE 3 is unlikely to be worth the jump (except maybe for 5G).
If you are on a tight budget and considering a new iPhone SE 3, you might be better served by buying a used iPhone SE 2 or iPhone SE 3. Both are available at a discount on the used market.
In the US, site sponsor Other World Computing sells used and refurbished iPhone models with free shipping. On the other hand, if you need to sell an iPhone, A+ BBB-rated Cash for Your Mac and GoRoostr will buy your older iPhone with an instant quote and prompt payment.
Please also see EveryiPhone.com's Ultimate iComparison feature to dynamically compare any iPhone model to any other iPod, iPhone, or iPad.
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