What Is the Difference between iPhone SE and iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus?

BY Rajesh Pandey

Published 21 Mar 2016

iPhone 6s - SE comparison

The iPhone SE might share the same design as the iPhone 5s from outside, but internally, it shares almost the same internals as the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. Despite its lower price, Apple has made very few compromises in the specs of the handset to reach the $399 price point, which is very surprising.

That does not mean there are no differences between Apple’s new 4-inch iPhone SE and the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. There are, plenty of them. Read below and find out what they are:

iPhone SE vs. iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus

Display

  • The iPhone SE comes with a paltry 4-inch screen, which by today’s standard is miniscule. The iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus on the other hand come with 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch IPS LCD displays.
  • The iPhone SE’s 4-inch display sports a resolution of 1136 x 640. This is lower than the 1334 x 750 pixel resolution of the iPhone 6s and the Full HD resolution display of the iPhone 6s Plus.
  • Unlike the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, the iPhone SE does not feature 3D Touch.
  • The smaller display ensures that the iPhone SE is the lightest iPhone in Apple’s lineup right now. It weighs in at only 113g, compared to 143g and 192g for the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.
  • However, the iPhone SE (7.6mm) is quite a bit thicker than the iPhone 6s (7.1mm) and 6s Plus (7.3mm).
  • The iPhone SE’s 4-inch display also has a lower contrast ratio of 800:1 compared to the 1400:1 contrast ratio of Apple’s flagship iPhones.
  • The new 4-inch iPhone also lacks dual-domain pixels for wider viewing angles.
  • Lastly, Display Zoom and Reachability are also missing on the iPhone SE, though given its size, this should not really be troublesome.

Chip, Performance, Storage & Battery:

  • The iPhone SE comes with the same A9 chip that is found inside the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.
  • However, since the handset has a lower resolution screen, it should offer even better performance than the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, provided Apple has not reduced the clock speed of the A9 chip.
  • Apple is offering the iPhone SE in 16GB and 64GB storage variants, while the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus are available in 16, 64 and 128GB variants.
  • The iPhone SE uses a first generation Touch ID sensor, while the iPhone 6s and iphone 6s Plus make use of the second-generation Touch ID sensor.
  • The iPhone SE, surprisingly, offers better battery life than the iPhone 6s — at least that’s what Apple would want us to believe. The company quotes that the iPhone SE can last for up to 13 hours while web browsing on Wi-FI and LTE. The iPhone 6s, on the other hand, can only do so for 10 and 11 hours respectively.
  • Even the iPhone 6s Plus with its gigantic battery is behind the iPhone SE here, as it can only offer up to 12 hours of web browsing on LTE and web browsing
  • The iPhone SE lacks a Barometer, which is surprising to say the least.

Camera

  • The iPhone SE has the same rear iSight camera setup as the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, except it lacks OIS that is found on the Plus variant of the iPhone.
  • The front-facing FaceTime camera, however, has a paltry 1.2MP resolution. The iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus come with a 5MP front shooter with an f/2.2 aperture.
  • On the bright side, the handset features Retina Flash that ensures bright selfies, irrespective of the lighting conditions.
  • The handset also features Live Photos that up until now was only found on the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.

Touch ID

Cellular and Wireless

iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus supports LTE Advanced which can achieve download speeds of up to 450Mbps whereas iPhone SE supports only LTE which can achieve download speeds of up to 150Mbps. iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus supports 23 LTE bands, whereas iPhone SE supports only 19 bands.

iPhone SE can achieve download speeds of up to 433 Mbps over Wi-Fi, whereas as iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus support download speeds of up to 833 Mbps over Wi-Fi.

Pricing

  • The iPhone SE is significantly cheaper than the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. In fact, it is the cheapest iPhone in Apple’s lineup right now, with prices starting from $399.
  • Prices for the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus start from $649 and go all the way up to $949.

The biggest difference between the iPhone SE and the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus are the design and display size. The iPhone SE looks the same as the iPhone 5s, which is to say its design feels outdated now. The iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, in comparison, have a sleeker looking design.

Update:

Updated the post with information about Touch ID, and Cellular & Wireless capabilities.