Apple stopped supporting the iPhone 6 last year which means that it continues to run on iOS 12. The iPhone 6 was an incredibly popular iPhone for Apple and despite the company dropping support for it, the device is used by millions of people worldwide. If you own an iPhone 6 and are wondering if the 2020 iPhone SE is worth spending the money on, read our comparison below.

Most people who are using the iPhone 6 are likely doing to because either the device is working just fine or because they are not willing to spend $700-$1000 on a new iPhone. This is where the 2020 iPhone SE comes in, offering them the performance of the iPhone 11 in a package that’s very similar to their iPhone 6.

iPhone 6 to 2020 iPhone SE – Upgrade or Not?

Design

• 2020 iPhone SE – 138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3mm, 148gms, IP67 certified, 2nd gen. Touch ID
• iPhone 6 – 138.1 x 67 x 6.9mm, 129gms, Touch ID, 3.5mm headphone jack

In terms of dimensions, the iPhone 6 and the 2020 iPhone SE are very much the same. The SE is slightly heavier and has a more chunky design but the difference is not that stark. The build quality of the devices, however, are very different from each other. The iPhone 6 featured a unibody aluminum body while the 2020 iPhone SE has an aluminum chassis sandwiched by strengthened glass panels at the front and rear. While the front design of both phones is the same, the 2020 iPhone SE has a better in-hand albeit boxy feel. It also features IP67 certification making it dust and water-resistant. Plus, it has Qi wireless charging, a very convenient feature to have in this day and age as wireless chargers become commonplace.

Display

• 2020 iPhone SE – 4.7-inch Retina HD, 1334 x 750 resolution, 326 ppi, Haptic Touch, 625nits brightness
• iPhone 6 – 4.7-inch Retina display, 1334 x 750 resolution, 326 ppi, 500nits brightness

Both iPhones come with the same 4.7-inch IPS LCD display. However, the panel on the iPhone SE is a newer generation one that offers higher brightness levels, better contrast, better and more accurate colors, and viewing angles. When upgrading from the iPhone 6 to the iPhone SE, you might not get any improvement in screen size, but the jump in display quality would be easily noticeable.

Chipset

• 2020 iPhone SE – A13 Bionic, Third-generation Neural engine
• iPhone 6 – A8 chip

There’s no comparison here. The A8 chip inside the iPhone 6 was good for its time, but it is well past its prime now and even Apple has dropped support for it now. The A13 Bionic chip inside the 2020 iPhone SE ensures that it would be supported by Apple until 2024-2025 easily making the entire package great bang for the buck.

Storage and RAM

• 2020 iPhone SE – 3GB RAM | 64GB, 128GB, 256GB storage variants
• iPhone 6 – 1GB RAM | 16GB, 32GB, 64GB storage variants

Another area where one simply cannot compare the 2020 iPhone SE to the iPhone 6. The iPhone SE offers 3x more RAM than the iPhone 6. It also comes with 4x more base storage. In fact, the maximum available storage option for the iPhone 6 and the iPhone SE’s base storage are the same: 64GB. The additional RAM means the 2020 iPhone SE will be significantly better at multitasking and loading apps than the iPhone 6, while the higher amount of storage will allow one to store more of their photos, videos, and documents on the device.

Connectivity

• 2020 iPhone SE – Gigabit LTE, Wi-Fi 6, Dual-SIM, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC with reader mode
• iPhone 6 – LTE, Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 4.2, NFC

The 2020 iPhone SE also brings massive upgrades over the iPhone 6 in the connectivity department. The latter only supports LTE, not even LTE-A, while the iPhone SE supports gigabit LTE. It also comes with a more modern and power-efficient modem meaning you would be getting better network reception as well as faster mobile data speeds. The voice call quality should also be clearer and better on the new iPhone. In other areas as well, the iPhone SE brings meaningful improvements over the iPhone 6. It has faster Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC with reader mode, dual-SIM connectivity with eSIM, and Express reader, all of which help enhance the experience of using the phone in daily life.

Camera

• 2020 iPhone SE – 12MP, f/1.8 aperture, OIS, Portrait Lightning, Stereo recording, 4K 60fps video recording, 7MP f/2.2 FaceTime HD camera
• iPhone 6 – 8MP, f/2.2 aperture, Full HD 60fps video recording, 1.2MP f/2.2 FaceTime camera

The camera upgrade from the iPhone 6 to iPhone SE is of at least a few generations. The iPhone SE will be able to capture more detailed photos with better dynamic range and colors. It can also record 4K videos at 6ofps while the iPhone 6 topped out at Full HD. It also has Portrait mode for the front and rear camera that’s missing from the iPhone 6.

The front camera has also seen an upgrade of a few generations. The 1.2MP FaceTime camera on the iPhone 6 is nowhere near to what the 7MP FaceTime HD camera on the iPhone SE can deliver.

Battery Life and Charging

• 2020 iPhone SE – Up to 13 hours video playback, Fast wired charging, 7.5W Qi wireless charging, 5W power adapter bundled
• iPhone 6 – Up to 11 hours video playback, 10W wired charging, 5W power adapter bundled

If you are still using an iPhone 6, chances are the battery of the device is past its prime and has degraded noticeably. Even when one takes that out of the equation, the iPhone SE offers better battery life than the iPhone 6. More importantly, the device supports 18W fast wired charging and has Qi wireless charging which means charging the device is not going to be as much of a hassle as it is with the iPhone 6.

iPhone 6 vs 2020 iPhone SE – Why You Should Upgrade

The 2020 iPhone SE is a major upgrade over the iPhone 6 in every aspect. The jump is of at least a few generations which means the real-life impact is going to be huge and easily noticeable in daily life. Even if your iPhone 6 is working just fine, it is no longer supported by Apple which means you are missing out on new features. If you are on a tight budget but can manage around $400, the 2020 iPhone SE is a no-brainer upgrade. The device will easily last you for 3-5 years without any issues.

If you decide to buy the new iPhone SE, then check out our post for the best iPhone SE deals. We would also love to know why did you decide to buy or not buy iPhone SE, so please also share your thoughts in the comments below.