Apple hosted its first event of 2022 called Peek Performance on March 8. The company announced multiple new products, including a new iPhone SE 5G. Apple’s affordable iPhone comes with 5G network support and a faster chip under the hood. The phone gets the same iPhone SE 2020 design with thick bezels above and below the display and a Home Button for Touch ID. The iPhone SE 5G price in India starts at Rs 43,900 for the base model. With the price, the phone is closer to the iPhone 12, which is available on e-commerce platforms for around Rs 50,000.
So, should you consider buying the new iPhone SE 5G over the iPhone 12? Here’s a comparison of the two phones to help you decide.
iPhone SE 5G vs iPhone 12
Design and Display
Both iPhone models in this comparison come with a metal-glass sandwich design. The iPhone 12 gets a Ceramic Shield layer on top of the 6.1-inch display, which is missing on the iPhone SE 5G’s 4.7-inch panel.
The iPhone 12 also has a higher resolution (2532×1170 pixels) Super Retina XDR display compared to the iPhone SE 5G’s Retina HD display (1334×750 pixels). At the front, the iPhone 12 has a wide notch for the TrueDepth camera and Face ID. The SE 5G does not get a Face ID notch but Apple is instead offering it with a dated design.
In terms of weight, the SE 5G is lighter at 144 grams and measures 138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3mm. The iPhone 12, on the other hand, weighs 162 grams and measures 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4mm.
The SE 5G comes in Product Red, Starlight and Midnight colours, whereas the iPhone 12 comes in Purple, Green, Blue, Red, Black and White colours.
Processor and Storage
Both iPhone models come with Apple’s custom A-series chip. The iPhone 12 has an A14 Bionic chip with a 6-core CPU and a 4-core GPU. The SE 5G has a slightly faster A15 chip with a 6-core CPU and a 4-core GPU. While both phones come with capable chipsets, the SE 5G gets a point here for its upgrades over the iPhone 12’s A14 chip.
Both phones arrive in three storage options – 64GB, 128GB and 256GB.
Battery life
Apple does not mention the battery capacity of the iPhones. The company claims that the iPhone 12 offers up to 17 hours of video playback or 65 hours of audio playback. In comparison, the SE 5G is claimed to offer 15 hours of video playback or 50 hours of audio playback.
Both phones support 20W fast charging that is sold separately. They also support wireless charging. The iPhone 12 gets support for MagSafe charging, which is Apple’s proprietary magnetic charging tech.
Camera
The iPhone 12 has an edge here with its dual-camera setup. The phone has a 12MP main camera with an f/1.6 aperture and a 12MP ultrawide camera with an f/2.4 aperture. The iPhone SE 5G, on the other hand, has a single 12MP rear camera.
For selfies, the iPhone 12 has a 12MP front camera, whereas the iPhone SE 5G has a 7MP front camera. The iPhone SE comes with support for Photographic Styles, which is not available on the iPhone 12.
Software
Both devices come with support for iOS 15. However, the SE 5G is expected to get an extra year of software support compared to the iPhone 12, which boots iOS 14 out of the box.
Verdict
So, which iPhone should you buy? The answer depends on your use case. If you are looking to enter the Apple ecosystem with an iOS product, the iPhone SE 5G is more affordable. The phone comes with a faster A15 chip, which has a lead over the A14 found on the iPhone 12. Both support 5G network.
The iPhone 12 should be considered by those who want a larger display in the same form factor. It also has a 12MP main and a 12MP ultrawide camera. Both devices run iOS 15. However, since the SE 5G was launched in 2022, it is likely to get more software updates compared to the iPhone 12. Therefore, we advise you to make your purchase decision only after checking your use case.
View Photos (5)Compare See specifications
View Photos (5)Compare See specifications
