World enews: Apple’s new iPhone SE vs Android phones: spec comparison

The new iPhone SE may look eerily familiar to anyone who has seen an iPhone in the last eight years, but as Apple has shown us with its budget line, it’s what’s on the inside that counts. The latest entry-level iPhone is set to come out on March 18th, with preorders going live on Friday, March 11th, and when it does it will be packing a beefy A15 Bionic processor and a slightly higher starting price of $429 with 64GB of storage. That’s the same processor found in the iPhone 13 line, making the SE nearly as capable as other current iPhones. But what if you’re not just shopping in Apple’s world? How does a “budget” iPhone compare to Android phones within a comparable range of value?

First off, let’s get the most obvious determining factor out of the way. If you use an Apple Watch, AirPods, AirPlay, or are a blue bubble in iMessage, you most likely want to just turn back now. Yes, there are alternatives to all of these in the realm of Android, but each one will present a level of friction that may be too much for many. Though if you’re considering making a switch, there’s a lot to like outside of Apple’s walled garden.

The strengths of the iPhone SE (2022)

The 2022 iPhone SE may use a dated design with big bezels, but what this line from Apple typically does best is offer a massive performance headroom at a relatively affordable price point. You cannot get another phone for under $500 with as fast a processor or as many years of expected updates as an iPhone SE. Apple doesn’t come out and say how many years of OS updates its phones will receive, but the first-generation iPhone SE from 2016 is able to run the latest iOS 15. Most phones that get three or four years of software updates are considered a triumph in the Android world, but it still pales in comparison.

This year, Apple is promising the performance gains of the A15 processor as well as a bigger battery to accommodate that power-hungry 5G modem that’s now built-in. The cost of all that comes in at a starting price point of $429 — a $30 increase over the 2020 model — but you’re still stuck with the same-old, same-old design with its 4.7-inch Retina display. That said, if you love a good home button, fingerprint scanner, and non-MagSafe Qi wireless charging, then there are reasons to rejoice.

The 2022 iPhone SE continues to prove that it’s what’s on the inside that counts. Namely, a beefy processor.

Image: Apple

The 2022 iPhone SE vs. Samsung, Google, and Motorola

That design may seem warm and cozy to longstanding iPhone owners that haven’t upgraded their phones in years, but compared to Android phones, it looks like it’s ripped from a long-forgotten past. For about the same price of the iPhone SE are all kinds of excellent Android phones with larger screens, bigger batteries, more RAM, and extra cameras. The iPhone SE might offer higher performance thanks to its CPU, but phones like the Samsung Galaxy A52 5G, Galaxy A42 5G, Google Pixel 5A, and Motorola Moto Edge 5G UW (2021) pack in more modern features and just stuff in general.

Samsung is known to hit just about every price point, and its Galaxy A52 and A42 both offer some beefy battery life. We don’t yet know the mAh specification of the new iPhone SE, but it’s safe to assume that even if it’s a larger battery than 2020’s SE it will remain smaller than its Android competition. The Galaxy A52 and Moto Edge also offer higher refresh rate screens too, hitting up to 120Hz and 144Hz, respectively. They may cost a little more than the iPhone, but those speeds make scrolling and animations look much smoother than the 60Hz that the SE tops out at.

Ssmsung Galaxy A52 5G — *The Samsung Galaxy A52 5G, along with most phones in the Android world, make the iPhone SE look quite dated by comparison.*

One of the most competitive options to compare with the iPhone SE may be Google’s Pixel 5A, as it is the closest in price. For just $20 more, you get more storage, a larger OLED screen, excellent camera quality, and an ultrawide lens option. Though it lacks wireless charging, the Pixel 5A is a worthy option for cross-shopping with the SE.

Lastly, there’s the Motorola Moto Edge 5G UW, which touts some of the biggest specs and features of all these phones, including a 6.8-inch screen with 144Hz refresh, a 5,000mAh battery, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. Although it does also come with an asking price of $699.99, it is often discounted to a much more competitive $499.99. That’s the thing with Android phones, there are often discounts to be had that are much more uncommon, or outright rare, on iPhones.

It’s hard to buy a bad phone these days, though, midrange phones continue to offer more value while the flagships from companies such as Apple and Samsung tend to get pricier and pricier. If you’re curious as to how the forthcoming iPhone SE compares directly with some of its budget-based competition, however, check out the side-by-side comparison below. We’ll be putting the new iPhone SE through its paces very soon in our full review, where the specs and the software experience collide to see just how good a value this phone really is.

iPhone SE (2022) vs Android mid-range phones

Specification	iPhone SE (2022)	Samsung Galaxy A52 5G	Samsung Galaxy A42 5G	Google Pixel 5A	Motorola Moto Edge 5G UW (2021)
Specification	iPhone SE (2022)	Samsung Galaxy A52 5G	Samsung Galaxy A42 5G	Google Pixel 5A	Motorola Moto Edge 5G UW (2021)
OS	iOS 15	Updated to Android 12	Updated to Android 12	Updated to Android 12	Android 11, planned update to Android 12 in early 2022
Display	4.7-inch LCD	6.5-inch OLED	6.6-inch OLED	6.34-inch OLED	6.8-inch LCD
Resolution	1334 x 750	2400 x 1080	1600 x 720	2400 x 1080	2460 x 1080
Max. refresh rate	60Hz	Up to 120Hz	60Hz	60Hz	up to 144Hz
Dimensions(mm)	67.3 x 138.4 x 7.3	75.1 x 159.9 x 8.4	75.9 x 164.4 x 8.6	73.2 x 156.2 x 8.8	75.6 x 169 x 8.99
Weight	144g	189 g	193 g	183 g	200 g
Battery Capacity	TBD	4500mAh	5000mAh	4680mAh	5000mAh
Processor	A15 Bionic	Snapdragon 750G	Snapdragon 750G	Snapdragon 765G	Snapdragon 778G
RAM	4GB	6GB	4GB	6GB	8GB
Storage	64GB, 128GB, 256GB	128GB	128GB	128GB	256GB
Ports	Lightning port	USB-C charging port, 3.5mm headphone jack, microSD	USB-C charging port, 3.5mm headphone jack, microSD	USB-C charging port, 3.5mm headphone jack	USB-C charging port
Rear camera	12MP (f/1.8, OIS) wide	64MP (f/1.8, OIS) wide, 12MP (f/2.2) ultra-wide, 5MP (f/2.4) macro, 5MP (f/2.4) depth camera	48MP (f/1.8) wide, 8MP (f/2.2) wide, 2MP (f/2.4) depth camera	12.2MP (f/1.7, dual-pixel AF) wide angle, 16MP (f/2.2) ultrawide	108MP (f/1.9) wide angle, 8MP (f/2.2) ultra-wide, 2MP depth sensor (f/2.4)
Front camera	7MP (f/2.2)	32MP (f/2.2)	13MP (f/2.2)	8MP(f/2.0)	32MP (f/2.25)
Photo Modes	Smart HDR 4, Portrait Mode, Portrait Lighting, Photographic Styles	Macro, Night mode, Portrait mode, Fun mode (front camera)	Night mode, Portrait mode	Night Sight, Portrait mode	Macro, Ultra-Res Pro (with long exposure), Night Vision
Video modes	N/A	Super Steady video mode	Super Steady video mode	Slow-mo	Macro, Super Slow-mo, Dual Capture, Video Snapshot
Video recording	4K at 24, 25, 30, or 60 fps. 1080p HD at 25, 30, or 60 fps with 120 and 240 fps Slow-Mo.	4K at 30 fps, 1080p HD at 30 fps Super Steady video mode	4K at 30 fps, 1080p HD at 30 fps Super Steady video mode	4K at 30 and 60 fps, 1080p HD at 30, 60, 120, and 240 fps	4K at 30 fps, 1080p HD at 60 and 30 fps or 120 fps with Slow-Mo
Biometrics	Touch ID	Fingerprint	Fingerprint	Fingerprint	Fingerprint, Face unlock
Water and dust protection	IP67	IP67	N/A	IP67	IP52
Wireless charging?	Yes, Qi-compatible	No	No	No	No
5G support	sub-6 GHz	sub-6GHz	sub-6GHz, mmWave	sub-6GHz	sub-6GHz, mmWave on Verizon
Starting price	$429	$499.99	$399.99	$449	$499.99 ($699.99 MSRP)