Comparison of iPhone SE 2020 to iPhone 8: Which $ 400 iPhone Should You Buy?

In an attempt to appeal to iPhone fans on a budget, Apple unveiled its new iPhone SE for 2020 for $ 399 (£ 419, AU $ 749). The specifications and appearance of the new iPhone SE are similar to iPhone 8 from three years ago, which is probably why the tech company announced it would suspend its 2017 flagship the same day.

When it was first released, the iPhone 8 cost $ 699, but the price dropped to $ 449 before Apple took it offline. These days, you can still get the phone from outside retailers for even less (Walmart, for example, is selling it new for $ 349 on Straight Talk). But if you are thinking of buying the iPhone 8 over the iPhone SE 2020 at that price, then don’t. The iPhone SE can share many of the iPhone 8’s specs, but for $ 50 more you’ll get more mileage from a phone that’s not going to be three years out of the box. (And if $ 399 is totally out of your budget, consider buying for even cheaper phones.)

However, if you need more reasons, let’s look at both models and explain why the iPhone SE is the smartest buy.

Do you need to be more specific? Here is a detailed tutorial on how the two iPhones compare.

Design: Both iPhones are almost identical, but …

Unlike the iPhone SE and the iPhone 11 that look different even at a glance, iPhone SE and iPhone 8 look relatively the same. Both have 4.7-inch Retina HD displays (brand terms that Apple uses to differentiate its display technology) with the same resolution and pixel density. They also have a physical home button that houses a fingerprint reader to unlock the phone and authorize digital payments. Both are IP67 rated for protection against water as well.

But there are two minor differences about phones. One is that iPhone 8 still has 3D Touch. The feature debuted in 2015 on the iPhone 6S, allowing you to access additional menu options and commands by pressing your finger against the screen. Apple began phasing out the feature in 2018 with the iPhone XR and is now absent from new iPhones. Instead, the company replaced 3D Touch with Haptic Touch. Haptic Touch is on the iPhone SE and works relatively the same way, except that instead of having to press harder on the screen, you just need to long press on the item.

Second, the iPhone 8 comes in black, white, and gold, but inventory is limited by the retailer, so you can find even fewer options. The iPhone SE, meanwhile, It is now available and it comes in black, white and red.

Camera: iPhone SE has some hidden extras

The iPhone SE and iPhone 8 have a 12-megapixel rear camera and a 7-megapixel front shooter, with the same apertures in each (f / 1.8 and f / 2.2, respectively). On the surface, there appears to be no difference between the cameras on the two phones, but Apple added some useful under-the-hood camera updates. These include:

• Portrait mode and depth control to take and adjust bokeh photos
• Smart HDR, to improve reflections and shadows.
• Red-eye correction
• Quicktake, which allows you to quickly record videos without leaving Photo mode
• Video enhancements: extended dynamic range for 30 fps; 3x digital zoom (iPhone 8 has 2x); Cinematic video stabilization for 4K video (iPhone 8 has it only up to 1080p) and stereo recording
• Front camera: portrait mode and cinematic video stabilization up to 1080p (iPhone 8 has none)

Overall, iPhone SE captures better-quality photos and videos than iPhone 8, and sometimes takes photos equally comparable to iPhone 11. For more information on camera quality, be sure to read CNET iPhone SE Review.

Processor, battery, dual SIM and memory

The iPhone SE is equipped with the latest Apple property. A13 bionic chip, the same that is inside the flagship of the iPhone 11. When we ran throughput speeds at 3DMark and Geekbench 5, the iPhone SE reported similar results with the iPhone 11, meaning the iPhone SE also had comparable performance. , and sometimes better than, the Galaxy S20, Pixel 4, and OnePlus 8 Pro. And compared to the iPhone 8, the iPhone SE’s score for the 3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited test was miles above the iPhone 8 (97,415 compared to the iPhone 8’s score 62,206).

Apple never reveals the battery capabilities of its iPhones, so when it announced the iPhone SE, all it said was that it was the same as the iPhone 8. It also listed identical hours of wireless video and audio playback (13 hours and 40 hours, respectively) for both phones However, when we ran our battery tests for Airplane mode video playback, the iPhone SE lasted more than two hours than the iPhone 8. (To be more specific, the iPhone SE lasted approximately 15.5 hours, while the iPhone 8 lasted 13.5 hours).

Also, iPhone SE has options for a nano-SIM and an e-SIM, which means you can manage two phone numbers on the same phone. Having dual sim capabilities It is useful if you travel a lot and need a phone abroad, or if you have two phones for personal and business use and want to combine it into one device. Lastly, while both phones have a 64GB and 256GB memory option, the new iPhone SE has a third 128GB model. That capacity is commonly considered the “sweet spot” when it comes to storage. This is because 64GB may not be enough to save all your 4K photos and videos, 256GB may be too fancy.

iPhone SE 2020 vs. iPhone 8

	Apple iPhone SE (2020)	iPhone 8
Screen size, resolution	Retina 4.7-inch HD; 1,334×750 pixels	Retina 4.7-inch HD; 1,334×750 pixels
Pixel Density	326ppi	326ppi
Dimensions (inches)	5.45×2.65×0.29 in	5.45×2.65×0.29 in
Dimensions (mm)	138.4×67.3×7.3 mm	138.4×67.3×7.3 mm
Weight (ounces, grams)	5.22 oz; 148g	5.22 oz; 148g
Mobile software	iOS 13	iOS 11 (can upgrade to iOS 13)
Camera	12 megapixels	12 megapixels
Frontal camera	7 megapixels	7 megapixels
Video capture	4K	4K
Processor	Apple A13 Bionic	Apple A11 Bionic
Storage	64GB, 128GB, 256GB	64GB, 256GB
RAM	Not disclosed	Not disclosed
Expandable storage	No	No
Drums	Not disclosed	Not disclosed
Fingerprint sensor	Start button	Start button
Connector	Flash of lightning	Flash of lightning
Headphone jack	No	No
Special features	Waterproof (IP67); dual SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM); wireless charging	Waterproof (IP67); wireless charging