Apple iPhone SE 2022 vs iPhone 12: which one to choose?

Apple held its first event of 2022 called Peek Performance on March 8th. The company has announced several new products, including the new iPhone SE 5G. Apple’s affordable iPhone comes with 5G connectivity and a faster chip under the hood. The phone shares the same design as the iPhone SE 2020, with thick bezels above and below the display and a home button for Touch ID. The iPhone SE 5G starts at $575 for the base model. Price-wise, the phone is closer to the iPhone 12, which is available on e-commerce platforms for around $654.

So, should you consider buying the new iPhone SE 5G instead of 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 feature a metal and glass sandwich design. The iPhone 12 gets a Ceramic Shield layer on top of the 6.1-inch display, which is missing from the iPhone SE 5G’s 4.7-inch panel.

The iPhone 12 also features a higher resolution Super Retina XDR display (2532×1170 pixels) compared to the iPhone SE 5G Retina HD display (1334×750 pixels). The front of the iPhone 12 has a wide cutout for the TrueDepth camera and Face ID. The SE 5G doesn’t have a face ID cutout, but instead Apple is offering it with a legacy design.

In terms of weight, the SE 5G is 144 grams lighter 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, while the iPhone 12 comes in Purple, Green, Blue, Red, Black, and White.

Processor and Memory

Both iPhone models come with a custom Apple 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. Although both phones come with functional chipsets, the SE 5G scores a point here for its upgrades over the iPhone 12’s A14 chip.

Both phones come with three storage options – 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB.

Battery life

Apple doesn’t mention the iPhone’s battery capacity. The company claims that the iPhone 12 offers up to 17 hours of video playback or 65 hours of audio playback. By comparison, the SE 5G is said to offer 15 hours of video playback or 50 hours of audio playback.

Both phones support 20W fast charging, which is sold separately. They also support wireless charging. The iPhone 12 is getting support for MagSafe charging, which is Apple’s own magnetic charging technology.

Camera

The iPhone 12 has the advantage of having a dual camera setup. The phone has a 12MP main camera with f/1.6 aperture and a 12MP ultra-wide camera with 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, while the iPhone SE 5G has a 7MP front camera. iPhone SE comes with support for Photo Styles, which is not available on iPhone 12.

Software

Both devices ship with iOS 15 support. However, the SE 5G is expected to get an extra year of software support compared to the iPhone 12, which boots iOS 14 natively.

Verdict

So which iPhone should you buy? The answer depends on your use case. If you want to enter the Apple ecosystem with an iOS product, the iPhone SE 5G will be more affordable. The phone is equipped with a faster A15 chip, which is ahead of the A14 found in the iPhone 12. Both support 5G network.

The iPhone 12 should be considered for those who want a larger display in the same form factor. It also has a 12MP main camera and a 12MP ultra wide camera. Both devices are running iOS 15. However, since the SE 5G was launched in 2022, it is likely to receive more software updates compared to the iPhone 12. Therefore, we advise you to make a purchase decision only after checking your use case.