Comparing iPhone SE 2 and iPhone XR: What are the advantages and disadvantages?

Pros and cons at a glance

April 19, 2020, 1:26 pm Reading time: 5 minutes

Is there a world between the new iPhone SE 2 and iPhone XR? The price difference exceeds 200 euros. Nevertheless, the iPhone SE 2020 is better than the iPhone XR in some ways-and vice versa. Compare.

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On the one hand, the iPhone XR has Face ID, a borderless 6.1-inch screen, and a slightly older A12 processor. On the other hand, iPhone SE 2 uses Apple ’s new A13 Bionic chipset, but is attracted by the iPhone 8 case with touch ID and thick screen edges. Can't you choose between iPhone SE 2 and iPhone XR?

This is understandable. On the iPhone SE in 2020, Apple showed a wild combination of old and new components, on the one hand exuding some charm-taking into account the price-but on the other hand also uses dusty technology. what are you going to do?

Price: Not a completely different alliance

This price is surprising. No matter where you look, iPhone SE 2 is hailed as a "price-breaker" and "Apple's entry-level smartphone." Too. The price of this phone is 479 euros, which is very suitable for iPhone. But the 699 Euro iPhone XR did not play in a completely different league, which was forgotten during the presentation of the iPhone SE 2. The prices mentioned are only valid for each 64 GB basic version.

Interim price conclusion: IPhone usually saves three to five years. Therefore, please pay attention to the resale value. Whether the iPhone with the home button will sell well in four years is uncertain. If you really care about every euro, then a refurbished or used iPhone may make sense to you.

Processor and performance: Don't stress yourself!

iPhone SE 2 looks like iPhone 8. But technically, it is superior to the now discontinued Apple phones. The exhibit is undoubtedly the processor A13 Bionic. Striking: Apple put its best and most powerful chipset in the most expensive phones [iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max] and the cheapest smartphones. iPhone XR must be used with A12. This is not a bad single-chip system [SoC], but the one launched with the iPhone XS in 2018.

Interim performance conclusion: IPhone XR failed. In direct comparison, the new iPhone SE loads content faster and is one step ahead in graphics. However, iPhone XR and A12 SoC need not be hidden. The power for the next few years is sufficient. Overall, it can be said that all iPhone models currently sold by Apple have sufficient computing power for at least the next three years.

Display, size, case: which is smaller?

The 2020 iPhone SE is equipped with a 4.7-inch display and is by far the smallest iPhone touch screen. The next smaller Apple phone of 5.8 inches will be the iPhone 11 Pro. However, because the price is more than twice higher, it plays a role in a completely different league. Unfortunately, the resolution of 1334 x 750 pixels is very low.

OLED and LCD are directly compared. "Data-image-compare =" image

Oulaide vs. LCD Part 2 "data-image-compare =" image

The LCD display of the iPhone XR [above] is directly compared to the OLED screen [here iPhone XS]. You will see that if you look directly at the display from above, the LCD will be brighter and whiter than the OLED display. When you look at the monitor from a sharper angle, this will suddenly change.

The iPhone XR has a 6.1-inch display with a resolution of 1,792 x 828 pixels, which is generally considered an advantage, especially for journalists and data sheet students. We are pretty sure that most people will be able to live very well at the iPhone SE resolution, especially because the pixel density [ie the pixel ratio per unit pixel] is the same as the two models of 326 ppi.

You must have no OLED display on both Apple phones. Both iPhone SE 2 and iPhone XR have a retina or liquid retina display. Therefore, you must tolerate a poorer black level display compared to OLED displays. Both models still support the True Tone function. The two smartphones also support P3 color space and tactile touch. At 625 nits [manufacturer's specifications], they are equally bright.

Given the significantly larger display of the iPhone XR, the difference in case size is smaller than you might think. That The iPhone XR is 1.25 cm taller than the iPhone SE 2, 0.84 cm wide, and 0.1 cm thick. There are significant differences in weight: using the same material combination [glass and aluminum] and waterproof protection [immersed in 1 meter for 30 minutes], the iPhone XR weighs 194 grams, and the new iPhone SE 2 weighs only 148 grams.

Apple iPhone SE 2 in the picture

Picture 1/10

Apple iPhone SE 2 provides a 4.7-inch display and physical home button.
[Source: Apple]

Using the color of the protective sleeve, iPhone XR has more options. Although you can only choose between the black, red and white of the iPhone SE 2, the iPhone XR also offers you blue, yellow and coral colors.

Touch ID or face ID?

With Face ID on the iPhone XR, a better relationship between display and case size can be achieved. On the other hand, iPhone SE 2 uses Touch ID with a home button. This is the iPhone 8 ’s home screen button, and you ca n’t press it anymore. Face recognition is a safer technology on paper. According to Apple, only one in a million people can use its biometric technology to unlock a third-party iPhone. When using Touch ID, it is one of 50,000.

Interim conclusion: Face ID and Touch ID can work quickly, reliably and safely in daily life. Users get used to it quickly. The iPhone SE 2 may be the last Apple phone to use the technology, including the home button and the associated thick screen edge.

Camera: Differences at the same resolution

Both Apple phones can take 12-megapixel photos. Both optical components stabilize the image; however, it is not the same camera sensor. One of the iPhone XR is better than the photo chip of the iPhone SE 2 known in the iPhone 8 [newer technology, larger pixels].

But do n’t forget: iPhone SE 2020 includes A13 SoC, which has a better ISP [Image Signal Processor]. Therefore, we assume that the image results are absolutely comparable. iPhone SE 2 even supports the popular portrait mode. We explained in the linked article why iPhone SE 2 can even keep up with iPhone 11 Pro photos.

Radio and WiFi

Neither iPhone SE 2 nor iPhon XR has 5G capabilities. WiFi 6 [iPhone XR: WiFi 5] in the cheap iPhone SE 2 supports the latest wireless technology. Since iPhone SE supports Gigabit LTE, the LTE speed for upload and download should also be higher.

Battery Life

In the case of the iPhone XR, more space in the case also means more battery space. For the iPhone SE 2, Apple promises to have the same battery life as the iPhone 8. The estimated video playback time is 13 hours and the audio playback time is 40 hours. For the iPhone XR, the company specifies 16 hours or 65 hours in the same discipline.

Netzwelt said: Don't just look at the price!

If the words "Apple" and "cheap" are combined, don't try to make hasty decisions. Especially if you want to stick to this decision for a long time, then do n’t. When upgrading from iPhone 6S or iPhone 7, we should carefully consider which model they like based on the advantages and disadvantages we mentioned. Is it really about size? The iPhone 11 Pro is not much larger than the new iPhone SE. Do you only care about the so-called low prices? In this way, a second-hand or refurbished iPhone may be your better choice than staring at a smartphone with a thick screen edge and an increased case size.

iPhone XR under test: iPrice performance

Close to the upper class, much cheaper

The iPhone XR costs 849 euros and is the cheapest iPhone of 2018. In the test, we clarified whether it can replace the iPhone XS and its functions.

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In addition to the attractive price, the advantages of the new iPhone SE 2 also lies in the ruggedness of the processor and the operating concepts familiar to many people [including touch ID]. Only those who want to insist on using the latter can not find any other options on Apple-including second-hand equipment. Unfortunately, the new iPhone SE has lost the charm of a 4-inch ultra-compact phone.