How often does it happen that two iPhones are present in the same price bracket? Well, 2020 has been a very unusual year. In unforeseen circumstances, Apple launched a new iPhone with the latest A13 Bionic chipset for just $399. It not only competes with its Android counterparts but an iPhone as well. Both iPhone SE and iPhone XR are two very different devices appealing to a discrete set of audiences, but which one should you buy? Read on for our iPhone SE vs iPhone XR comparison.

Design and Display

At first look, iPhone SE and iPhone XR are very different. While the SE features a very 2016-ish design, the XR is more modern looking.

The iPhone SE features a 4.7-inch display surrounded by bezels on the top and bottom. It comes with a Home button that also houses the Touch ID biometric authentication. The Retina HD display comes equipped with a 1334×750-pixel resolution at 326 PPI, which is claimed to hit 625 nits max brightness.

In contrast, the iPhone XR sports a 6.1-inch display with more modern trends that includes much smaller bezels and a notch, which also serves as a home for TrueDepth sensor for Face ID biometric authentication. The Liquid Retina HD display comes with a 1792×828-pixel resolution at 326 PPI, which is also rated to reach a peak brightness of 625 nits.

Both devices feature a 1,400:1 contrast ratio, fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating, Haptic touch, and Wide colour display (P3).

iPhone SE vs iPhone XR: Common display features

LCD Multi‑Touch display with IPS technology

326 PPI

1400:1 contrast ratio

True Tone display

Wide color display (P3)

Haptic Touch

625 nits max brightness

Hence, you don’t miss out on any display feature by picking one over the other.

However, the screen real estate doesn’t explain the form factor. While iPhone SE’s display is more compact, the phone itself measures 5.44-inches in height and 2.64-inches in width. Meanwhile, the iPhone XR measures in at 5.94-inches tall and 2.98-inches wide. As a result, iPhone XR is slightly bigger in the hand, but also offers a significantly larger display, which leads to more finger acrobatics.

Does bigger mean better? Not really. It is up to you.

Moreover, both iPhone SE and iPhone XR are rated IP67 for water resistance. Also, both of them lack the 3.5mm audio jack.

Hardware and Battery

The iPhone SE and iPhone XR not only differ on the outside, but their insides are different too. The iPhone SE is powered by Apple‘s latest A13 Bionic chip with a third-generation Neural Engine that also powers the flagship iPhone 11 lineup. On the other hand, the iPhone XR is powered by A12 Bionic chip with a second-generation Neural Engine. Latest the better? Yes.

However, you can expect similar performance in real-world usage. Although, the iPhone SE is expected to be more future-proof as it is likely to be supported by Apple for one more year than the XR.

As for the battery, here’s what Apple claims both phones can deliver.

iPhone SE battery stats (as per Apple)

Lasts about the same as iPhone 8

Video playback: Up to 13 hours

Video playback (streamed): Up to 8 hours

Audio playback: Up to 40 hours

iPhone XR battery stats (as per Apple)

Lasts up to 1.5 hours longer than iPhone 8 Plus

Talk time (wireless): Up to 25 hours

Internet use: Up to 15 hours

Video playback (wireless): Up to 16 hours

Audio playback (wireless): Up to 65 hours

Both phones feature wireless charging (works with Qi chargers). They support 18W fast charging as well. It is claimed to charge up to 50% within 30 minutes. However, Apple doesn’t bundle the 18W charger in the box. You’ll have to buy it separately.

iPhone SE vs iPhone XR: Camera

The iPhone SE sports a 12MP Wide camera with an f/1.8 aperture and OIS. It supports 5x digital zoom and comes with features like Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control. However, it misses out on Night mode. Thanks to the A13 Bionic chip, it is said to deliver iPhone 11-like results in daylight conditions.

It can record 4K videos at 24 fps, 30 fps or 60 fps, 1080p HD videos at 30 fps or 60 fps, and 720p HD videos at 30 fps. The iPhone SE is the cheapest phone that supports 4K video recording. It comes with slow-motion video support for 1080p at 120 fps or 240 fps, and cinematic video stabilization (4K, 1080p, and 720p).

The iPhone XR also sports a 12MP Wide camera with an f/1.8 aperture and OIS. The features included are the same as iPhone SE and it too doesn’t capture in Night mode. It can record 4K videos at 24 fps, 30 fps or 60 fps, 1080p HD videos at 30 fps or 60 fps, and 720p HD videos at 30 fps.

Both phones can take 8MP still photos while recording 4K videos and support stereo recording. Moreover, both of the feature a 7MP selfie shooter with an f/2.2 aperture. The camera comes with features like Portrait Lighting with five effects (Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High-Key Mono), 1080p HD video recording at 30 fps and Cinematic video stabilisation (1080p and 720p).

Hence, camera systems on both iPhone SE and iPhone XR are very similar. The A13 Bionic chips’ image processing algorithm is expected to make the real difference and give the edge to iPhone SE.

iPhone SE vs iPhone XR: Price

The iPhone SE starts at $399 for 64GB of storage. It costs $449 for the 128GB storage variant and goes up to $549 for the 256GB storage model. It comes in White, Black, and PRODUCT(RED) color variants.

In contrast, the iPhone XR costs $599 for 64GB of storage and goes up to $649 for 128 gigs of storage. It comes in White, Black, Blue, Yellow, Coral, and PRODUCT(RED) color variants.

As for the Indian pricing, the iPhone SE starts at Rs 42,500 as compared to 52,500 of the iPhone XR. The 128GB model of both costs Rs 47,800 and Rs 57,800 respectively. However, if you spend Rs 58,300 on the iPhone SE you’ll get 256 gigs of storage.

This was out iPhone SE vs iPhone XR comparison. And, the buying choice totally depends on you and what you expect from your phone. Which one would you prefer? Tell us in the comments below.