The flagship
The iPhone 13 is the latest and greatest from Apple. It comes in six beautiful colors, has an OLED Super Retina XDR display, has 5G support for both Sub-6 and faster mmwave, a dual-camera system, MagSafe compatibility, and Face ID for biometrics.
For
- 5.4 or 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display
- Supports Sub-6 and mmwave 5G
- Better camera system
- MagSafe
- Face ID
Against
- More expensive
- No Touch ID
On a budget
The new iPhone SE 3 retains the same look from the previous iteration, but with a few new additions. It now has support for Sub-6 5G cellular connectivity, an A15 Bionic like the iPhone 13 series, and can do Deep Fusion, Smart HDR 4, and Photographic Styles. It also has slightly better battery life.
For
- Most affordable iPhone
- Touch ID
- Supports Sub-6 5G
- Includes A15 Bionic
- Improved cameras over the previous iteration
Against
- No MagSafe or Face ID
- Starts at 64GB capacity
- Single-lens camera system
- No OLED screen
The iPhone SE 3 is the newest iPhone offering from Apple, but it's not a flagship device like the iPhone 13. The iPhone SE 3 is designed for a specific demographic: those who want the most affordable iPhone while also preferring a Home button for Touch ID. But those who want to have the latest and greatest from Apple will want to go for an iPhone 13, which also comes in two sizes: 5.4-inch for the iPhone 13 mini, and 6.1-inch for the regular iPhone 13.
What do you need in an iPhone and how much do you want to spend?
Even though the iPhone SE 3 is the "newest" iPhone from Apple, it's definitely not the flagship, the iPhone 13, which is the best iPhone for most people who want a great set of features. However, the iPhone SE 3 has a lot of overall improvements that make it a great choice to consider if you're brand new to the world of iOS 15, or if you just want something that is incredibly affordable. Plus, the new additions bring it more in line with the iPhone 13 series than ever before.
| Header Cell - Column 0 | iPhone SE 3 | iPhone 13 |
|---|---|---|
| Display size | 4.7-inch | 5.4-inch (mini) or 6.1-inch |
| Display | LCD Retina HD | OLED Super Retina XDR |
| Colors | Midnight Starlight PRODUCT(RED) | Green Pink Blue Midnight Starlight PRODUCT(RED) |
| 5G connectivity | Sub-6 only | Sub-6 and mmwave |
| Processor | A15 Bionic chip | A15 Bionic chip |
| Battery | 15 hours | 17 hours (mini) or 19 hours (regular) |
| Biometrics | Touch ID with Home button | Face ID |
| Camera | Wide lens | Wide and Ultra Wide lens |
| Portrait mode | Yes | Yes |
| Deep Fusion | Yes | Yes |
| Smart HDR 4 | Yes | Yes |
| Night mode | No | Yes |
| Cinematic mode | No | Yes |
| 4K video recording | No | Yes |
| Front camera | 7MP FaceTime HD | 12MP TrueDepth |
As you can see, because the iPhone SE 3 now has the A15 Bionic chip, it is caught up to the iPhone 13 series in terms of processor speed. And with 5G connectivity, the iPhone SE 3 is more modernized for today's standards in terms of cellular networks.
A better camera through software for the iPhone SE 3
The A15 Bionic is also responsible for giving the iPhone SE 3 the ability to do more computational photography processes, such as Deep Fusion, Smart HDR 4, and Photographic Styles, which weren't possible with the iPhone SE 2 (2020). However, what is still absent is Night mode and 4K video recording. The iPhone SE 3 also still only has a 7MP FaceTime HD camera in the front, whereas the iPhone 13 has a much more capable 12MP TrueDepth front camera.
Faster downloading speeds with 5G
The other big addition to the new iPhone SE 3 is the 5G connectivity. Most carriers now support 5G on their networks, so the new iPhone SE 3 can now take advantage of those faster download and upload speeds to connect more people than ever before.
However, it's important to note that the iPhone SE 3 only supports Sub-6 5G, which is available in more places but isn't as fast as mmwave. If you want to have super fast mmwave 5G, then you will need an iPhone 13 device (iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max) to make use of that particular spectrum. But keep in mind that mmwave is very limited in terms of availability for most people, and Sub-6 is the more widely available spectrum.
Should you get an iPhone SE 3 or iPhone 13?
If you need an iPhone, but don't want to spend a lot, don't need all the latest features, and still prefer having a Home button with Touch ID, then the iPhone SE 3 is the way to go. Because it has A15, the camera is capable of taking better pictures than the previous iteration. But since it's due to the processor and not physical camera upgrades, it still lacks Night mode and 4K video, as well as an Ultra Wide and Telephoto lens. 5G connectivity is also limited to Sub-6 5G, but for pretty much everyone, this should not be an issue because of the limited availability of mmwave.
However, if you aren't too concerned about price, prefer to go with more screen estate with Face ID and OLED, and want camera features like Night mode, 4K video, and a better selfie camera, then you can't beat the iPhone 13. It can also connect to the super-fast mmwave 5G spectrum. Plus, it comes in two sizes: the mini with the 5.4-inch display or the standard iPhone 13 with a 6.1-inch display. The iPhone 13 is also compatible with the best MagSafe accessories, opening up an entirely new world of possibilities in terms of charging and using your device.
Current flagship
The iPhone 13 comes in two sizes and has all of the latest features that Apple has to offer.
Refined affordability
The iPhone SE 3 now has A15 Bionic for more computational photography power and 5G connectivity, all while still retaining the most affordable price tag.
