The iPhone 5S was released in September 2013 and easily became one of the best selling iPhones of all time. The overall package that the 4-inch smartphone provided was perfect and the price was spot-on too. Almost three years have passed since then, but the 5S still remains one of the most wanted iPhone models.
However, all old things need to be replaced with their updated and improved versions, which is why Apple fans started asking for more 4-inchers. The plastic iPhone 5C was a failure, but Apple wasn’t going to stop there. After months of rumors and speculations, the iPhone SE was finally launched last month, and it’s a hit already.
All packed with the latest features and beastly specs, the iPhone SE vs. iPhone 5S war is easily won by the former. But how different is the SE from the 5S? Let’s take a detailed look.
iPhone SE vs. iPhone 5S: What’s New and What’s Not?
Same Design and Display
You will find absolutely nothing different here. The iPhone SE uses the same body and display from the iPhone 5S, with the same screen size, same resolution, and even the dual tone rear. Just that the SE gets chamfered, matte-finished edges for a bit more grip. That’s a good thing actually, as the 4-inch metal form-factor of the 5S was its highlight and more grip makes it more reliable. Also, if you have accessories like covers or bumper cases for your iPhone 5S, you can use them with the SE too.
Apart from the display and design, the iPhone 5S and the iPhone SE share nothing in common. Internally, the SE is a beast! It carries iPhone 6S-like specs and is better than the iPhone 6 specs-wise.
iPhone SE Has Better Camera and Battery
As we just said, the iPhone SE’s internals are at par with the iPhone 6S. The 12MP camera is the same one from the 6S and can shoot 4K videos. Imagine that, 4K video shooting on a 4-incher! Also, there’s the Live Photos feature, which lets you record video-like photos. There’s a 1.2MP front camera with Retina flash (screen brightens up to illuminate selfies).
Coming to the battery, the iPhone 5S has a 1560mAh juicer, which barely lasts more than half a day on moderate use. The iPhone SE gets a slightly larger 1624mAh battery, but reviews have shown that the SE can easily last one full day without charge on normal usage. This is one of the great things that the new phone has.
iPhone SE Gets iPhone 6S’ Internals
Yes, you heard it right. The iPhone 5S came with an A7 processor, and the new 4-incher iPhone SE gets the latest A9 processor that is used in the iPhone 6S. Just like the 6S, the SE gets 2 GB of RAM, and storage options include 16 GB and 64 GB models. So basically, it’s like packing the internals of the 6S in the 5S, and you will get a beastly device called the iPhone SE. It’s super-fast, snappy, buttery-smooth. It comes with iOS 9.3 and the latest features like Night Shift. What more could you expect?
Apple Pay and NFC are New, Touch ID Remains Old
The iPhone SE gets NFC to support Apple Pay, which is a very demanded feature nowadays in the US, UK, and many other countries. However, the Touch ID sensor is still the first-gen one used in the 5S and not the one used in the 6S, so fingerprint authentication won’t be ultra-fast like the 6S.
Verdict
So should you buy the iPhone SE? Well, that depends on what you are looking for. If you are new to iPhones and are on a “budget”, then go for the SE blindly and you will love it. If you are upgrading from an iPhone 5S but do not want to use a larger iPhone, then the SE will make you feel at home while providing you will the latest processor, better camera, better battery, better everything!
However, if you are used to using a larger iPhone like the iPhone 6 or 6s or the Plus versions, then you will obviously find the small 4-incher odd in your hands and there’s really no reason to downgrade. Also, 3D Touch is really missed on the iPhone SE, but Apple had to do the cost-cutting somewhere, right?
So are you going to buy the iPhone SE? Comment below!