which device should you buy in 2021?

They look alike like two drops of water: the iPhone SE 2020 and iPhone 8. Are you in doubt between these devices? We’ve rounded up the key differences between the iPhone SE 2020 and iPhone 8 so you know which one to choose.

iPhone SE 2020 vs iPhone 8

The iPhone SE is Apple’s entry-level model from 2020. It’s the cheapest iPhone that Apple sells, but some online stores also sell the iPhone 8 from 2017 – which looks very similar. In this article you can read about the differences between the iPhone SE 2020 and iPhone 8.

1. Design and housing

If you put the iPhone SE 2020 and iPhone 8 next to each other, you don’t actually see any differences. Both phones are the same size, have a 4.7-inch LCD display, a home button with Touch ID and a glass and aluminum housing.

The dimensions and weight are therefore exactly the same:

• Dimensions: height 138.4 mm, width 67.3 mm, depth 7.3 mm, weight 148 grams.

Yet the iPhone SE 2020 and iPhone 8 can be distinguished from each other. They are made in different colours. With the iPhone 8 you can choose from the shades of space gray, gold (a kind of rosé) and silver. The iPhone SE 2020 is cast in black, red and white.

2. Processor and battery

The devices are therefore hardly distinguishable from the outside, but under the hood there is an important difference: the processor. The iPhone SE is powered by a much more powerful chip. It is the A13 Bionic, a processor that is also in the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro.

This makes the iPhone SE 2020 a lot more powerful than the iPhone 8, which has an A11 chip two years older. This makes the SE feel smoother in many tasks, such as opening apps and playing games. In addition, the fresher chip ensures that you can enjoy software updates for longer with the iPhone SE 2020.

There are no differences as far as the battery is concerned. Both phones have a battery with a battery capacity of 1821 mAh. If you don’t use the iPhone excessively, it will last a day. You can also charge the iPhones wirelessly with a Qi charger. There is also support for fast charging: you need an adapter of 20 Watt or more for this.

3. Camera: the same, yet different

The iPhone SE and iPhone 8 both have a 12-megapixel rear camera. The selfie camera of 7 megapixels is also the same. Still, the iPhone SE’s camera is better, thanks to the powerful A13 chip and better Neural Engine for machine learning.

This allows the iPhone SE to do something the iPhone 8 can’t: take portrait photos. These are photos with a depth of field effect, where the foreground is sharp and the Camera app blurs the background. Furthermore, the SE has an improved HDR mode, where artificial intelligence provides better exposed photos.

Furthermore, the cameras mainly have similarities. The devices both have a wide-angle lens with 5x digital zoom and optical image stabilization. Video can be recorded in 4K, at 60 frames per second (fps). Slow motion videos are shot in 1080p, at 120 or 240 fps.

4. Storage and working memory

Both the iPhone 8 and iPhone SE have a storage capacity of 64GB. However, the maximum storage with the iPhone SE is larger, because you can configure it with 256GB. The iPhone 8 doesn’t go beyond 128GB. Incidentally, a storage capacity of 128GB is more than sufficient for the average user.

There is no difference in working memory: that is 3GB on both devices. Nevertheless, the much newer processor of the iPhone SE 2020 ensures that the device feels faster and can perform heavier tasks.

5. Price: more expensive is not better

The iPhone SE is the cheapest iPhone that Apple sells. At Apple you pay 492.10 euros for it. The iPhone 8 has not been available in the Apple Store for a while, but you can still buy the device in some (online) stores.

It is striking that the iPhone 8 is nowadays more expensive than the iPhone SE, while the latter has newer and better hardware.

iPhone 8 Plus

In this article, we will discuss the differences between the 4.7 inch iPhone 8 and iPhone SE. But Apple also sells a larger version of the iPhone 8: the iPhone 8 Plus. It has many similarities with the iPhone 8, but there are a few important differences.

First of all, the iPhone 8 Plus is larger: the screen measures 5.5 inches instead of 4.7. Due to the larger size, a larger battery (2675 mAh) also fits in, so that the 8 Plus lasts longer on a battery charge. It also has a dual camera, with which you can take portrait photos. You can read more about the differences in the article iPhone 8 vs iPhone 8 Plus.

Buying Advice: iPhone SE 2020 or iPhone?

The iPhone SE 2020 is better than the iPhone 8 and cheaper. So there is really no reason to go for the iPhone 8. The iPhone SE is the better choice, mainly because of the processor, which is two years newer. As a result, it is also provided with software updates for longer and you get a more future-proof device. In addition, the camera is better.

Do you want to buy the iPhone SE? on iPhoned we have extensive price comparison sites. On the iPhone SE 2020 subscription page you will find all Dutch providers, which you can filter by price. Prefer a separate device? Then view the Buy iPhone SE separate device page.