iPhone SE 2nd Gen 2020 vs iPhone 12

Swappasaurus says...
Upgrading from an iPhone SE (2020) to an iPhone 12 means going from a 13th generation iPhone released in April 2020 to a 14th generation iPhone released in October 2020. While these two models were released close together, the iPhone 12 brings several notable improvements. This upgrade path means going from a 4.7” Retina HD display to a 6.1” Super Retina XDR display, from Apple’s A13 Bionic chip to Apple’s A14 Bionic chip, and going from 4G LTE connectivity to 5G connectivity. Other features of the iPhone 12 include MagSafe wireless charging, up to 256GB of storage, a 12MP TrueDepth camera on the front, and a dual 12MP wide and ultra-wide camera array on the back.
Price Comparison
iPhone SE 2nd Gen 2020 vs iPhone 12 Pricing
Specs Comparison
The iPhone 12 has better specs as compared to the iPhone SE (2020). Key features of the iPhone 12 include a 6.1” display, 5G, an Apple A14 Bionic chip, up to 256GB of storage space, an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, and a dual 12MP wide and ultra-wide rear camera. In comparison, the iPhone SE (2020 feature set includes a 4.7” display, 4G LTE, an Apple A13 Bionic chip, up to 128GB of storage space, an IP67 rating for water and dust resistance, and a single 12MP wide-angle rear camera.
Size | iPhone SE 2nd Gen 2020 | iPhone 12 |
---|---|---|
Width | 67 mm 2.7 inches | 72 mm 2.8 inches |
Height | 138 mm 5.5 inches | 147 mm 5.8 inches |
Depth | 7 mm 0.3 inches | 7 mm 0.3 inches |
Weight | 148 g 5.2 ounces | 162 g 5.7 ounces |
The iPhone SE (2020) has a smaller display size and is smaller overall than the iPhone 12. Details for the iPhone SE (2020) include a 4.7” display, a weight of 5.22 ounces, a height of 5.45”, a width of 2.65”, and a depth of 0.29”. The iPhone 12 has a 6.1” display, a weight of 5.78 ounces, and measurements of 5.78” (H) x 2.82” (W) x 0.29” (D).
Camera | iPhone SE 2nd Gen 2020 | iPhone 12 |
---|---|---|
Primary | 12.2 MP | 12.2 MP |
Resolution | 4032x3024 | 4032x3024 |
Aperture | f/2.4 | |
Secondary | 12.0 MP |
The iPhone 12 camera hardware is more advanced than the iPhone SE (2020). The iPhone 12 has a dual 12MP wide and ultra-wide rear camera and a 12MP TrueDepth front camera. The iPhone SE (2020) has a single 12MP wide rear camera and a 7MP FaceTime HD front camera. The better hardware allows for more features, such as Night Mode, Deep Fusion, night mode time-lapse, and HDR video recording with Dolby Vision (at up to 4k at 30fps).
Display | iPhone SE 2nd Gen 2020 | iPhone 12 |
---|---|---|
Screen Tech | None | OLED |
Resolution | 750x1334 | 1170x2532 |
Screen Size | 120 mm 4.7 in | 154 mm 6.1 in |
Pixels Per Inch | 326 ppi | 457 ppi |
Refresh Rate | - Hz | 60 Hz |
The screen on the iPhone 12 is more advanced, and larger than the screen on the iPhone SE (2020). The iPhone 12 features a 6.1” Super Retina XDR (OLED) HDR display with a resolution of 2532 x 1170, a contrast ratio of 2,000,000:1, and a 1200 nits (HDR) max brightness. In comparison, the iPhone SE (2020) features a 4.7” Retina HD (LCD) display with a resolution of 1334 x 750 and a contrast ratio of 1,400:1. Shared features include True Tone, wide color (P3), and a 625 nits (typical) max brightness.
Battery | iPhone SE 2nd Gen 2020 | iPhone 12 |
---|---|---|
Capacity | 1821 mAh | 2815 mAh |
Longevity | 14 hours | 13 hours |
USB | Lightning | Lightning |
The iPhone SE (2020) and the iPhone 12 are both fast-charge capable and support Qi wireless charging. The iPhone 12 also charges using Apple’s MagSafe. Battery life estimates for the iPhone SE (2020) include up to 13 hours of video playback time or up to 40 hours of audio playback time. The iPhone 12 battery can provide up to 17 hours of video playback time or up to 65 hours of audio playback time.
Color Choices
iPhone SE 2nd Gen 2020
Available in 3 colors:
-
Black
-
White
-
Red
iPhone 12
Available in 6 colors:
-
Black
-
White
-
Blue
-
Green
-
Purple
-
Red
iPhone SE 2nd Gen 2020 vs iPhone 12 Colors

The iPhone 12 is available in a wider variety of colors as compared to the iPhone SE (2020). Both models are available in Black, White, and PRODUCT(RED). The iPhone 12 mini is also available in Purple, Green, and Blue.
Storage Options
iPhone SE 2nd Gen 2020
Choose from 3 storage options:
-
64GB
-
128GB
-
256GB
iPhone 12
Choose from 3 storage options:
-
64GB
-
128GB
-
256GB
iPhone SE 2nd Gen 2020 vs iPhone 12 Storage

The iPhone SE (2020) and iPhone 12 each offer storage options of 64GB or 128GB. The iPhone 12 also offers a third, higher-capacity option of 256GB.
iPhone SE 2nd Gen 2020 vs iPhone 12 Reviews
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