Galaxy S24 FE • Unlocked vs iPhone SE (2022) • Locked AT&T

The Samsung Galaxy S24 FE, released in late 2024, and the Apple iPhone SE 2022, launched in early 2022, represent distinct approaches to smartphone design and functionality. While the Galaxy S24 FE offers a modern, expansive Android experience with a versatile camera system, the iPhone SE 2022 provides a compact, iOS-powered device known for its robust performance in a familiar form factor. These devices cater to different user preferences, primarily differing in their operating systems, display technologies, and camera capabilities.

When considering the long-term usability of these devices, their release timelines and software support are key factors. The Galaxy S24 FE, being a newer device from late 2024, is expected to receive Android updates for several years, typically four to five major OS updates and an additional year or two of security patches, ensuring its software remains current for an extended period. The iPhone SE 2022, released in March 2022, benefits from Apple's reputation for prolonged software support, with iOS updates generally provided for five to six years from its launch, potentially extending its functional lifespan well into the future.

• Software Longevity: The iPhone SE 2022, with its March 2022 release, is likely to receive iOS updates for approximately 5-6 years, offering a long software support window. The Galaxy S24 FE, launched in late 2024, is anticipated to receive 4-5 major Android OS updates, providing a comparable, though potentially slightly shorter, period of feature updates.
• Repairability: The Galaxy S24 FE has a repairability score of 8.5 out of 10, indicating that components like the battery are relatively easy to replace, though accessing the screen can be more involved. The iPhone SE 2022 received a repairability score of 6 out of 10 from iFixit, with common repairs like battery and screen replacements being feasible, but some replacements may affect certain software functionalities like True Tone.
• Durability Features: The Galaxy S24 FE features an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, allowing submersion up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes. The iPhone SE 2022 has an IP67 rating, protecting it in up to 1 meter of water for 30 minutes, and utilizes tough glass on its front and back, similar to the back glass of the iPhone 13.

Both smartphones offer robust performance within their respective ecosystems, designed to handle daily tasks and more demanding applications efficiently. The core difference lies in their underlying architecture and how they manage system resources.

• Processing Power: The Galaxy S24 FE is powered by a current-generation processor, which enables smooth handling of both everyday tasks and more intensive applications, including multitasking and gaming. The iPhone SE 2022 features a powerful processor that delivers flagship-level performance, ensuring a highly responsive user experience across apps and games.
• Multitasking and Responsiveness: With 8GB of RAM, the Galaxy S24 FE is well-equipped for extensive multitasking, allowing users to switch between numerous applications without noticeable slowdowns. The iPhone SE 2022, with 4GB of RAM, is optimized by its operating system to maintain fluidity and responsiveness even with multiple applications running simultaneously.
• Battery Behavior: The Galaxy S24 FE includes a 4700mAh battery, providing excellent endurance that can last up to 1.5 days for moderate to heavy users, and supports fast wired and wireless charging. The iPhone SE 2022 has a 2018mAh battery, offering about a full day of moderate use, with support for wireless charging and 20W fast wired charging.

The visual experience on these two devices presents a clear contrast, primarily due to differences in display technology, size, and refresh rates, catering to varied user preferences for media consumption and daily interaction.

• Display Technology and Size: The Galaxy S24 FE features a large 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, offering vibrant colors, deep blacks, and high contrast, which is beneficial for media viewing and productivity. The iPhone SE 2022 comes with a more compact 4.7-inch Retina HD IPS LCD, known for its accurate color reproduction and consistent viewing angles.
• Resolution and Clarity: The Galaxy S24 FE provides a Full HD+ resolution (1080x2340 pixels), resulting in sharp images and text across its larger screen. The iPhone SE 2022 has a 1334x750 pixel resolution, which, on its smaller display, still delivers a clear and crisp visual experience with a pixel density of 326 ppi.
• Brightness and Smoothness: The Galaxy S24 FE boasts a 120Hz refresh rate for smoother scrolling and animations, along with a high peak brightness of up to 2600 nits, enhancing outdoor visibility. The iPhone SE 2022 operates at a standard 60Hz refresh rate and offers a typical maximum brightness of 625 nits, which is suitable for most indoor and outdoor conditions.

The camera systems on the Galaxy S24 FE and iPhone SE 2022 reflect different design philosophies, with one offering a versatile multi-lens setup and the other focusing on computational photography with a single sensor.

• Rear Camera System: The Galaxy S24 FE is equipped with a triple-camera setup, including a 50MP main sensor with optical image stabilization (OIS), a 12MP ultra-wide lens, and an 8MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom and OIS, providing flexibility for various shooting scenarios. The iPhone SE 2022 features a single 12MP wide rear camera with OIS, relying heavily on its advanced processing capabilities to enhance image quality.
• Photography Performance: The Galaxy S24 FE generally produces photos with good detail and vibrant, sometimes saturated, colors, performing well in various lighting conditions, though low-light performance can be a challenge. The iPhone SE 2022 captures good images in decent light with accurate colors and dynamic range, benefiting from computational features like Smart HDR 4 and Deep Fusion, but it lacks a dedicated Night mode for very low-light situations.
• Video Recording and Front Camera: Both devices support 4K video recording at 60 frames per second. The Galaxy S24 FE can also record 8K video at 30fps and features a 10MP front camera. The iPhone SE 2022 offers sharp and smooth 4K video recording and includes a 7MP front camera, which also benefits from computational photography for selfies.