iPhone 12 Mini vs iPhone SE (2020)

vs
iPhone 12 Mini
iPhone 12 Mini Starting from $185.52
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iPhone SE (2020)
iPhone SE (2020) Starting from $67.00
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How they compare

Customer reviews

iPhone 12 Mini iPhone SE (2020)
Average
4.1/5
(525)
4.3/5
(1346)

Design

iPhone 12 Mini iPhone SE (2020)
Width 64.2 mm 67.3 mm
Height 131.5 mm 138.4 mm
Weight 135 g 148 g
Thickness 7.4 mm 7.3 mm
Volume 62.47 cm³ 67.99 cm³

Screen

iPhone 12 Mini iPhone SE (2020)
Resolution 1080 x 2340 px 750 x 1334 px
Density 476 ppi 326 ppi
Size 5.4 inches 4.7 inches

Battery

iPhone 12 Mini iPhone SE (2020)
Battery capacity 2227 mAh* 1821 mAh*
Removable battery No No
Wireless charging Yes Yes
Fast charging Yes Yes
Ultra power saving mode Yes Yes

*Refurbished devices sold on Back Market offer at least 85% of this maximum charge capacity.

Performance

iPhone 12 Mini iPhone SE (2020)
Maximum storage 256 GB 256 GB
External memory slot No No
RAM capacity 4 GB 3 GB
LTE support Yes Yes

Camera

iPhone 12 Mini iPhone SE (2020)
Front camera resolution 12 MP 7 MP
Main camera resolution 12 MP 12 MP
Multi lens Yes No
Optical zoom Yes No
Flash Yes Yes
Optical stabilization Yes Yes
Slow motion video Yes Yes
Main camera video resolution 2160 px 2160 px

Audio

iPhone 12 Mini iPhone SE (2020)
Stereo speakers Yes Yes
3.5mm jack socket No No
Number of microphones 2 3

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iPhone 12 mini vs iPhone SE (2020) Comparison

Let's dive into how two of Apple's iPhones from 2020 compare. The iPhone 12 Mini was released in November 2020, while the iPhone SE was released a few months prior in April 2020.

 

Camera

The iPhone 12 Mini has two 12 MP rear camera lenses: a wide camera and an ultra-wide camera. The SE (2020) on the other hand, only has one 12MP wide camera lens. You'll find a lot of the iPhone camera feature favorites like Portrait Mode and Smart HDR on both phones, but the iPhone 12 has a little more versatility especially in low-lighting photography.

Battery

The battery life of both phones is also different; with its 2227 mAh battery, you can expect up to 10 hours of web browsing or video streaming on your iPhone 12 Mini, while with its 1821 mAh battery you can expect up to 8 hours of web browsing or video streaming on your SE (2020). The more efficient A15 processor chips also gives the iPhone 12 Mini an advantage in battery efficiency.

Display

The iPhone 12 mini has a bigger 5.4 inch display with 1080 x 2340 px resolution, while the SE (2020) has a 4.7 inch display with 750 x 1334 px resolution. You'll also find the iPhone 12 has an upgraded OLED with HDR screen compared to the SE (2020)'s LED screen with less ppi. This gives the iPhone 12 Mini a distinct advantage that's well worth the extra money. 

Storage

Both the iPhone SE (2020) and iPhone 12 Mini offer 64GB/128GB/256GB internal storage options, so you shouldn't have any issues finding your ideal capacity between the models.

 

Processor

In terms of chipset and processor speed as well as RAM capacity, both devices offer similar performance, but again here we see that there is an advantage for those who choose Apple's more recent model in the iPhone 12 Mini. The 12 Mini offers 4 GB RAM compared to just 3 GB on the SE (2020). Finally, when it comes to operating system they both run iOS 14, but again here we see that those who choose Apple's latest device will benefit from all new features included in this version such as App Clips and Widgets on Home Screen among others.

Bottom line is that if you don't mind budgeting a little more for the iPhone 12 Mini, you're going to end up with a smartphone with better battery, a larger/sharper screen display, slightly better performance and multi-tasking and upgraded Night-Mode photography. If those aren't specs that you value in your phone, then you'll likely be just as happy saving money on the iPhone SE (2020).

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