iPhone SE 2022 vs iPhone 11: Which budget iPhone should you buy

	"Budget" iPhones face-to-face
Product	Apple iPhone SE (2022)	Apple iPhone 11
Picture
Display	4.7-inch IPS LCD 750 x 1334 pixels (326 PPI)	6.1-inch IPS LCD 828 x 1792 pixels (326 PPI)
Processor	Apple A15	Apple A13
RAM	4 GB
Camera(s)	Wide-angle: 12 MP | f/1.8 | PDAF | OIS	Wide-angle: 12 MP | f/1.8 | PDAF | OIS Ultra-wide-angle: 12 MP | f/2.4 | 120˚
Selfie	7 MP | f/2.2	12 MP | f/2.2
Software	iOS 15
Battery	2018 mAh Up to 15 hours of video playback Up to 50% charge in 30 minutes with a 20W adapter Charger not included	3110 mAh Up to 17 hours of video playback Up to 50% charge in 30 minutes with a 20W adapter Charger not included
Connectivity	5G, 4G LTE, 3G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC with Apple Pay	4G LTE, 3G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC with Apple Pay
Resistance	IP67 Water-resistant up to 1m deep for 30 minutes	IP68 Water-resistant up to 2m deep for 30 minutes
Authentication	Touch ID	Face ID
Dimensions and weight	5.45 x 2.65 x 0.29 inches (138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3 mm) 5.09 ounces (144 grams)	5.94 x 2.98 x 0.33 inches (150.9 x 75.7 x 8.3) 6.84 ounces (194 grams)
Good	Insane performance level High-quality workmanship Solid camera quality thanks to the A15 SoC Promising battery life	Build quality Software optimization Performance Camera Battery life
Bad	Display is too dark and small Really inflexible camera setup Base model comes with only 64 GB memory Increased price	Old-fashioned design No charger included (as of 2020) No USB-C 64 GB entry-level storage
Rating	Go to review	Go to review
Storage options & MSRPs	64 GB: $429 128 GB: $479 256 GB: $579	64 GB: $499 128 GB: $549
Offers*	Check price	Check price

Both the SE and 11 iPhones are as of 2022 the cheapest options to update or join the iOS ecosystem, with base prices starting under $500. While the iPhone 11 is the oldest phone in Apple's current catalog, launched in September 2019, the SE (2022) is the newest one, released in March 2022. But at first glance it may not look that way, as we explain below:

Jump to:

• Display and design
• Performance and connectivity
• Cameras
• Software
• Battery and charging
• Price and availability
• Conclusion

iPhone SE 2022 vs iPhone 11: Display and design

For most buyers, the biggest difference between the two models is easy to spot. Besides being slightly bigger, the iPhone 11 uses Apple's notched design, which debuted with the iPhone X, and is still in use with the iPhone 13. The iPhone SE 2022, on the other hand, uses the same dated design as the iPhone 8, which is very similar to the iPhone 6/6S/7.

That results in big bezels around the iPhone SE screen, which uses around 65% of the total front area for its IPS display, while the iPhone 11 uses just a hair short of 80%. In practical terms, that means not only more screen real-state to watch movies, but also two different techniques for biometric authentication: Face ID on the iPhone 11, and Touch ID on the iPhone SE home button.

iPhone SE 2022 vs iPhone 11: Performance and connectivity

Besides the design, the biggest difference between the iPhone SE and the iPhone 11 is in the main internal components and connectivity. While the iPhone 11 is powered by the Apple A13 SoC, both of which debuted in Sep/2019, the SE 2022 uses the latest Apple A15 processor, which launched in Sep/2021 and is the same SoC used in the iPhone 13.

As always, Apple is super secretive regarding performance differences, but in practice, the result is a faster phone and more efficient battery usage - which is balanced by the battery specifications we will cover later.

And while the iPhone SE is the last phone in Apple's range with Touch ID, the iPhone 11 is the last model which supports only 4G networks. The iPhone SE, on the other hand, can be used with the shiny new 5G networks, but not the ultra-fast and ultra-short-range mmWave.

iPhone SE 2022 vs iPhone 11: Camera(s)

In the back, another big generational change. The 3rd generation iPhone SE still packs a single 12-megapixel camera, while the iPhone 11 follows the current trend with multiple cameras. Besides the wide-angle lens for the 12 MP sensor used in the SE, the iPhone 11 also packs another 12 MP sensor for an ultra-wide-angle lens, with a 120-degree field of view (FoV).

But while the iPhone 11 is more versatile, with 2x optical zoom in practice, and offers Animoji and Memoji support using the front camera array,  the iPhone SE uses the A15 processor power to deliver exclusive features like Photographic styles, night mode time-lapse, and front-camera Deep Fusion.

Both are very capable shooters, but the iPhone 11 comes on top when it comes to specifications, while the SE tries to compensate for that with the power of computational photography.

iPhone SE 2022 vs iPhone 11: Software

Although both phones are compatible with the current iOS 15 operating system and offer more than enough performance for tasks and apps, the iPhone 11 is not expected to be supported for as long as the iPhone SE 2022. If Apple keeps its recent launch schedules, the iPhone 11 should be discontinued from production this year.

The iPhone SE, meanwhile, since it uses the same SoC as the iPhone 13 - which should be in the market for at least two more years -, should be updated for a little bit longer, but that is something that Apple does not disclose officially.

iPhone SE 2022 vs iPhone 11: Battery and charging

In the battery department, the slightly bigger dimensions for the iPhone 11 result in an almost 50% increase in battery capacity - which is again, not officially disclosed by Apple. Even so, the more modern SoC in the iPhone SE, with its considerably smaller screen, results in similar battery life, according to Apple: Up to 17 and 15 hours of video playback on the 11 and SE, respectively.

Both iPhones support wireless charging - compatible with the Qi standard - and neither comes with a charger in the box.

iPhone SE 2022 vs iPhone 11: Price and availability

As with most old-generation iPhones, the 11 is offered in smaller storage capacities, in this case, 64 and 128 GB. The iPhone SE adds a 256 GB variant, which costs slightly more than the top iPhone 11. Just remember that the storage cannot be upgraded, which can become quite restrictive in the near future.

	Entry-level iPhone pricing in 2022
Product	Apple iPhone SE (2022)	Apple iPhone 11
64 GB	$429	$499
128 GB	$479	$549
256 GB	$579	n/a

Conclusion

With the iPhone SE 2022 and the iPhone 11, Apple targets two completely different customers, which makes it easy to identify who should buy which model:

• For those who prefer a more modern design: go with the iPhone 11.
• For those who prefer a little bit more "future-proofing": choose the iPhone SE (but avoid the 64 GB option).

Anyone who is looking for a combination of both should be looking at least at the iPhone 12, but that phone is at least $200 more expensive than the two models we covered in this article.

That's it for this face-off. Do you agree with the points raised? Did we forget to cover a specific topic you think is important? Don't forget to use the comment section below.