The iPhone SE 3 (released in 2022) and the iPhone 12 mini are two of the smallest and cheapest iPhones you can buy from Apple right now. However, these two devices differ greatly in many ways, from the internal hardware to the design.
If you’re eyeing an iPhone in the sub-$600 price range, your options are limited to these two models. But who gets you more bang for your buck? Let’s find out below as we pit the iPhone SE 3 against the iPhone 12 mini.
Table of Contents
1st Prize
Let’s get the most important factor out of the way: the price. As mentioned, both smartphones fall into the sub-$600 price range, but the iPhone SE (2022) is far cheaper than the iPhone 12 mini. The base 64GB variant of the iPhone SE (2022) is $429, while the equivalent variant of the iPhone 12 mini is $599.
Well, that’s a $170 price difference, which is significant for most people looking to buy a budget iPhone. So if you want the cheapest iPhone you can get, the iPhone SE is the clear winner here. However, the iPhone 12 mini makes up for that price difference with its feature set and design language, which we’ll explore in the following paragraphs.
2. Performance
Performance is another area where the iPhone SE (2022) trumps the iPhone 12 mini. Despite being significantly cheaper than the 12 mini, the iPhone SE packs Apple’s flagship A15 Bionic chip, which was introduced alongside the iPhone 13 lineup. And since the iPhone 12 mini is a full year older than the iPhone 13 range, it packs the inferior A14 Bionic processor.
The real question now is whether or not you will notice a performance difference between these two devices in real use. And the answer is no, because both processors are capable of handling almost any task you throw at them. However, if you plan on using your iPhone for several years, the iPhone SE may have the upper hand in terms of software support since it packs a newer chip.
At this point you might be leaning towards the iPhone SE 3, but we haven’t gotten to the strengths of the iPhone 12 mini yet. That’s next.
3. Draft
Apple’s decision to use the 2018 iPhone 8 design for the iPhone SE 3 disappointed many of its fans. That’s not the design language you’d expect from a smartphone in 2022, even if it costs around $400. Android smartphones in the same price range look significantly better; Check out Google’s Pixel 5a.
So if you think the iPhone SE’s legacy design is a deal-breaker, then the iPhone 12 mini is the budget iPhone you’re looking for. You get the modern iPhone design with the Face ID notch and a nearly borderless screen. Its edges are angular, it lacks a physical home button, and overall it’s more visually appealing.
One important thing to note here is that the iPhone SE (2022) is slightly smaller than the iPhone 12 mini. But despite being larger, the SE still has a smaller display, and you can blame the chunky bezels at the top and bottom. As you can see by now, the iPhone 12 mini falls short when it comes to design.
4. Display
Not only does the iPhone SE (2022) have a smaller 4.7-inch display, but it also uses an inferior IPS LCD panel, which is no longer the industry standard for smartphones. Additionally, the resolution of this display is closer to 720p than 1080p. At 750 x 1334 pixels, you get a mediocre pixel density of 326ppi, while most smartphone displays today are 450ppi or more.
On the other hand, the iPhone 12 mini features a 5.4-inch OLED display, which Apple calls the Super Retina XDR display. OLED displays are much better than LCDs in terms of color accuracy, viewing angles, and black levels. The screen resolution is also higher at 1,080 x 2,340 pixels, which corresponds to a pixel density of 476 ppi.
Also, since the iPhone 12 mini’s OLED display can reach a peak brightness of 1200 nits, you can consume Dolby Vision and HDR10 content.
5. Face ID vs. Touch ID
For a nearly borderless screen, Apple had to ditch the home button, which means it had to sacrifice Touch ID on the 12 mini. However, Face ID has improved enough to work just as fantastically, even if you’re wearing a mask.
Regardless, this point comes down to personal preference. Some users prefer Touch ID while others prefer Face ID. Most fans want both in future iPhones with a fingerprint scanner built into the power button, like the iPad Air.
So if you’re a big fan of Touch ID, you might gravitate toward the iPhone SE 3. However, if you want to keep up with the times, you’ll be pleased with the iPhone 12 mini’s Face ID sensor. Either way, both offer top-notch security.
6. Camera
If taking photos with your iPhone is one of your top priorities, you should lean towards the iPhone 12 mini. It features a much more advanced dual camera setup with a 12MP f/1.6 wide camera and a 12MP f/2.4 ultra wide camera, making it useful for different scenarios.
On the other hand, the iPhone SE 3 has the same single 12-megapixel widescreen camera with f/1.8 as the 2020 SE model. For its price, the iPhone SE still takes excellent photos, and most other smartphones in its price range would struggle to compete with it.
As for the selfie camera, you get a 7-megapixel sensor on the iPhone SE 3, while the iPhone 12 mini has a 12-megapixel sensor that can even record 4K videos at 60 frames per second.
7. Battery
Considering these two are compact smartphones, battery performance is not their strong point. However, Apple has managed to improve the iPhone SE 3’s battery performance over the previous generation by packing a slightly larger battery at 2018 mAh. That’s still not great, but combined with the efficiency of the A15 Bionic, the iPhone SE (2022) can last an hour longer on average than the older model.
In comparison, the iPhone 12 mini has an even larger 2227mAh battery despite its smaller footprint, making it last up to an hour longer than the iPhone SE (2022). While the A14 Bionic isn’t as efficient as the newer A15 chip, the power efficiency of the OLED display makes up for it.
Which budget iPhone should you buy?
The iPhone SE 3 offers Apple’s flagship mobile chip at an affordable price. However, this flagship-level performance comes at the cost of an outdated body, display, and cameras. At $429, it’s still not a bad deal; It’s just not a smartphone you’d expect in 2022.
However, if you’re willing to shell out $170 more for the iPhone 12 mini, you’ll get a much better experience – from better cameras to the OLED display – albeit settling for a slightly older processor. And don’t forget the other key features, like MagSafe, which opens the door to a ton of MagSafe-compatible accessories.
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