Apple iPhone XS vs SE (2020)
49
out of 100
VS
49
out of 100
Here we compared two smartphones: the 5.8-inch Apple iPhone XS (with Apple A12 Bionic) that was released on September 12, 2018, against the Apple iPhone SE (2020), which is powered by Apple A13 Bionic and came out 1 year and 8 months after. On this page, you will find tests, full specs, strengths, and weaknesses of each of the devices.
Select the amount of RAM to evaluate performance and value for money more precisely
Key differences
Reasons to consider the Apple iPhone XS
- Has a 1.1 inches larger screen size
- Thinner bezels – 15.8% more screen real estate
- The rear camera has a 2x optical zoom
- 40% higher pixel density (458 vs 326 PPI)
- Waterproof body (IP68 classification)
- Comes with 837 mAh larger battery capacity: 2658 vs 1821 mAh
- Has 33% more RAM: 4GB versus 3GB
- OLED display (versus competitor's IPS LCD)
Reasons to consider the Apple iPhone SE (2020)
- 37% better performance in AnTuTu Benchmark (1033K versus 756K)
- Fingerprint scanner
- Compatible with Wi-Fi 6 wireless networks
- The phone is 1 year and 8 months newer
- 29% faster in single-core GeekBench 6 test: 1680 and 1306 points
- Weighs 29 grams less
Review
Display
Screen quality, color accuracy, brightness
Camera
Photo and video recording quality
Performance
CPU and memory performance (apps, system)
Gaming
Capabilities for playing modern games
Battery
Battery life, charging type and speed
Connectivity
Networks, ports, data transmission
Scores with a red asterisk (*) are approximate and may change in the future as we gather more data.
Select your primary usage scenario to get a more accurate NanoReview Score
Value for money (Beta)
Tests and specifications
Comparison table of technical specifications and testsDisplay
| Type | OLED | IPS LCD |
| Size | 5.8 inches | 4.7 inches |
| Resolution | 1125 x 2436 pixels | 750 x 1334 pixels |
| Aspect ratio | 19.5:9 | 16:9 |
| PPI | 458 ppi | 326 ppi |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 60 Hz |
| Adaptive refresh rate | No | No |
| Max rated brightness | 625 nits | 625 nits |
| HDR support | Yes, Dolby Vision | Yes, Dolby Vision |
| Touch sampling rate | 120 Hz | - |
| Screen protection | Tempered glass | Tempered glass |
| Screen-to-body ratio | 81.1% | 65.3% |
| Display features | - DCI-P3 | - DCI-P3 |
| RGB color space | 98.8% | 99.9% |
| PWM | 240 Hz | Not detected |
| Response time | 4.4 ms | 29 ms |
| Contrast | ∞ Infinity | 2457:1 |
Screen space comparison
iPhone XS
5.8″ (19.5:9 ratio) = 12.8 in2
iPhone SE (2020)
4.7″ (16:9 ratio) = 9.4 in2
~35% more screen space
Peak brightness test (auto)
Design and build
| Height | 143.6 mm (5.65 inches) | 138.4 mm (5.45 inches) |
| Width | 70.9 mm (2.79 inches) | 67.3 mm (2.65 inches) |
| Thickness | 7.7 mm (0.3 inches) | 7.3 mm (0.29 inches) |
| Weight | 177 g (6.24 oz) | 148 g (5.22 oz) |
| Waterproof | IP68 | IP67 |
| Rear material | Glass | Glass |
| Frame material | Metal | Metal |
| Colors | Silver, Gold, Gray | White, Black, Red |
| Fingerprint scanner | No | Yes, in-button |
Screen-to-body ratio
Performance
| Chipset | Apple A12 Bionic | Apple A13 Bionic |
| Max clock | 2490 MHz | 2650 MHz |
| CPU cores | 6 (2 + 4) | 6 (2 + 4) |
| Architecture | - 4 cores at 1.6 GHz: Tempest - 2 cores at 2.49 GHz: Vortex |
- 4 cores at 1.6 GHz: Thunder - 2 cores at 2.65 GHz: Lightning |
| Manufacturing | TSMC | TSMC |
| Lithography process | 7 nanometers | 7 nanometers |
| Neural processor (NPU) | Neural Engine | Apple Neural Engine |
| Graphics | Apple A12 Bionic GPU | Apple A13 Bionic GPU |
| GPU shading units | 256 | 256 |
| GPU clock | 1125 MHz | 1230 MHz |
| FLOPS | ~576 GFLOPS | ~629.8 GFLOPS |
Benchmarks
Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)
Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)
Compute Score (GPU)
| Compute Score (GPU) | - | 13772 |
| Single-core score | 1306 | 1680 |
| Multi-core score | 2770 | 3671 |
AnTuTu Benchmark 11
| CPU | 229658 | 292054 |
| GPU | - | 222419 |
| Memory | 141831 | 149701 |
| UX | 384994 | 369183 |
| Total score | 756483 | 1033357 |
| Samples | [5 tests] | Less than 3 |
3DMark Solar Bay
| Stability | - | 67% |
| Graphics test | - | 9 FPS |
| Section 1 | - | 12 FPS |
| Section 2 | - | 9 FPS |
| Section 3 | - | 6 FPS |
| Graphics score | - | 2275 |
3DMark Wild Life Extreme
| Stability | 61% | 65% |
| Graphics test | 8 FPS | 10 FPS |
| Graphics score | 1446 | 1768 |
Recent User Tests
Apple iPhone XS
| Date | Benchmark | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 📘 2026-07-31 (Дима) | AnTuTu | 644981 |
| 📘 2026-06-27 -> USAball386 | GeekBench GPU | 7868 |
| 📘 2026-06-27 -> USAball386 | GeekBench CPU | 1306 / 2770 |
| 📘 2026-05-12 -> Giahuy | AnTuTu | 756483 |
| 📘 2026-02-05 (tomoclaude) | AnTuTu | 655571 |
Apple iPhone SE (2020)
| Date | Benchmark | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 📘 2026-05-02 (runrey) | GeekBench CPU | 833 / 1454 |
| 📘 2023-11-13 (Guest #1) | GeekBench GPU | 13772 |
| 📘 2023-11-13 (Guest #2) | GeekBench CPU | 1738 / 3119 |
| 📘 2023-10-05 (Antonio) | GeekBench CPU | 1680 / 3671 |
Memory
| RAM size | 4 GB | 3 GB |
| Memory type | LPDDR4X | LPDDR4X |
| Memory clock | 2133 MHz | - |
| Channels | 2 | 2 |
| Storage size | 64 GB | 64 GB |
| Storage type | NVMe | NVMe |
| Memory card | No | No |
Software
| Operating system | iOS 12 (Can be upgraded to iOS 18.7) | iOS 13 (Can be upgraded to iOS 26.5) |
| OS size | 11.8 GB | 8.4 GB |
Battery
| Capacity | 2658 mAh | 1821 mAh |
| Max charge power | 15 W | 18 W |
| Battery type | Li-Ion | Li-Ion |
| Replaceable | No | No |
| Wireless charging | Yes, Qi (10 W) | Yes, Qi (7.5 W) |
| Reverse charging | No | No |
| Bypass charging | No | - |
| Fast charging | Yes (50% in 60 min) | Yes (55% in 60 min) |
| Full charging time | 2:40 hr | 2:32 hr |
| Web browsing | 05:44 hr | 06:52 hr |
| Watching video | 09:44 hr | 10:09 hr |
| Gaming | 03:54 hr | 03:33 hr |
| Standby | 84 hr | 79 hr |
General battery life
Main camera
| Matrix | 12 megapixels | 12 megapixels |
| Image resolution | 4032 x 3024 | 4032 x 3024 |
| Zoom | Optical, 2x | Digital |
| Flash | Quad LED | Quad LED |
| Stabilization | Optical | Optical |
| 8K video recording | No | No |
| 4K video recording | Up to 60FPS | Up to 60FPS |
| 1080p video recording | Up to 60FPS | Up to 60FPS |
| Slow motion | 240 FPS (1080p) | 240 FPS (1080p) |
| Lenses | 1) Standard: 12 MP 2) Telephoto: 12 MP |
1) Standard: 12 MP |
| Camera features | - Bokeh mode - Pro mode - RAW support |
- Bokeh mode |
| Image resolution | 12 MP | 12 MP |
| Aperture | f/1.8 | f/1.8 |
| Focal length | 26 mm | 28 mm |
| Sensor | Apple iSight X | Apple iSight Camera |
| Sensor size | 1/2.55" (≈ 0.39 inch) | 1/3" (≈ 0.33 inch) |
| Pixel size | 1.4 micron | 1.22 micron |
| Autofocus | Phase autofocus (Dual Pixel) | Phase autofocus |
| Stabilization | Optical | Optical |
| Image resolution | 12 MP | - |
| Aperture | f/2.4 | - |
| Focal length | 52 mm | - |
| Sensor size | 1/3.4" (≈ 0.29 inch) | - |
| Pixel size | 1 micron | - |
| Stabilization | Optical | - |
DxOMark main camera tests
Photo quality
Video quality
Generic main camera score
| Samples | - | Photo samples of Apple iPhone SE (2020) from DxOMark |
Selfie camera
| Megapixels | 7 megapixels | 7 megapixels |
| Image resolution | 3088 x 2316 | 3088 x 2320 |
| Aperture | f/2.2 | f/2.2 |
| Focal length | 32 mm | 32 mm |
| Sensor | CMOS | CMOS |
| Pixel size | 1.12 micron | 1 micron |
| Autofocus | Phase autofocus | Phase autofocus |
| Stabilization | Digital | Digital |
| Video resolution | 1080p (Full HD) at 60 FPS | 1080p (Full HD) at 30 FPS |
| Depth sensor (TOF 3D) | No | No |
DxOMark front camera
| Photo | - | 103 |
| Video | - | 122 |
Connectivity
| Wi-Fi standard | Wi-Fi 5 (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac) | Wi-Fi 6 (802.11 b/g/n/ac/ax) |
| Wi-Fi features | - Dual Band - Wi-Fi MiMO - Wi-Fi Direct - Wi-Fi Hotspot - Wi-Fi Display |
- Dual Band - Wi-Fi Hotspot - Wi-Fi Display |
| Bluetooth version | 5 | 5 |
| Bluetooth features | SPP, PBAP/PAB, PAN, OPP, MAP, LE, HSP, HID, HFP, HDP, GAP, GAVDP, DIP, AVRCP, A2DP | LE, A2DP |
| USB type | No | No |
| USB version | 2 | 2 |
| USB features | - Charging - USB-Storage mode - OTG |
- Charging - USB-Storage mode - OTG |
| GPS | GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo | GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo |
| NFC* | Yes | Yes |
| Infrared port | No | No |
| Number of SIM* | 1 | 1 |
| Type of SIM card | Nano | Nano |
| Multi SIM mode | - | Standby |
| eSIM support* | Yes | Yes |
| Hybrid slot | No | No |
| LTE Cat* | 16 | 16 |
| 5G support | No | No |
Sound
| Speakers | Stereo | Stereo |
| Headphone audio jack | No | No |
| FM radio | No | No |
| Dolby Atmos | Yes | Yes |
Speakers test
Max loudness
Other
| Category | Flagship | Mid-range |
| Announced | September 2018 | April 2020 |
| Release date | September 2018 | April 2020 |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $1000 | $399 |
| Successor | - Apple iPhone 17 Pro | - Apple iPhone 16e |
| SAR (head) | 0.99 W/kg | 0.98 W/kg |
| SAR (body) | 0.99 W/kg | 0.99 W/kg |
| Sensors | - Barometer - Proximity sensor - Gyroscope - Accelerometer - Ambient light sensor - Compass - Face recognition sensor |
- Barometer - Proximity sensor - Gyroscope - Accelerometer - Ambient light sensor - Compass - Fingerprint |
| Bundled charger | - | Yes, 5 W |
*Disclaimer! NFC, GSM network support, and some other specs can be different depending on the country.
Conclusion
If the display, gaming, and design are more important to you, then choose the Apple iPhone XS. But if the performance and connectivity are more of a priority – go for the Apple iPhone SE (2020).
Cast your vote
Total votes: 1759