iPhone 6, 6s, & 7 vs. iPhone SE: Should You Upgrade?

 

In April 2020, Apple unveiled the iPhone SE, a new low-cost iPhone that blends the design of the iPhone 8 with the iPhone 11's super-fast A13 chip, all at a super-low $399 price tag.

If you have an older iPhone, such as an iPhone 6s, iPhone 7, or even an earlier iPhone, you might be wondering if the upgrade to a newer model is worth it. In a nutshell, the answer is yes, but in the guide below, we will walk through the reasons why.

Key iPhone SE Features

• Same design as iPhone 8
• Glass body
• 4.7-inch display
• A13 Chip
• Single-lens 12-megapixel camera
• Touch ID
• Wireless charging
• Fast charging

Feature Comparisons and Upgrades

Same (non Plus) Size and Design

The latest 2020 iPhone SE is similar to the design that was released in 2014, 2015, 2016 , and 2017 by Apple for iPhones, so those upgrading from iPhone 6, 6s, 7, or 8 to the SE should expect a smartphone that is exactly the same size, weight, shape, and design.

The 2020 iPhone SE features a 4.7-inch LCD panel, wide top and bottom bezels, and a Touch ID Home button with faster Touch ID reactivity than many of the original Touch ID iPhones.

Many upgrading from a "Plus" device such as the iPhone 6s Plus, as there is no "Plus" version of the iPhone SE at this time, would not be able to get a device of the same larger 5.5 inch size.

Colors have changed, with white, black, and (PRODUCT)RED available for iPhone SE, but black and white are close to the well-known colours of silver and space grey. Compared to older phones, there is one significant, notable difference in the design of the iPhone SE-the iPhone SE has a glass front and back with an aluminium band sandwiching the two pieces together, while the iPhone 6s and other similar iPhones (with the exception of the iPhone 8) have an aluminium body.

Aluminum is much more resilient than glass, so anyone upgrading from an older phone to an iPhone SE should be mindful that if dropped onto a hard surface without a case , the new iPhone is more fragile and can easily break.

The new iPhone SE is a lot bigger for anyone coming from the original 2016 iPhone SE, but it is, sadly, the smallest phone from Apple. The 4-inch form factor has been discontinued, and it's unlikely it will be resurrected by Apple.

No Headphone Jack

If you are looking to upgrade from an iPhone 6 or 6s to an iPhone SE, then you need to note that the iPhone SE has no headphone jack. With the iPhone 7, Apple removed the headphone jack from the iPhone, and the following iPhones did not have a headphone jack.

That means you'll need an adapter that allows them to connect to the Lightning port on the iPhone if you have wired headphones using the 3.5 mm headphone jack, or you'll need to turn to a Bluetooth-based solution like the AirPods.

Haptic Touch Instead of 3D Touch

If you upgrade from an iPhone 6s, 7, or 8, the 3D Touch feature that allows you to access secret menus and other features may be used when you press a finger down on the iPhone's display.

There's no 3D Feedback on the iPhone SE, but it has something close-Haptic Touch. Haptic Touch isn't exactly the same thing because there's no pain sensitivity, but it works in the same way and can accomplish the same tasks.

More Water Resistance

The first iPhone marketed as water resistant was the iPhone 7, so water resistance is a big bonus feature that you can get when you upgrade if you have an iPhone 6 or 6s because you won't have to worry about using the iPhone in the shower, accidentally dropping it in a puddle, and other unintentional liquid exposure.

The iPhone SE has a water and dust resistance rating of IP67, which means it is dustproof and can withstand being dunked for 30 minutes in water up to one metre deep. Waterproofing is not always permanent, and with its warranty, Apple does not cover water damage, so it is still safer to keep it away from liquids. The iPhone SE will most likely come out unscathed if there is accidental exposure, however.

Wireless Charging

When it comes to durability, a glass body might sound like a drawback, but it does allow for a feature that older iPhones did not have-wireless charging. Wireless charging allows any Qi-based wireless charger to charge the iPhone SE, which is handy since there are plenty of these chargers on the market now.

Wireless charging ensures that an iPhone can be set up to initiate charging on a Qi-based wireless adapter, without the need to have difficulty with the Lightning port and a cord. Wireless charging maxes out at 7.5W, so if you need fast juice, it's not the best option, but it's ideal for trickle charging during the day or charging the iPhone at night on a night stand.

Faster Charging

A feature like the quick charging of the iPhone SE can come in handy when you're in a rush and have an iPhone that's near to dead. With a USB-C to Lightning cable and an 18W+ power adapter, the iPhone SE will charge 50 percent within 30 minutes.

If you have a new Mac or iPad (any Mac or iPad power adapter that is USB-C will charge your iPhone with the right cable), you may already have a USB-C power adapter on hand, but otherwise these components need to be purchased separately because the iPhone SE ships with a 5W power adapter and a standard USB-A to Lightning cable.

Luckily, USB-C cables and appropriate 18W chargers can be picked up pretty cheaply on Amazon.

Top of the Line Processor and Speed

It's probably starting to feel slow if you have an iPhone 6, 6s, or 7, especially if you've upgraded to iOS 12 or iOS 13, which have features built for more modern iPhones.

With the same A13 Bionic chip that's in the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro, the iPhone SE is much, much faster than the chips used in older Apple iPhones because in the last few years, chip technology has come so far. After using an older iPhone, using an iPhone SE would be the most important improvement because it will feel smoother, quicker, and more seamless without any lag and other hiccups you may be used to.

Apps are going to open faster, games are going to work better, web pages are going to load faster in Safari, you're going to be able to open the camera faster and take a image, and it'll normally feel faster regardless of what you're doing.

The fastest smartphone chip that Apple has launched is the A13 Bionic chip. Only look at the iPhone 11 (which has the same processor as the SE) compared to the iPhone 6, 6s, 7, and 8 benchmarks. In day-to-day use, it's an enormous improvement that you will be able to sense.

The iPhone SE 's CPU is up to 2.4x faster than the A9 processor in the iPhone 6s, and the GPU is up to 4x faster, according to Apple. Note: If you have an iPhone SE 2016 and are thinking of upgrading, the A9 that was in the iPhone 6s is the processor on that unit.

Improved Camera with Portrait Mode

The older iPhones from Apple (with the exception of the iPhone 7 Plus and 8 Plus) all had rear cameras with a single lens, and the same is true of the iPhone SE 2020. It's fitted with a 12-megapixel wide-angle camera that's not as good as an iPhone 11 wide-angle camera, but similar to it.

Apple uses advanced sensor technology in its new iPhones, but there is still a single-lens camera, which means you can see better images from the iPhone SE than you see from the iPhone 6s and other older iPhones. The SE camera is stronger than the iPhone 8 camera and seems to be identical to the iPhone XR camera.

Those coming from an older iPhone to the 2020 iPhone SE should expect vibrant, colourful images with true-to - life colours and Smart HDR support, which means much better clarity in the bright and dark areas of the photos. It's not as good at low light photography as the flagship iPhones (there's no Night Mode), but it's a remarkable improvement over older models.

That said, you may want to take a look at the iPhone 11 if photography is what you're looking for, as it has a two-lens setup with an ultra wide-angle lens, but the SE works better for everyday use. At its price point, it is a great smartphone camera.

In the iPhone SE, the A13 chip allows it to perform some machine photography tricks, allowing several features that were missing from older iPhones. The A13 is powered by the aforementioned Smart HDR, and it also adds Portrait Mode to produce portrait images of individuals with artfully blurred backgrounds and Portrait Lighting to change the lighting in those pictures.

The iPhone SE provides a lot for the asking price as far as video is concerned. With optical image stabilisation and some other useful features, such as QuickTake video, it can shoot 4 K video at 60fps, the same as Apple's flagship iPhones, to capture a fast video by holding down the shutter button while in camera mode.

There are definite changes in the front-facing camera compared to the 1.2-megapixel camera on the iPhone 6, the 5-megapixel camera on the iPhone 6s, and the 7-megapixel camera on the iPhone 7. The iPhone SE still uses a 7-megapixel sensor, but thanks to Apple's software algorithms, it can do Portrait Mode with the A13 chip and the image quality is much better.

More Storage Space

Apple has increased the basic amount of storage that entry-level models get in its new iPhones, and with 64, 128, or 256 GB of storage space, the iPhone SE is available. It may be worth paying an extra $50 for the 128 GB model if you intend to take a lot of pictures, particularly if you plan to keep the iPhone SE for many years to come.

The iPhone 6 and 6s were limited to 16, 64, and 128 GB storage options when originally launched, while the iPhone 7 was available with 32, 128, or 256 GB of storage. If you choose an iPhone with a lower storage level such as 16 GB, upgrading to at least 64 GB would be a great relief because you won't need to treat photo storage and software installations as closely as possible.

Good Battery Life

The iPhone SE has about the same battery life as the iPhone 8, lasting up to 13 hours when you watch video on your computer, 8 hours when you download video, and 40 hours when you listen to music.

It's not as strong as the battery that lasts much, much longer on iPhone 11 and 11 Pro, but for most people coming from older iPhones with batteries that have deteriorated over time, it is going to be a solid upgrade.

Faster WiFi and LTE

Gigabit LTE is enabled by the iPhone SE and operates on more than 25 LTE bands, a significant improvement from the iPhone 6 to the iPhone 8. Gigabit LTE means faster upload and download speeds on a cellular link, while more support for the LTE band means that your iPhone is more likely to be able to function in another country if you fly.

WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0, the most current Bluetooth and WiFi specifications, are also supported by the iPhone SE. WiFi 6 is faster than the protocol for WiFi 5 that has been around for many, many years now, and while it's still not used everywhere, it 's certainly a feature you want on a phone that you're going to be using for many years to come.

The iPhone SE provides wireless speeds up to 3.2x higher than the iPhone 6s, and WiFi speeds up to 38 percent faster, but real-world speeds can differ as theoretical maximums are based on these figures.

Dual SIM support is also provided, so that when travelling without swapping the SIM, you can use a secondary SIM, or you can set up two phone numbers on the same phone-one for work and one for personal use.

Tech Spec List

Dual SIM support is also offered, so that you can use a secondary SIM while commuting without swapping your SIM, or you can set up two phone numbers for work and one for personal use on the same phone.

iPhone SE

• 4.7-inch LCD display
• 1334x750 resolution and 326 PPI
• Single 12-megapixel rear camera
• Single 7-megapixel front camera
• Portrait Mode/Lighting, Smart HDR
• A13 Bionic chip with Neural Engine
• Touch ID
• Haptic Touch
• Lightning connector
• No headphone jack
• IP67-rated water resistance
• Fast charging: 50% charge in 30 min
• Qi-based wireless charging
• 64/128/256GB
• Dual SIM (Nano-SIM and eSIM)
• Gigabit-class LTE
• 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6
• Bluetooth 5.0
• 3GB RAM

iPhone 6/6s/7

• 4.7-inch LCD display
• 1334x750 resolution and 326 PPI
• Single 8/12/12-megapixel rear camera
• 1.2/5/7-megapixel front camera
• No Portrait Mode
• A8/A9/A10 chip
• Touch ID
• 3D Touch (6s and later)
• Lightning connector
• Headphone jack (6 and 6s)
  

• No water resistance (6 and 6s)
• No fast charging
• No wireless charging
• 16/64/128GB (256GB iPhone 7 only)
• Single SIM
• LTE Advanced
• 802.11ac Wi-Fi 5
• Bluetooth 4.0-4.2
• 1/2/2GB RAM

Other Considerations

Trade-Ins

You should trade them in to Apple when buying a new SE to get a discount if you have an iPhone 6s, 7, or 8 (or their Plus versions).

For an iPhone 6s in good shape, Apple provides up to $80, lowering the iPhone SE's $400 price to $320. Apple offers iPhone 6s Plus up to $100, iPhone 7 up to $120, iPhone 7 Plus up to $150, iPhone 8 up to $170, and iPhone 8 Plus up to $250.

Apple also takes old smartphones from businesses such as LG, HTC, Samsung, Google, and more, so Android users can even get a discount when they turn to an iPhone.

Ongoing iOS Support

Long after its release, Apple provides software updates for iPhones and even the iPhone 6s, manufactured and sold in 2015, continues to get the new software. But after about four years , Apple will stop providing new updates, so the iPhone SE and iPhone 6s are likely to be close to their end dates of support and will probably not be able to upgrade to iOS 14 this fall.

The iPhone 6 is still stuck on iOS 12 and does not have iOS 13 available, so it's another excuse to upgrade from an ageing iPhone 6, 6s, SE, or 7 to get new apps and the latest software capabilities.

The A13 chip is the same chip as the iPhone 11 in the 2020 iPhone SE, which means Apple will support it for years to come. It's going to get a good four years of updates, which is excellent news for those who have long been fond of hanging on to their iPhones.

Bottom Line

Without a doubt, the 2020 iPhone SE is the highest-quality smartphone Apple has ever launched. When it comes to processing speed, it keeps up with the new flagship smartphones, and although the style is dated, it will still cater to those who like smaller iPhones and prefer Face ID to Touch ID.

For size choice or cost purposes, iPhone users who have kept on to their iPhone 6, 6s, 7 , 8, or even an earlier phone should take a good look at the iPhone SE because it provides strong hardware at an reasonable price, and it is a major improvement over older iPhones.

The iPhone SE is the ideal device for those looking for a good deal and for those who want to keep their iPhones for many years because, thanks to future proofing with the latest A-series chip and benefits like WiFi 6, it will continue to get software updates for years to come.