iPhone SE 2022 vs iPhone 12 mini, which one is more worth it?

Many users are looking for devices that have a reduced screen. Currently it is something that is quite rare to find, but Apple has two models that meet these requirements and are similar to some extent: the iPhone 12 mini and the iPhone SE released in 2022. In this article we make a comparison of the main features of both devices.

iPhone SE 2022 vs iPhone 12 mini

Specification table

The first thing to take into account in this case are the technical specifications of the device. It is in this way the starting point for any type of comparison of two teams that are different. The following table will show the different points of interest of the two devices so that you know at all times how they are different.

iPhone SE (2nd gen.) iPhone 12 mini
Colors -star white
-Midnight
-Red
-Black
-White
-Red
-Green
-Blue
-Purple
Dimensions -Height: 13.84 cm
-Width: 6.73cm
-Thickness: 0.73cm
-Height: 13.15 cm
-Width: 6.42cm
-Thickness: 0.74cm
Weight 144 grams 133 grams
Screen 4.7-inch IPS Widescreen LCD Multi‑Touch Display 5.4-inch OLED screen
Resolution Resolution of 1,334 by 750 pixels at 326 ppi Resolution of 2,340 by 1,080 pixels at 476 ppi
Brightness 625 nits 625 nits (typical) or 1,200 nits (HDR) maximum brightness
Processor A15 A14
Internal memory -64GB
-128GB
-256GB
-64GB
-128GB
-256GB
Speaker stereo speaker stereo speaker
Battery up to 15 hours up to 15 hours
connector Lightning Lightning
FaceID Do not Yes
Touch ID Yes Do not
Price From 529 euros From 689 euros

Differences in size and design

The first characteristic that can be found in any mobile is the one that enters directly through the eyes: the design. In this case there are more than significant differences in the design. The iPhone 12 mini bets on a design with super-reduced edges, making the screen much more prominent. The only thing that exists is a notch at the top to be able to cover the camera system and also the necessary facial recognition. Likewise, there is no commitment to any physical button on the front. In the back, it has a very attractive design, with a double camera in the upper left part and the rest of the space completely clean.

But this does not happen in the second generation iPhone SE, this aspect being one of the great criticisms that can be given. It has a design that corresponds to devices from several years ago, prior to the iPhone X. Specifically, it is quite similar to the iPhone 5s. This means that its front has pronounced frames and the Home button at the bottom. In this way it indicates little progress when it comes to design, and it seems that you are always buying a device that is already outdated.

Screen

In general, you have to know that these are devices that are small when it comes to the chassis. But it also translates to a screen that’s small. Specifically, the iPhone 12 mini has a 5.4-inch screen and a resolution of 1080 × 2340 pixels . Although the second generation iPhone SE has a 4.7-inch screen and a resolution of 750 × 1334 pixels. Obviously, the quality of the screen is superior in the iPhone 12 mini, aimed at offering much more vivid colors and also a better quality experience. But in short, you have to know that neither of these two devices is designed to be able to view high-quality multimedia content, since it is quite complicated on a screen of these dimensions.

You also have to know that there is a good brightness rate in both teams. This makes them finally usable in very bright conditions. You will especially find yourself in this situation when you are outside with a lot of ambient sun.

iPhone 12 mini blanco

Dust and water resistance

iPhones are frankly expensive devices, and that is why they are always looking to have the best resistance. This always translates into a greater continuity of its useful life. The risks to which these devices are generally exposed are both water and dust. In the event that one of these two enters the device, it can end up causing major failures. That is why it is important to note that both devices have resistance to both elements , but with some differences.

In the case of the iPhone 12 mini, it has IP68 protection, which allows the user to submerge the device up to 6 meters for a maximum of 30 minutes. In the case of the iPhone SE, this protection is reduced to IP67 , which only allows the equipment to be immersed up to one meter for 30 minutes. Likewise, in neither of the two cases should there be contact with water since they are protections that can fail. You should not trust them in any case. What is going to have to be done in these cases is at most to have protection against splashes.

camara iPhone SE

How is your performance?

If we go into the bowels of the device, we can find really valuable aspects to understand how it ends up working on a day-to-day basis. Above all we are going to focus on the processor where the GPU and the CPU are integrated, as well as the autonomy. At the end an analysis of your overall performance.

Processor

The brain of every iPhone is the chip that is integrated into its guts. In this case there are some important differences that will have important implications on a day-to-day basis. In the case of the iPhone SE, it is committed to an A15 Bionic chip with a six-core CPU and a quad-core GPU. But in the case of the iPhone 12 mini, there is an A14 chip , with the same number of CPU and GPU cores that we have previously commented on. This is something that must be explained on the paper itself.

Performance, not surprisingly, is going to be higher on the second-generation iPhone SE. Above all, it will be important when it comes to talking about performance when opening different applications and also carrying out daily tasks such as recording videos. In these cases, having a good processor makes a big difference a priori to achieve the best possible experience. But the drawback in this case is that you will hardly be able to notice the differences unless you put both devices at their maximum possible performance. This causes the problem to resurface that it is difficult to extract the necessary juice from all the power that is included in the latest iPhones on the market.

a14 vs a15 apple

That is why we are facing a difference that although it sounds very good on paper, in practice it will hardly involve any real involvement for the user. Both processors work very well, and that is why it should not be decisive when deciding. The most important thing in these cases is always to visualize other points than this one, since in the end they end up getting quite close.

your operating system

Apple almost always stands out for having a great maintenance of its operating system on iPhone, iPad or any other device. In general, the continuity of the updates can be established in a total of 6 years . This is a counter that is started from the operating system that was installed at first launch. Likewise, Apple will always be able to surprise with the different continuities that are made to the iPhone in terms of software.

historia y novedades de ios

You have to know that the iPhone 12 mini hit the market with iOS 14, while the second-generation iPhone SE already came with iOS 15. This indicates that this second model will have a greater range of updates available to users. . On the contrary, the iPhone 12 mini if everything ends up being fulfilled, it will have a year less. This is something that also corresponds to the processor, since in the second generation iPhone SE there is a more powerful one.

Autonomy

Autonomy is practically the first thing you look at when talking about an iPhone. This is mainly because Apple computers have historically not had much battery capacity. But this is something that in these generations has changed radically, since you can now opt for autonomies that easily reach the full day. In this specific case of comparison, we must emphasize that there is a problem that is common to both devices: size. This is something to always keep in mind, because when the chassis is smaller, the battery logically also has less capacity.

Unfortunately, Apple does not give official data on the mAh of the batteries of its devices, staying in hours of playback. In this case, it should be noted that the iPhone 12 mini and the iPhone SE (2nd gen.) have the same autonomy . This can be summarized in the following times:

  • Video playback: up to 15 hours.
  • Video streaming: up to 10 hours.
  • Audio playback: up to 50 hours.

Obviously, although they exactly coincide in autonomy, it should be noted that these values will always depend on the use that is going to be given to it. But in general, it should be noted that a “normal” user will finally have the battery last all day, which after all is what everyone wants, not having to worry throughout the day about having to connect the iPhone to the charger.

Analysis of your cameras

The iPhone, and mobile phones in general, have become the ideal devices to be able to capture different moments of importance at the highest quality with their cameras. That is why in this case we talk about the analysis that is given to the cameras of these two devices. You have to know how to distinguish between the specifications of the selfie cameras and the front camera both in the field of photography and video. All this is grouped in the following table.

iPhone SE (2nd gen.) iPhone 12 mini
photos front camera iPhone SE (2nd gen.) -7 Mpx camera ƒ/2.2 aperture
-Retina Flash (with screen)
-Smart HDR
-Portrait mode
-Depth Control
-Portrait lighting
iPhone 12 mini – 12 Mpx camera
-ƒ/2.2 aperture
-Portrait mode with advanced bokeh effect and Depth Control
-Night mode
-Deep Fusion
-Smart HDR 3
-Video QuickTake
Videos front camera iPhone SE (2nd gen) -Cinema-quality stabilization at 1080p and 720p
-Recording in 1080p at 25, 30 or 60 frames per second
-Video QuickTake
iPhone 12 mini – HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 4K at 30 fps
-Record video in 4K at 24, 25, 30 or 60 fps
-Video recording in 1080p HD at 25, 30 or 60 f/s
-Slow motion video in 1080p at 120 f/s
-Video in time‑lapse with stabilization
Time‑lapse with Night mode
Cinema-quality video stabilization (4K, 1080p and 720p)
Photos rear cameras iPhone SE (2nd gen.) -12 Mpx wide-angle camera with f/1.8 aperture.
-Optical Image Stabilization
-Close-up zoom x5 (digital)
-Flash True Tone with slow sync
-Portrait mode
-Portrait lighting
-Depth Control
-Next generation Smart HDR
iPhone 12 mini – Dual 12MP Wide and Ultra Wide Camera System
-Wide angle: ƒ/1.6 aperture
-Ultra wide angle: ƒ/2.4 aperture and 120° field of view
-Optical zoom out x2
-Digital zoom up to x5
-Flash True Tone
-Night mode
-Deep Fusion
-Smart HDR 3
-Advanced red-eye correction
Videos rear cameras iPhone SE (2nd Gen) – 4K recording at 24, 25, 30 or 60 frames per second
-Recording in 1080p at 25, 30 or 60 frames per second
-Extended dynamic range up to 30 frames per second
-Close-up zoom x3 (digital)
-Video QuickTake
-Slow motion in 1080p at 120 or 240 frames per second
-Time-Lapse with stabilization
-Stereo recording
iPhone 12 mini – HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 4K at 30 fps
-Record video in 4K at 24, 25, 30 or 60 fps
-Video recording in 1080p HD at 25, 30 or 60 f/s
-Video recording in 720p HD at 30 f/s
-Optical image stabilization for video (wide angle)
-Optical image stabilization for video (wide angle)
Cinema-quality video stabilization (4K, 1080p and 720p)

Other important points

Together with everything we have previously commented on, other points can be highlighted that are really valuable when talking about different aspects of the device. Among these we highlight the content in the box or the price of the equipment.

box accessories

For better or worse, these two devices share a great classic within the Cupertino company. In this case, the box is quite simple, since there is no power adapter and no headphones. In this case, the only thing that can be done is to choose to buy them externally in the Apple Store itself or in another authorized store. As we say, this is something that is shared with all devices from 2020, with the aim of reducing the carbon footprint.

What you will be able to find on the device is the user guide and the classic bitten apple sticker . In addition, a Lightning to USB-C cable is included that will allow it to be charged, although as is logical previously, the corresponding adapter must be purchased.

iPhone SE

connectivity

Connectivity is currently a differentiating point when choosing a mobile, focusing above all on 5G connectivity. This is important to be able to count on a high speed of downloading and uploading information to the network. We are talking about a connectivity that is currently booming and that is why it will matter especially when we talk about a user who resides in a city that has this type of connectivity. In this case, it is highlighted that the iPhone SE 2022 does not have 5G, staying only in 4G. But if we talk about the iPhone 12 mini, you can have access to this type of connectivity without limits.

In practice, this is a feature that will be important if you are going to consistently view high-quality video. It can even be important if you work with files that are very large and that you always need to have quickly. Above all, it is chosen looking to the future, and trusting that 5G connectivity will become more and more.

Price

This is undoubtedly one of the most important points in any comparison, since it is one of the factors that most influences the day to day to be able to choose between one device or another. In this case, there is an important difference between the two devices, although it will mainly depend on the storage configuration that is finally chosen. In this case, the following prices will be distinguished:

  • iPhone 12mini:
    • 64 GB of storage: 689 euros.
    • 128 GB of storage: 739 euros.
    • 256 GB of storage: 859 euros.
  • iPhone SE 2022:
    • 64 GB of storage: 529 euros.
    • 128 GB of storage: 579 euros.
    • 256 GB of storage: 699 euros.

You can clearly see how there is a difference in the basic storage configuration. In this case, the difference that is presented is 160 euros and that can become very important for many users who are looking for a new iPhone that is above all economical. In this case, the cheapest model is the iPhone SE 2022, as may be logical due to the limitation of the features that are going to be presented and as we have seen throughout the article.

Our recommendation

As we have commented throughout this article, this is a device that is especially suitable for those users who prefer a screen or a device that is small in size. This may be indicated especially when you have a small hand, or do not want to bulk up the equipment too much in the pants. And beyond this, two devices are presented that have many similarities but also many differences.

In the event that you are a user who is looking for a quality camera and also a design that seems to be much newer, the iPhone 12 mini will be important. Obviously, to be able to access these cameras that are better and also access Face ID, you will have to pay the price difference of 160 euros that you have. This is where the criteria of each of the people comes in to be able to decide whether or not it is worth paying this difference. You should specifically analyze the use that is being given to the cameras and if you like Touch ID or not.

But if the situation arises in which it is a basic user, who does not just take pictures and does not care about the general design, it is not worth paying this difference. In this case, you will have to opt for the second generation iPhone SE. Without a doubt, this is one of the best options for the price of 529 euros.