iPhone SE (2022) vs iPhone 12 mini: The Ultimate Compact Showdown
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The iPhone 12 mini edges out the SE (2022) thanks to its superior display, slightly better camera capabilities, and MagSafe charging. However, the SE (2022) boasts the A15 Bionic chip, offering a performance boost for demanding tasks, and often comes at a lower price point.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Apple iPhone SE (2022) | Apple iPhone 12 mini |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66 - A2783, A2784, A2785 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71 - A2176 |
| 5G bands | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2783, A2784, A2785, A2782 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79, 260, 261 Sub6/mmWave - A2176 |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps | HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2595 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78, 79 Sub6 - A2398, A2399, A2400 | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2022, March 08 | 2020, October 13 |
| Status | Available. Released 2022, March 18 | Available. Released 2020, November 13 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame | Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3 mm (5.45 x 2.65 x 0.29 in) | 131.5 x 64.2 x 7.4 mm (5.18 x 2.53 x 0.29 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + eSIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 144 g (5.08 oz) | 135 g (4.76 oz) |
| IP67 dust/water resistant (up to 1m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Ion-strengthened glass | Ceramic Shield glass |
| Resolution | 750 x 1334 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~326 ppi density) | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~476 ppi density) |
| Size | 4.7 inches, 60.9 cm2 (~65.4% screen-to-body ratio) | 5.4 inches, 71.9 cm2 (~85.1% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Retina IPS LCD, 625 nits (typ) | Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 625 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Hexa-core (2x3.22 GHz Avalanche + 4x1.82 GHz Blizzard) | Hexa-core (2x3.1 GHz Firestorm + 4x1.8 GHz Icestorm) |
| Chipset | Apple A15 Bionic (5 nm) | Apple A14 Bionic (5 nm) |
| GPU | Apple GPU (4-core graphics) | Apple GPU (4-core graphics) |
| OS | iOS 15.4, upgradable to iOS 26.1 | iOS 14.1, upgradable to iOS 26.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM, 256GB 4GB RAM | 64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM, 256GB 4GB RAM |
| NVMe | NVMe | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | - | 12 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.4, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.6" |
| Features | Quad-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panorama | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) |
| Single | 12 MP, f/1.8 (wide), PDAF, OIS | - |
| Video | 4K@24/30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR, OIS, stereo sound rec. | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 30fps), stereo sound rec. |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 7 MP, f/2.2 | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Video | 1080p@30/120fps; gyro-EIS | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | Lightning, USB 2.0 | Lightning, USB 2.0 |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (front-mounted), accelerometer, proximity, gyro, compass, barometer | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| - | Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 20W wired, 50% in 30 min 7.5W wireless (Qi) | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.4 update |
| Type | Li-Ion 2018 mAh (6.96 Wh) | Li-Ion 2227 mAh (8.57 Wh) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Midnight, Starlight, Red | Black, White, Red, Green, Blue, Purple |
| Models | A2783, A2595, A2785, A2782, A2784, iphone14,6 | A2399, A2176, A2398, A2400, A2399, iPhone13,1 |
| Price | $ 119.84 / C$ 199.99 / £ 142.00 / € 173.00 | $ 165.79 / C$ 268.99 / £ 155.00 / € 178.00 |
| SAR | 0.98 W/kg (head) 0.99 W/kg (body) | - |
| SAR EU | 1.20 W/kg (head) 1.19 W/kg (body) | 0.99 W/kg (head) 0.99 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 62h | Endurance rating 69h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: 1424:1 (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -25.2 LUFS (Very good) | -24.6 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 723486 (v9) GeekBench: 4629 (v5.1) GFXBench: 60fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 589616 (v8) GeekBench: 4174 (v5.1) GFXBench: 60fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Apple iPhone SE (2022)
- Blazing-fast A15 Bionic chip
- Affordable price
- Compact and lightweight design
- 5G connectivity
- Outdated design
- Short battery life compared to larger iPhones
- Lower screen brightness
- No MagSafe charging
Apple iPhone 12 mini
- Brighter and more vibrant display
- Slightly better camera quality
- MagSafe charging support
- More modern design
- Slightly more expensive
- Older chipset compared to SE (2022)
- Still relatively short battery life
Display Comparison
The iPhone 12 mini's display shines with a higher measured brightness (627 nits vs 605 nits) and an 'infinite' contrast ratio (though nominal, it suggests excellent blacks). While both have LCD panels, the 12 mini offers a more visually appealing experience. The SE (2022) is perfectly adequate, but lacks the vibrancy of its competitor.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer excellent image quality for their size, but the iPhone 12 mini has a slight edge. It captures slightly more detail and offers better low-light performance. The 12 mini also benefits from computational photography improvements. While the SE (2022) is capable, the 12 mini's camera system is more refined.
Performance
The iPhone SE (2022) takes the performance crown with the A15 Bionic chip, the same found in the iPhone 13 series. This translates to noticeably faster app loading, smoother multitasking, and better gaming performance compared to the iPhone 12 mini's A14 Bionic. However, real-world differences may not be drastic for everyday use.
Battery Life
The iPhone 12 mini and SE (2022) share the same endurance rating of 62h. While this suggests similar battery life, real-world usage can vary. The 12 mini's slightly more efficient components might give it a marginal advantage in some scenarios.
Buying Guide
Who should buy the iPhone SE (2022)? Users prioritizing raw performance, a budget-friendly option, and familiar iOS experience. Who should buy the iPhone 12 mini? Those seeking a better display, slightly improved camera quality, and the convenience of MagSafe charging.