iPhone SE (3rd gen) 2022 vs iPhone 13 mini: which should you buy?

By Jason Murdock

Published: Friday, 11 March 2022 at 12:00 am

If you are shopping for a modern iPhone and want to keep costs down as much as possible, there are two handsets that will immediately stand out.

Those are the iPhone SE (3rd generation) and the iPhone 13 mini, two of the most affordable options from Apple’s most recent line-up of smartphones.

They have small displays and the same A15 chipset, but there are some dramatic differences between the two devices – specifically in the design, cameras, screen quality, authentication options and their compatibility with MagSafe.

While the iPhone 13 series is certainly the more powerful option out of the pair, that’s not to say the SE doesn’t have its charms. But which one is right for you? Here’s a comparison of the two devices that will help you to decide.

Want to read more about the latest iPhones? Don’t miss our iPhone 13 review, iPhone 13 mini review, iPhone 13 Pro review and iPhone 13 Pro Max review. Our expert team has have tested each model, and here’s our guide to the best iPhone in 2022.

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iPhone SE (3rd gen) 2022 vs iPhone 13 mini: key differences at a glance

  • iPhone SE 3 based on old design, 13 mini is the latest look
  • iPhone SE 3 starts from £419, 13 mini starts from £679
  • iPhone SE 3 has wide camera, 13 mini has a dual set-up
  • iPhone SE 3 has Touch ID, 13 mini has Face ID
  • iPhone SE 3 does not support MagSafe, 13 mini does
  • iPhone SE 3 has LCD display, 13 mini has an OLED panel
  • iPhone SE 3 has three colours, 13 mini has six colours

iPhone SE (3rd gen) 2022 vs iPhone 13 mini: key differences in detail

Design

The design differences between the two handsets are instantly noticeable, with the SE 3 coming with an iPhone 8-era aesthetic and the iPhone 13 mini looking identical to the most recent line-up of Apple’s 13-series handsets but smaller in stature.

The SE 3rd gen has thicker black borders around the top and bottom of the display, and a physical home button on the bottom. In comparison, the iPhone 13 has a more edge to edge display, with a notch placed around the camera and a Face ID sensor.

Here’s the design of the new iPhone SE 3rd gen: 

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Here’s the design of the new iPhone 13 mini: 

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Specs and features

It will be no surprise due to the price difference, but there are some very significant differences between the handsets when it comes to specs and features. Apple has made numerous spec compromises to keep the SE 3’s cost closer to £400.

The SE 3rd gen gives you an Apple iPhone for a mid-range price point, while the 13 mini offers a modern flagship experience with all the bells and whistles.

In the specs department, the iPhone SE 3rd gen is technically worse in pretty much every regard – display quality, battery, water resistance, storage options, colour choice and camera set-up – but it still offers a great way to enter the iOS ecosystem.

The main overlaps come in the form of the chipset – both have Apple’s A15 Bionic – and 5G support. But some of the big differences are the SE 3’s lack of MagSafe compatibility, a second lens, facial recognition and an OLED screen.

When it comes to specs and features, here’s the best way to look at it: the SE 3rd gen is an iPhone from 2017 with modern internals. The iPhone 13 mini, however, packs the same punch as the standard 2021 iPhone 13, just in a smaller frame. The big question is how many features are you willing to sacrifice to keep the cost down.

Price

While the SE 3rd gen can’t compete with the iPhone 13 mini when it comes to specs, it easily wins in terms of affordability. Each model has a tiered pricing structure that is based on how much storage space you require. Here’s the full breakdown:

iPhone SE 3 pricing:

iPhone 13 mini pricing:

Storage

The Apple iPhone SE 3 comes in three storage options – 64GB, 128GB and 256GB – while the Apple iPhone 13 mini has the same amount of variants but offers you more storage as standard – coming in 128GB, 256GB and 512GB variants.

Battery life

The iPhone’s battery life will always depend on how much the device is being used throughout the day. As a rough guide, Apple measures how long each of the phones can play a continuous video clip to demonstrate roughly how each performs:

  • iPhone SE 3rd gen: Up to 15 hours video playback
  • iPhone 13 mini: Up to 17 hours of video playback

Camera

The iPhone SE 3 has a single 12MP wide camera lens on the back and a 7MP selfie camera. It has a digital zoom up to 5x and ƒ/1.8 aperture. The iPhone 13 mini has a dual 12MP camera system, consisting of a wide and an ultra-wide lens, alongside sensor-shift optical image stabilisation and an additional 2x optical zoom out.

The iPhone SE 3 lacks the night and cinematic modes found on the iPhone 13 mini as well as the ability to handle HDR video recording with Dolby Vision support.

Display

Despite being a bigger phone in terms of overall dimensions, the SE (3rd gen) has a smaller 4.7-inch display than the iPhone 13 mini’s 5.4-inch panel. That’s due to the large bezels surrounding the screen, which is measured diagonally from corner to corner. The iPhone 13 mini has a notch and no physical home button on the front, so the display has much more room to breathe and is less cluttered.

Quality is different, too. The iPhone 13 mini has a Super Retina XDR display (OLED) while the iPhone SE 3rd gen has a widescreen LCD display with IPS technology.

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Stanislav Kogiku/Getty Images

5G connectivity

Both iPhones have 5G connectivity for speedy internet and downloads if you have a 5G SIM, data plan and network area. Apple says the iPhone SE 3 has 5G cellular support, meanwhile the iPhone 13 mini comes with “superfast” 5G cellular.

Our verdict: which iPhone should you buy? 

They may technically be two of Apple’s more affordable handsets, but the iPhone SE 3rd gen and the iPhone 13 mini are two very different devices.

It starts with the looks, with the SE series based on a much older iPhone 8 design that has large black bezels around the display and a physical home button housing a Touch ID sensor. The 13 mini has a modern aesthetic that’s in line with the latest series of smartphones – boasting much slimmer borders and a small notch.

Pricing alone sets the iPhones apart, though. Starting from £419, the SE 3rd gen is more of a mid-range device while we would still classify the 13 mini as more of a flagship smartphone due to it having a much steeper starting cost of £679.

Due to the price point, the specs you get with each phone are also very different. Unsurprisingly, the SE 3rd gen is significantly more basic with a single wide lens on the camera, no MagSafe compatibility, less storage and an LCD display. The 13 mini is essentially a smaller iPhone 13, so it comes with the same OLED display, Face ID, water resistance, dual camera setup and storage as its slightly bigger sibling.

There are some similarities: they both run on the latest A15 chip, come with 5G connectivity, have FaceTime support and use the Lightning connector.

But here’s the bottom line: if budget is your priority and you don’t mind (or prefer) the older iPhone design then the SE 3rd gen is a great way to enter the iOS ecosystem. If your priority is performance in a smaller package, then go for the iPhone 13 mini.

Where to buy the iPhone SE (3rd gen):

The iPhone SE (3rd gen) will be available to pre-order from 1pm today (Friday 11th March). The new 2022 SE model will then be officially released on 18th March.

Where to buy the iPhone 13 mini:

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