Apple iPhone 6s vs. Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)

Phone Comparison, Reviews and Tests

In depth comparison and review of Apple iPhone 6s and Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation). Compare sizes, cameras, batteries, memory, and other important specifications and features to easily choose the right phone for you. Our goal is to help you uncover differences between the products and find the phone that will best fit your needs.

Phone Specifications Comparison

Apple iPhone 6s vs. Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) Comparison Chart
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS Apple iPhone 6s Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
Product Type Smartphone - refurbished Smartphone
Manufacturer Model Number A1688 A2783
Form Factor Touch Touch
Height 138.3 mm 138.4 mm Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) has greater height than Apple iPhone 6s.
Width 67.1 mm 67.3 mm Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) has greater width than Apple iPhone 6s.
Depth 7.1 mm 7.3 mm Apple iPhone 6s is narrower than Apple iPhone 6s.
Weight 143 g 144 g Apple iPhone 6s is lighter than Apple iPhone 6s.
Body Colour Space grey | Rose gold | Gold | Silver Starlight | Midnight | Red
Body Material Stainless steel, glass, anodised aluminium Aluminium, glass
Protection - Dustproof, water-resistant, splash-resistant
Waterproof (Water-resistant) - Yes Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) is waterproof.
IP rating - IEC 60529 IP67
SAR Value 0.98 W/kg (body), 0.87 W/kg (head) 0.99 W/kg (body), 0.98 W/kg (head)
Connector Type Headset jack - mini-phone 3.5mm
Lightning
Lightning
SIM Card Type (Size) Nano SIM Nano SIM, Electronic SIM card (e-SIM)
SIM Card Qty Single-SIM Dual-SIM
DISPLAY Apple iPhone 6s Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
Display Type LCD display LCD display
Display Technology Retina HD display with IPS technology Retina HD display with IPS technology
Screen Size (Display Size) 4.7" 4.7" Both phones have the same screen size.
Screen Resolution (Display Resolution) 1334 x 750 pixels 1334 x 750 pixels Both phones have the same screen resolution.
Pixel Density 326 ppi 326 ppi Both phones have the same pixel density.
Max Brightness 500 cd/m² 625 cd/m² Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) has better display brightness than Apple iPhone 6s.
Contrast Ratio 1400:1 1400:1 Both phones have the same display contrast ratio.
Display Enhancement Technology - Dolby Vision
Display Features Dual-domain pixels, Display Zoom, Reachability (screen shifting), Landscape Views Display Zoom, Reachability (screen shifting), True Tone display, Wide colour display (P3), Dark mode, Haptic touch, Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG)
Display Protection (Screen Protector) Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating
PROCESSOR Apple iPhone 6s Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
Processor Type (CPU) Apple A9 Apple A15 Bionic
64-bit Architecture Yes - Apple iPhone 6s has 64-bit architecture.
MEMORY Apple iPhone 6s Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
Internal Memory Size (Storage Capacity) 16 GB 64 GB Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) has more internal memory than Apple iPhone 6s.
CAMERA Apple iPhone 6s Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
MAIN CAMERA
Number of Main Cameras 1 1
Sensor Resolution 12 Megapixel 12 Megapixel Both phones have the same camera resolution.
Sensor Type BSI -
Lens Aperture F/2.2 F/1.8 Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) has better lens aperture than Apple iPhone 6s.
Lens Construction 5-element 6-element
Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) - Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) has optical stabilisation.
Focus Adjustment Automatic Automatic
Digital Zoom 3x 5x Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) has better digital zoom than Apple iPhone 6s.
Special Effects - Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High‑Key Mono
HDR Mode Auto HDR mode Smart HDR
Camera Modes Burst mode, Panorama, Time-lapse mode, Timer mode Burst mode, Panorama, Live Photos, Timelapse video, Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control, Portrait Lighting, wide colour capture for photos and Live Photos
Face Recognition (Face ID) Face detection - Apple iPhone 6s has face detection.
Light Source LED light True Tone LED flash
Video Resolutions 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 30 fps, 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 60 fps, 1280 x 720 (720p) at 30 fps, Slo-mo video 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 120 fps, Slo-mo video 1280 x 720 (720p) at 240 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 30 fps 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 30 fps, 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 60 fps, 1280 x 720 (720p) at 30 fps, Slo-mo video 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 120 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 30 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 60 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 24 fps, Slo-mo video 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 240 fps
Camera Features (Functions) Sapphire crystal lens cover, Cinematic video stabilisation, Focus Pixels, Cinematic video stabilisation, Live Photo, Playback zoom, Hybrid IR filter, Exposure control, noise reduction, geotagging Sapphire crystal lens cover, Cinematic video stabilisation, Focus Pixels, Cinematic video stabilisation, Playback zoom, geotagging, Stereo Recording, Continuous autofocus video, 8MP still photos recording 4K video, Time‑lapse video with stabilisation, Slow Sync, Advanced red-eye correction, Optical image stabilization for video, Extended dynamic range for video, HEIF image capture, Digital zoom up to 3x for video, QuickTake video, Deep Fusion, Photographic Styles
FRONT CAMERA
Number of Front Cameras 1 1
Sensor Resolution (Front) 5 Megapixel 7 Megapixel Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) has better front camera resolution than Apple iPhone 6s.
Sensor Type (Front) BSI -
Lens Aperture (Front) F/2.2 F/2.2 Both phones have the same front camera lens aperture.
Special Effects (Front) - Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High‑Key Mono
HDR Mode (Front) Auto HDR mode Auto HDR mode
Camera Modes (Front) Burst mode, Timer mode Burst mode, Live Photos, Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control, Portrait Lighting, wide colour capture for photos and Live Photos
Face Recognition (Face ID) Face detection - Apple iPhone 6s has face detection.
Light Source (Front) Retina Flash Retina Flash
Video Resolutions (Front) 1280 x 720 (720p) 1280 x 720 (720p), 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 30 fps, Slo-mo video 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 120 fps
Camera Features (Front) FaceTime HD camera, Exposure control Auto image stabilisation, Cinematic video stabilisation, QuickTake video, Deep Fusion
BATTERY AND CHARGING Apple iPhone 6s Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
Battery Capacity (Battery Size) - -
Wireless Charging - Yes Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) can be charged wirelessly.
Wireless Charging Standards - Qi
Standby Time 240 hours -
Talk Time 840 minutes -
Run Time Details Talk (3G): up to 840 min
Standby: up to 240 hrs
Active online usage (3G): up to 10 hrs
Active online usage (LTE): up to 10 hrs
Active online usage (Wi-Fi): up to 11 hrs
Playback (video): up to 11 hrs
Playback (audio): up to 50 hrs
Playback (audio): up to 50 hrs
Playback (video): up to 15 hrs
Playback (streamed video): up to 10 hrs
Battery Technology Lithium Ion Lithium Ion
CELLULAR Apple iPhone 6s Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
Technology CDMA2000 1X / GSM / WCDMA (UMTS) / TD-SCDMA WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM
Mobile Broadband Generation 4G 5G Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) has more advanced generation mobile network.
Operating System iOS 9 iOS 15
Intelligent Assistant Siri Siri
Payment Technology Apple Pay Apple Pay
Navigation GPS, GLONASS GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS
COMMUNICATIONS Apple iPhone 6s Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
Data Transmission GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA, HSUPA, HSPA+, LTE, DC-HSDPA, LTE Advanced, VoLTE, TDD-LTE, VoWiFi EDGE, HSPA+, LTE, DC-HSDPA, LTE Advanced, VoLTE, FDD-LTE, TDD-LTE, VoWiFi, LAA, 5G NR FR1
2G Band 850 GSM, 900 GSM, 1800 GSM, 1900 GSM, 1900 CDMA2000 1X, 1700 CDMA2000 1X (AWS), 2100 CDMA2000 1X (AWS) 850 GSM, 900 GSM, 1800 GSM, 1900 GSM
3G UMTS Band - Band 1, Band 2, Band 5, Band 8, Band 10
3G UMTS Frequency - 2100, 1900, 850, 900, 1700 EAWS
4G LTE Band Band 1, Band 2, Band 3, Band 4, Band 5, Band 7, Band 8, Band 12, Band 13, Band 17, Band 18, Band 19, Band 20, Band 25, Band 26, Band 27, Band 28, Band 29, Band 30, Band 38, Band 39, Band 40, Band 41 Band 1, Band 2, Band 3, Band 4, Band 5, Band 7, Band 8, Band 12, Band 13, Band 17, Band 18, Band 19, Band 20, Band 25, Band 26, Band 28, Band 30, Band 32, Band 34, Band 38, Band 39, Band 40, Band 41, Band 42, Band 46, Band 48, Band 66
4G LTE Frequency FDD 2100, FDD 1900 PCS, FDD 1800+, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS, FDD 850, FDD 2600, FDD 900, FDD 700a, FDD 700c, FDD 700b, FDD 800 lower, FDD 800 upper, FDD 800 DD, FDD 1900+, FDD 850+, FDD 800 SMR, FDD 700 APT, FDD 700d, FDD 2300 WCS, TDD 2600, TDD 1900, TDD 2300, TDD 2500 FDD 2100, FDD 1900 PCS, FDD 1800+, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS, FDD 850, FDD 2600, FDD 900, FDD 700a, FDD 700c, FDD 700b, FDD 800 lower, FDD 800 upper, FDD 800 DD, FDD 1900+, FDD 850+, FDD 700 APT, FDD 2300 WCS, FDD 1500 L, TDD 2000, TDD 2600, TDD 1900, TDD 2300, TDD 2500, TDD 3500, TDD 5150, TDD 3600, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS-3
5G NR Band - N1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n20, n28, n38, n41, n66, n77, n78, n79, n40, n25, n12, n48, n30
5G NR Frequency - FDD 2100, FDD 1900PCS, FDD 1800, FDD 850, FDD 2600, FDD 900, FDD 800, FDD 700APT, TDD TD 2600, TDD TD 2500, FDD AWS-3, TDD TD 3700, TDD TD 3500, TDD TD 4500, TDD 2300, FDD 1900, n12, TDD 3500, FDD 2300
Wireless Interface IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac IEEE 802.11ax
Bluetooth Bluetooth 4.2 Bluetooth 5.0
NFC Yes Yes Both phones have an NFC reader for mobile payments.
Messaging Services SMS, MMS -
MEDIA Apple iPhone 6s Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
Supported Digital Audio Standards WAV, AAC, AIFF, PCM, Audible, MP3, Apple Lossless, AAC-LC, HE-AAC, Audible AAX, Audible AAX+, protected AAC Audible, MP3, FLAC, Apple Lossless, AC-3, AAC-LC, LPCM, HE-AAC, Audible AAX, Audible AAX+, protected AAC, EAC3, HE-AAC v2
Supported Digital Video Standards AVI, MOV, M-JPEG, MPEG-4, H.264, M4V M-JPEG, H.264, HEVC, MPEG-4 Part 2, HEIF
Sound Enhancements - Dolby Digital Plus sound, Dolby Digital sound
Video Enhancements - HDR10, Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG)
FEATURES Apple iPhone 6s Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
Phone Functions Speakerphone, voice control, call timer, conference call, flight mode, voice dialing, vibrating alert -
Sensors Accelerometer, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, 3-axis gyro sensor, digital compass, barometer Accelerometer, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, 3-axis gyro sensor, digital compass, barometer
Security Devices Fingerprint reader Fingerprint reader
Additional Phone Features Multitasking, FaceTime, AirPlay wireless streaming, AirPrint wireless printing, iCloud Photo Sharing, AirDrop function, Apple TV support (2nd, 3rd), MIMO technology, Wi-Fi Calling, iBeacon microlocation, CarPlay function, Family Sharing feature, QuickType keyboard, iCloud Keychain, Spotlight Search, Notification Center, M9 motion coprocessor MIMO technology, Apple TV support (2nd or later), AirPlay Mirroring, Third‑generation Neural Engine, Express Transit cards with power reserve, 4K HDR AirPlay Mirroring, FaceTime HD (1080p), 16‑core Neural Engine
OTHERS Apple iPhone 6s Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
Included Accessories USB cable, power adapter, Apple EarPods Lightning to USB-C cable
Compliant Standards HAC (Hearing Aid Compatible) IEC 60529 IP67, HAC (Hearing Aid Compatible)
Max Depth of Water Resistance - 1 m
Max Operating Temperature 35 °C 35 °C
Min Operating Temperature 0 °C 0 °C
Humidity Range Operating 5 - 95% (non-condensing) 5 - 95% (non-condensing)
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