Samsung Galaxy Note9 vs. Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)

Phone Comparison, Reviews and Tests

In depth comparison and review of Samsung Galaxy Note9 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

Samsung Galaxy Note9 vs. Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) Comparison Chart
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS Samsung Galaxy Note9 Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
Product Type Smartphone Smartphone
Manufacturer Model Number SM-N960F/DS A2783
Form Factor Touch Touch
Height 161.9 mm 138.4 mm Samsung Galaxy Note9 has greater height than Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation).
Width 76.4 mm 67.3 mm Samsung Galaxy Note9 has greater width than Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation).
Depth 8.8 mm 7.3 mm Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) is narrower than Samsung Galaxy Note9.
Weight 201 g 144 g Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) is lighter than Samsung Galaxy Note9.
Body Colour Cobalt blue | Metallic copper | Deep black | Ocean blue | Midnight black | Lavender purple Starlight | Midnight | Red
Body Material - Aluminium, glass
Protection Dustproof, splashproof, waterproof Dustproof, water-resistant, splash-resistant
Waterproof (Water-resistant) Yes Yes Both phones are waterproof.
IP rating IP68 IEC 60529 IP67
SAR Value 1.509 W/kg (body), 0.381 W/kg (head), 2.24 W/kg (limb) 0.99 W/kg (body), 0.98 W/kg (head)
Integrated Components Heart rate sensor -
Connector Type USB Type-C - 24 pin USB-C
Headset jack - mini-phone 3.5mm
Lightning
SIM Card Type (Size) Nano SIM Nano SIM, Electronic SIM card (e-SIM)
SIM Card Qty Dual-SIM Dual-SIM
SIM Card Configuration Details Nano SIM + nano SIM/microSD -
DISPLAY Samsung Galaxy Note9 Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
Display Type OLED display LCD display
Display Technology Quad HD+ Super AMOLED Retina HD display with IPS technology
Screen Size (Display Size) 6.4" 4.7" Samsung Galaxy Note9 has larger screen size than Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation).
Screen Resolution (Display Resolution) 2960 x 1440 pixels 1334 x 750 pixels Samsung Galaxy Note9 has better screen resolution than Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation).
Display Format QHD+ -
Pixel Density 516 ppi 326 ppi Samsung Galaxy Note9 has better pixel density than Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation).
Max Brightness - 625 cd/m²
Colour Depth 16.7 million colours -
Contrast Ratio - 1400:1
Display Enhancement Technology - Dolby Vision
Display Features Always-on display, Edge Screen, Infinity Display, Edge-to-Edge screen 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
PROCESSOR Samsung Galaxy Note9 Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
Processor Type (CPU) Samsung Exynos 9 Apple A15 Bionic
Processor Number 9810 -
Clock Speed 2.7 GHz -
Processor Core Qty 8-core -
64-bit Architecture Yes - Samsung Galaxy Note9 has 64-bit architecture.
Graphics System (GPU) Mali-G72 MP18 -
MEMORY Samsung Galaxy Note9 Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
RAM LPDDR4 SDRAM - 6 GB -
Internal Memory Size (Storage Capacity) 128 GB 64 GB Samsung Galaxy Note9 has more internal memory than Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation).
User Memory 108.9 GB -
Supported Flash Memory Cards (Expandable Memory) microSDHC, microSDXC - up to 512 GB -
CAMERA Samsung Galaxy Note9 Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
MAIN CAMERA
Number of Main Cameras 2 1
Sensor Resolution 12 Megapixel 12 Megapixel Both phones have the same camera resolution.
Sensor Size 1/2.55" -
Lens Type Wide-angle lens -
Lens Aperture F/1.5 & f/2.4 F/1.8 Samsung Galaxy Note9 has better lens aperture than Samsung Galaxy Note9.
Lens Construction - 6-element
Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Dual OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation) Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Both phones have optical image stabilization.
Focus Adjustment Automatic Automatic
Optical Zoom 2x -
Digital Zoom 10x 5x Samsung Galaxy Note9 has better digital zoom than Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation).
Special Effects HDR, Bokeh effect, Grid Line Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High‑Key Mono
HDR Mode - Smart HDR
Camera Modes Panorama, Pro mode, Timer mode, HYPERLAPSE, Auto mode, Food mode, Super Slow-mo, AR Emoji, Portraits, Flowers, Indoor scenes, Animals, Landscapes, Greenery, Trees, Sky, Mountains, Beaches, Sunrises and sunsets, Watersides, Street scenes, Night scenes, Waterfalls, Snow, Birds, Backlit, Text, Disney AR Emoji 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 - Samsung Galaxy Note9 has face detection.
Light Source LED flash 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, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 30 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 60 fps, Super slow motion video 1280 x 720 (720p) at 960 fps, Slo-mo video 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 240 fps, 2560 x 1440 (QHD) 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) Quick Launch, Playback zoom, Motion photo, VDIS (Video Digital Image Stabilisation), Live Focus, Dual Capture, High CRI LED flash, Tracking AF, Video location tags, Stamps, location tags, Continuous autofocus video, Hyperlapse video support 1080p, Live focus with bokeh filters, Super Speed Dual Pixel, background blur, Scene Optimiser, Eye blink, Motion blur, Lens smudge, Backlit, Full view, Flaw detection, 9.1MP still photos recording 4K video 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
SECOND CAMERA
Sensor Resolution (2nd Camera) 12 Megapixel -
Sensor Size (2nd Camera) 1/3.4" -
Lens Type (2nd Camera) Telephoto lens -
Lens Aperture (2nd Camera) F/2.4 -
FRONT CAMERA
Number of Front Cameras 1 1
Sensor Resolution (Front) 8 Megapixel 7 Megapixel Samsung Galaxy Note9 has better front camera resolution than Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation).
Sensor Size (Front) 1/3.6" -
Lens Type (Front) Wide-angle lens -
Lens Aperture (Front) F/1.7 F/2.2 Samsung Galaxy Note9 has better front lens aperture than Samsung Galaxy Note9.
Focus Adjustment Automatic -
Special Effects (Front) HDR, Grid Line Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High‑Key Mono
HDR Mode (Front) - Auto HDR mode
Camera Modes (Front) Timer mode, wide selfie mode, selfie mode, AR Emoji, selfie focus Burst mode, Live Photos, Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control, Portrait Lighting, wide colour capture for photos and Live Photos
Light Source (Front) - Retina Flash
Video Resolutions (Front) - 1280 x 720 (720p), 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 30 fps, Slo-mo video 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 120 fps
Camera Features (Front) Quick launch, Motion photo, Stamps, location tags, VDIS (Video Digital Image Stabilization), Full view, Flaw detection Auto image stabilisation, Cinematic video stabilisation, QuickTake video, Deep Fusion
BATTERY AND CHARGING Samsung Galaxy Note9 Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
Battery Capacity (Battery Size) 4000 mAh -
Wireless Charging Yes Yes Both phones can be charged wirelessly.
Wireless Charging Standards WPC, PMA Qi
Talk Time 1740 minutes -
Run Time Details Talk (3G): up to 1740 min
Active online usage (3G): up to 14 hrs
Active online usage (4G): up to 16 hrs
Active online usage (Wi-Fi): up to 17 hrs
Playback (audio): up to 59 hrs
Playback (audio (Always On Display Off)): up to 95 hrs
Playback (video): up to 20 hrs
Playback (audio): up to 50 hrs
Playback (video): up to 15 hrs
Playback (streamed video): up to 10 hrs
Battery Technology - Lithium Ion
CELLULAR Samsung Galaxy Note9 Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
Technology TD-SCDMA / WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM
Mobile Broadband Generation 4G 5G Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) has more advanced generation mobile network.
Operating System Android 8.1 Oreo iOS 15
Intelligent Assistant Bixby Siri
Payment Technology Samsung Pay Apple Pay
Navigation GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS
COMMUNICATIONS Samsung Galaxy Note9 Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
Data Transmission GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA, HSUPA, HSPA+, FDD-LTE, TDD-LTE 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 850 GSM, 900 GSM, 1800 GSM, 1900 GSM
3G UMTS Band Band 1, Band 2, Band 4, Band 5, Band 8 Band 1, Band 2, Band 5, Band 8, Band 10
3G UMTS Frequency 2100, 1900, 1700, 850, 900 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 28, Band 32, Band 38, Band 39, Band 40, Band 41, Band 66 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 700 APT, FDD 1500 L, TDD 2600, TDD 1900, TDD 2300, TDD 2500, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS-3 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, ANT+/ANT IEEE 802.11ax
Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.0 LE Bluetooth 5.0
NFC Yes Yes Both phones have an NFC reader for mobile payments.
Messaging Services SMS, MMS -
MEDIA Samsung Galaxy Note9 Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
Supported Digital Audio Standards WAV, WMA, AAC, PCM, AMR, MP3, FLAC, XMF, OGG, MIDI, APE (Monkey's Audio), M4A, apt-X, DSF, DSD, MXMF, OGA, 3GA, AWB, IMY, RTTTL, RTX, OTA, DFF, MID, DSD64, DSD128 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 MKV, FLV, AVI, MPEG-4, WMV, ASF, 3GP, M4V, WebM, 3G2 M-JPEG, H.264, HEVC, MPEG-4 Part 2, HEIF
Sound Enhancements Dolby Digital Plus sound, Dolby Atmos sound technology, Acoustic Overload Point, stereo speakers tuned by AKG, Dolby Digital sound Dolby Digital Plus sound, Dolby Digital sound
Video Enhancements - HDR10, Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG)
FEATURES Samsung Galaxy Note9 Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
Phone Functions Speakerphone, voice control, call timer, conference call, flight mode, voice dialing, vibrating alert -
Sensors Accelerometer, proximity sensor, barometer, gyro sensor, hall sensor, RGB sensor, pressure sensor, geomagnetic sensor Accelerometer, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, 3-axis gyro sensor, digital compass, barometer
Security Devices Face recognition, fingerprint reader, eye scan Fingerprint reader
Additional Phone Features S Pen multi-input, Face Unlock, Wi-Fi Miracast, Screen Write, Smart Select, MU-MIMO technology, Fast Charging, Samsung KNOX, Face recognition, High AOP Mic, Smart View, Live message, Screen off memo, Samsung DeX support, Bixby Vision, Smart Performance Adjuster, Dual Audio, water-carbon cooling system, S Pen remote function 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 Samsung Galaxy Note9 Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
Included Accessories Power adapter, tweezer, SIM card removal tool, USB connector, USB-C cable, S Pen, Pen nibs, headset (tuned by AKG) Lightning to USB-C cable
Compliant Standards IP68 IEC 60529 IP67, HAC (Hearing Aid Compatible)
Max Depth of Water Resistance 1.5 m 1 m
Max Operating Temperature - 35 °C
Min Operating Temperature - 0 °C
Humidity Range Operating - 5 - 95% (non-condensing)
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