Samsung Galaxy S9 vs. Apple iPhone SE (2nd generation)

Phone Comparison, Reviews and Tests

In depth comparison and review of Samsung Galaxy S9 and Apple iPhone SE (2nd 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 S9 vs. Apple iPhone SE (2nd generation) Comparison Chart
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS Samsung Galaxy S9 Apple iPhone SE (2nd generation)
Product Type Smartphone Smartphone
Manufacturer Model Number SM-G960W A2296
Form Factor Touch Touch
Height 147.7 mm 138.4 mm Samsung Galaxy S9 has greater height than Apple iPhone SE (2nd generation).
Width 68.7 mm 67.3 mm Samsung Galaxy S9 has greater width than Apple iPhone SE (2nd generation).
Depth 8.5 mm 7.3 mm Apple iPhone SE (2nd generation) is narrower than Samsung Galaxy S9.
Weight 163 g 148 g Apple iPhone SE (2nd generation) is lighter than Samsung Galaxy S9.
Body Colour Titanium grey | Lilac purple | Midnight black | Coral blue White | Black | Red
Body Material Metal frame 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
Repairability Index - 6 (out of 10)
SAR Value 1.08 W/kg (body), 0.63 W/kg (head) 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 Single-SIM Dual-SIM
DISPLAY Samsung Galaxy S9 Apple iPhone SE (2nd generation)
Display Type OLED display LCD display
Display Technology Quad HD+ Super AMOLED Retina HD display with IPS technology
Screen Size (Display Size) 5.8" 4.7" Samsung Galaxy S9 has larger screen size than Apple iPhone SE (2nd generation).
Screen Resolution (Display Resolution) 2960 x 1440 pixels 1334 x 750 pixels Samsung Galaxy S9 has better screen resolution than Apple iPhone SE (2nd generation).
Display Format QHD+ -
Pixel Density 570 ppi 326 ppi Samsung Galaxy S9 has better pixel density than Apple iPhone SE (2nd generation).
Aspect Ratio 18.5:9 -
Max Brightness - 625 cd/m²
Colour Depth 16.7 million colours -
Contrast Ratio - 1400:1
HDR Yes - Samsung Galaxy S9 has HDR.
Display Enhancement Technology - Dolby Vision
Display Features Always-on display, Edge Screen, Infinity Display Display Zoom, Reachability (screen shifting), True Tone display, Wide colour display (P3), Dark mode, Haptic touch
Display Protection (Screen Protector) Corning Gorilla Glass 5 (scratch resistant glass) Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating
PROCESSOR Samsung Galaxy S9 Apple iPhone SE (2nd generation)
Processor Type (CPU) Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 Apple A13 Bionic
Processor Number MSM8998 -
Clock Speed 2.8 GHz -
Processor Core Qty 8-core -
64-bit Architecture Yes Yes Both phones have 64-bit architecture.
Graphics System (GPU) Qualcomm ADRENO 630 -
MEMORY Samsung Galaxy S9 Apple iPhone SE (2nd generation)
RAM LPDDR4 SDRAM - 4 GB -
Internal Memory Size (Storage Capacity) 64 GB 64 GB Both phones have the same internal memory capacity.
User Memory 48.8 GB -
Supported Flash Memory Cards (Expandable Memory) microSDHC, microSDXC - up to 400 GB -
CAMERA Samsung Galaxy S9 Apple iPhone SE (2nd generation)
MAIN CAMERA
Number of Main Cameras 1 1
Sensor Resolution 12 Megapixel 12 Megapixel Both phones have the same camera resolution.
Sensor Size 1/2.55" -
Lens Aperture F/1.5 & f/2.4 F/1.8 Samsung Galaxy S9 has better lens aperture than Samsung Galaxy S9.
Lens Construction - 6-element
Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Both phones have optical image stabilization.
Focus Adjustment Automatic, manual Automatic
Digital Zoom 8x 5x Samsung Galaxy S9 has better digital zoom than Apple iPhone SE (2nd generation).
Self-Timer Delay Yes -
Special Effects Motion effect, HDR, Stamp, Bokeh effect, Grid Line, Stickers Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High‑Key Mono
HDR Mode - Smart HDR
Camera Modes Panorama, Pro mode, Timer mode, HYPERLAPSE, Auto mode, low-light shots, Food mode, Super Slow-mo, 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 S9 has face detection.
White Balance Custom, automatic -
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) Selective Focus, Quick Launch, Playback zoom, Tracking Focus, Motion photo, Exposure, Shutter speed, geotagging, Continuous Auto Focus (CAF), RAW image capture, VDIS (Video Digital Image Stabilisation), High CRI LED flash, Tracking AF, Stamps, location tags, Hyperlapse video support 1080p, Live focus with bokeh filters, Super Speed Dual Pixel 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
FRONT CAMERA
Number of Front Cameras 1 1
Sensor Resolution (Front) 8 Megapixel 7 Megapixel Samsung Galaxy S9 has better front camera resolution than Apple iPhone SE (2nd generation).
Sensor Size (Front) 1/3.6" -
Sensor Type (Front) CMOS -
Lens Aperture (Front) F/1.7 F/2.2 Samsung Galaxy S9 has better front lens aperture than Samsung Galaxy S9.
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
Camera Features (Front) Quick launch, Motion photo, Stamps, location tags, VDIS (Video Digital Image Stabilization) Auto image stabilisation, Cinematic video stabilisation, QuickTake video
BATTERY AND CHARGING Samsung Galaxy S9 Apple iPhone SE (2nd generation)
Battery Capacity (Battery Size) 3000 mAh -
Wireless Charging Yes Yes Both phones can be charged wirelessly.
Wireless Charging Standards WPC, PMA Qi
Standby Time 326 hours -
Talk Time 1860 minutes -
Run Time Details Talk (3G): up to 1860 min
Active online usage (Wi-Fi): up to 14 hrs
Active online usage (3G): up to 12 hrs
Active online usage (LTE): up to 14 hrs
Playback (audio (Always On Display Off)): up to 90 hrs
Playback (audio (Always On Display On)): up to 51 hrs
Playback (video): up to 17 hrs
Standby (AOD off): up to 326 hrs
Standby (AOD on): up to 82 hrs
Playback (audio): up to 40 hrs
Playback (video): up to 13 hrs
Playback (streamed video): up to 8 hrs
Battery Technology - Lithium Ion
CELLULAR Samsung Galaxy S9 Apple iPhone SE (2nd generation)
Technology TD-SCDMA / WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM
Mobile Broadband Generation 4G 4G Both phones have the same mobile network generation.
Operating System Android 8.0 Oreo iOS 13
Intelligent Assistant Bixby Siri
Payment Technology Samsung Pay Apple Pay
Navigation GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo GPS, GLONASS
COMMUNICATIONS Samsung Galaxy S9 Apple iPhone SE (2nd generation)
Data Transmission GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA, HSUPA, HSPA+, VoLTE, FDD-LTE, TDD-LTE, VoWiFi GPRS, EDGE, HSUPA, HSPA+, LTE, DC-HSDPA, VoLTE, FDD-LTE, TDD-LTE, VoWiFi, LAA
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 -
3G UMTS Frequency 2100, 1900, 1700, 850, 900 -
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 29, Band 30, Band 38, Band 39, Band 40, Band 41, Band 46, Band 66 Band 1, Band 2, Band 3, Band 4, Band 5, Band 7, Band 8, Band 11, Band 12, Band 13, Band 17, Band 18, Band 19, Band 20, Band 21, Band 25, Band 26, Band 28, Band 29, 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 700d, FDD 2300 WCS, TDD 2600, TDD 1900, TDD 2300, TDD 2500, TDD 5150, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS-3 FDD 2100, FDD 1900 PCS, FDD 1800+, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS, FDD 850, FDD 2600, FDD 900, FDD 1500, FDD 700a, FDD 700c, FDD 700b, FDD 800 lower, FDD 800 upper, FDD 800 DD, FDD 1500 upper, FDD 1900+, FDD 850+, FDD 700 APT, FDD 700d, 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
Wireless Interface IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, ANT+/ANT IEEE 802.11ax
Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.0 LE Bluetooth 5.0
Bluetooth Profiles HFP, HSP, OPP, PAN, A2DP, AVRCP, HID, SAP, PBAP, MAP, HOGP -
NFC Yes Yes Both phones have an NFC reader for mobile payments.
Messaging Services SMS, MMS SMS, MMS
MEDIA Samsung Galaxy S9 Apple iPhone SE (2nd generation)
Supported Digital Audio Standards WAV, WMA, AAC, PCM, AMR, MP3, FLAC, AAC-LC, XMF, AAC +, OGG, eAAC+, MIDI, APE (Monkey's Audio), M4A, apt-X, DSF, DSD, MXMF, OGA, 3GA, AWB, IMY, RTTTL, RTX, OTA, OPUS, DFF, MID, AMR-WB, AMR-NB, Vorbis, 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, VC-1, FLV, AVC, AVI, MPEG-4, WMV, ASF, 3GP, H.264, H.263, M4V, WebM, HEVC, MP43, 3G2, WMV8, VP8, VP9, H.265, WMV7 M-JPEG, H.264, HEVC, MPEG-4 Part 2
Sound Enhancements Dolby Digital Plus sound, Dolby Atmos sound technology, Surround sound, 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 S9 Apple iPhone SE (2nd generation)
Phone Functions Speakerphone, voice control, call timer, conference call, flight mode, voice dialing, vibrating alert Speakerphone, voice control, call timer, conference call, flight mode, voice dialing, vibrating alert
Sensors Accelerometer, proximity sensor, barometer, gyro sensor, hall sensor, RGB sensor, heart rate, 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 Multitasking, Face Unlock, Wi-Fi Miracast, Multi Window, MU-MIMO technology, Fast Charging, Samsung KNOX, High AOP Mic, Samsung DeX support, Bixby Vision, Intelligent Scan FaceTime, AirPrint wireless printing, iCloud Photo Sharing, AirDrop function, MIMO technology, Wi-Fi Calling, iBeacon microlocation, CarPlay function, QuickType keyboard, HomeKit, Apple TV support (2nd or later), Fast Charging, AirPlay Mirroring, Third‑generation Neural Engine, Audio Sharing
OTHERS Samsung Galaxy S9 Apple iPhone SE (2nd generation)
Included Accessories Power adapter, SIM card removal tool, USB Connector (USB-C), micro-USB connector, USB-C cable, 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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