iPhone SE vs. Pixel 3A, Galaxy S10E, Galaxy A51: What’s the best budget phone?

Apple just announced its latest iPhone SE for 2020, a budget phone that serves as a sequel to its sleeper hit from 2016, the original iPhone SE. In fact, the new iPhone SE largely follows Apple’s original 2016 recipe. Featuring a physical home button, wireless charging and the A13 Bionic processor, the $399 device is the most affordable iPhone in Apple’s lineup today, offering modern hardware and iOS 13 features to a more cost-conscious set of consumers.

But Apple’s foray into budget phones is not without company. For years Android devices have covered this price market and two of the best devices in this category were released last year: Google’s Pixel 3A and the Samsung Galaxy S10E. The $399 Pixel 3A features a headphone jack and has a great Night Sight-enabled camera that shoots great photos in the dark. Meanwhile, the $600 Galaxy S10E has a superfast Snapdragon 855 chipset and a long-lasting battery, and can wirelessly charge other phones and accessories. Samsung more recently launched the Galaxy A51, another phone that costs $399 and has impressive camera specs (there is a 5G variant that costs $499).

To see how Apple’s iPhone compares spec-by-spec to these two other devices, check out the chart below, or do a deeper dive into the differences between iPhone SE’s specs and iPhone 11’s, or compare to the old iPhone SE and other recent iPhones. And for more about the handset, read CNET’s iPhone SE 2020 first take.

iPhone SE (2020) spec comparison

	Apple iPhone SE (2020)	Google Pixel 3A	Samsung Galaxy S10E	Samsung Galaxy A51
Display size, resolution	4.7-inch Retina HD; 1,334×750 pixels	5.6-inch gOLED; 2,220×1,080 pixels	5.8-inch AMOLED; 2,280×1,080 pixels	6.5-inch FHD AMOLED; 2,400×1,080 pixels
Pixel density	326ppi	441ppi	438ppi	405ppi
Dimensions (inches)	5.45 x 2.65 x 0.29 in.	6.0 x 2.8 x 0.3 in.	5.6 x 2.8 x 0.27 in.	6.2 x 2.89 x 0.31 in.
Dimensions (millimeters)	138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3mm	151.3 x 70.1 x 8.2mm	142 x 70 x 7.9mm	157.5 x 73.4 x 7.9mm
Weight (ounces, grams)	5.22 oz.; 148g	5.19 oz.; 147g	5.3oz.; 150g	6.06 oz.; 172g
Mobile software	iOS 13	Android 9.0	Android 9.0	Android 10
Camera	12-megapixel	12.2-megapixel	12-megapixel (wide-angle), 16-megapixel (ultrawide-angle)	48-megapixel (standard), 12-megapixel (wide-angle), 5-megapixel (macro), 5-megapixel (depth sensing)
Front-facing camera	7-megapixel	8-megapixel	10-megapixel	32-megapixel
Video capture	4K	4K	4K	4K
Processor	Apple A13 Bionic	2.0GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 670	Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 855	2.3GHz octa-core
Storage	64GB, 128GB, 256GB	64GB	128GB, 256GB	128GB
RAM	Not disclosed	4GB	6GB, 8GB	4GB
Expandable storage	No	No	Up to 512GB	Up to 512GB
Battery	Not disclosed	3,000 mAh	3,100 mAh	4,000 mAh
Fingerprint sensor	Home button	Back	Power button	In-screen
Connector	Lightning	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C
Headphone jack	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Special features	Water resistant (IP67); dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM); wireless charging	AR in Google Maps, Timelapse video shooting	Wireless PowerShare; hole punch screen notch; water resistant (IP68); Fast Wireless Charging 2.0	Dual-SIM capabilities
Price off-contract (USD)	$399 (64GB), $449 (128GB), $549 (256GB)	$399	$750	$399
Price (GBP)	£419 (64GB), £469 (128GB), £569 (256GB)	£399	£669	£329
Price (AUD)	AU$749 (64GB), AU$829 (128GB), AU$999 (256GB)	AU$649	AU$1,199	Converts to: AU$634

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