SE 2 vs Pro Max: The 2020 iPhone Competition Is Not All About the Price

Apple's latest phone may not include the 3-camera lens most 2020 devices have been equipped with, but it could still be worth giving a shot.

The cheapest iPhone yet has just been released on April the 17th starting from $399, and Apple fans are perplexed on whether they should upgrade to the iPhone SE 2 or some other flagship device like the iPhone 11 Pro Max that costs more than $1200.

The low cost of the newest iPhone has been perceived as a smart move on Apple's side; especially that the world is suffering from economic slowdown, pressured by the coronavirus global outbreak. Users considering a new phone on a budget are expressing lots of excitement for the idea of buying a brand new device for less than $500.

Additionally, users in favor of combat cell phones at a time most phones tend to get larger can finally purchase smaller phones with the highest tech needed.

In this article, we will break down the most important features and specifics in two of Apple's 2020 devices to see whether saving at least $600 on devices that run the same software (iOS v13.0) is worth it or not.

External and Display

Experts have been describing the iPhone SE 2 (4.7 inches) as the iPhone 11 in an iPhone 8 body and it's pretty true. The new iPhone offers new external features not super trendy in appearance, it's rather a small device with a typical iPhone look, and it's offered in three different colors; Black, White, and Product Red.

Apple has pledged to contribute to the COVID-19 global fund for every device purchased in the product red.

In terms of the screen to body ratio for the SE 2 it is 65.08 % while it exceeds 82.1% in the Pro Max, which might be a decent option for users dissatisfied with increasingly larger phones.

Performance and Storage

This is the main reason users seem to be drawn to the cheapest of iPhones so far since the SE 2 is packed with the same very powerful Apple A13 Bionic processor.

While the Pro Max has a 4 GB RAM, the SE 2 has a 3 GB one. Both phones allow users to use 2 sim cards.

Both devices are available with 64, 128, or 256 GB storage capacity.

Battery

Both devices support wireless charging, thanks to their glass backs. Yet the battery performance seems to vary strongly in favor of the Pro Max that has 3969 mAh compared to the SE 2 where the battery capacity is only 1960 mAh.

Unfortunately, the SE 2 doesn't support the quick charging feature.

Camera

While the Pro Max is equipped with four different 12 MP cameras, three of which are on the back while one is for selfies, the SE 2 keeps the old tradition of one camera per side with 12 MP rear lens and a 7 MP front one.

Despite the variation in the number of cameras for each device, the SE 2 still has the potential of taking superb photos and 4k-quality videos, with features like digital zoom, auto flash, digital image stabilization, face detection, and touch to focus. 

Regarding screen resolution, the SE 2 is said to have the iPhone 8 one with 750 x 1334 pixels as opposed to 1242 x 2688 pixels in the iPhone Pro Max.

Finally, both phones are water-resistant and dust-proof.