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# How Does the iPhone SE (2022) Stack Up to its Android Peers?
- URL: https://birchtree.me/blog/the-iphone-se-2022/
- Published: 2022-03-10T18:30:00.000Z
- Updated: 2022-03-10T18:30:00.000Z
- Author: Matt Birchler
- Tags: Links, #Import 2023-06-01 22:41, #Import 2025-03-29 19:29

[How the new iPhone SE stacks up against its budget-friendly Android competitorsHead-to-head with a crop of competitive Android phones.![](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7395351/android-chrome-192x192.0.png)The VergeAntonio G. Di Benedetto![](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/PSre17dIg3m_-rCAJLvzOtSm_Ac=/0x38:1960x1064/fit-in/1200x630/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23299441/Apple_iPhoneSE_5G_SharePlay_lifestyle_220308.jpg)](https://www.theverge.com/22967925/apple-iphone-se-2022-vs-google-pixel-5a-samsung-galaxy-a52-5g-a42-moto-edge-pro-spec-comparison?ref=birchtree.me)

> This year, Apple is promising the performance gains of the A15 processor as well as a bigger battery to accommodate that power-hungry 5G modem that’s now built-in. The cost of all that comes in at a starting price point of $429

This is a good look at how the most popular budget Android phones (in the U.S. at least) stack up to the latest iPhone SE. A few thoughts:

- The only one cheaper than the SE is the Samsung Galaxy A42 5G at $399.
- All of them have much larger screens than the SE, clearly this is a priority to make these phones *look* more premium than their price tag.
- The Snapdragon SoC's in these Android phones are way slower than the A15 in the SE. Like 1/3 the speed according to Geekbench in both single and multi-core benchmarks. Fast enough for reviewers in 2022 to say "things run fine" but not fast enough to still feel that quick 2+ years down the line. [As Apple made very clear](https://twitter.com/mattbirchler/status/1501356988688572419?s=20&t=arbbZf9OIJbXZ0Zsyg2pBw&ref=birchtree.me), budget phones are usually for people who buy a phone as rarely as possible, so long-term performance is huge.

Personally, I think the iPhone SE is a great value and gets people who aren't passionate about phones a good experience that lasts. If you don't want an iPhone and are looking for something on the Android side, I have been recommending the "a" line of Pixels for a few years and everyone I know who's gotten one has been happy with it. The [Pixel 5a](https://store.google.com/product/pixel%5F5a%5F5g?ref=birchtree.me) you can get right now is my pick as well.