Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 | Apple - iPhone SE (3rd gen) |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | 48 MP | 12 MP |
| AnTuTu | 1620000 | 780000 |
| RAM | 8 GB | 4 GB |
| Wireless charging | 15 W | 7.5 W |
| Battery capacity | 3561 mAh | 2018 mAh |
| Front camera | 12 MP | 7 MP |
Between the iPhone 16 and iPhone SE (3rd gen), the iPhone 16 comes out ahead in main camera / antutu, while the iPhone SE (3rd gen) wins on weight. Overall, the iPhone 16 scores 60.1 and the iPhone SE (3rd gen) scores 47.6 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The iPhone 16 is the clear pick on raw spec strength, leading by 12.5 points on the Mars Score. The margin is wide enough that the underdog only makes sense if its individual strengths line up with what you specifically need.
Pick the iPhone 16 if you photograph or shoot video regularly and want the better imaging pipeline of the two. The biggest gaps in its favor are main camera, antutu, ram, among others. The single most decisive one: Main camera — 300.00% more. 48 MP vs 12 MP.
Pick the iPhone SE (3rd gen) if you carry the device everywhere and weight or thickness has been the deciding factor before. Its strongest claims are weight. The single most decisive one: Weight — 26.00 g less. 144 vs 170.
Both ship with comparable refresh rate, 5g support, wired charging, so those specs do not separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the iPhone 16 is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Which should you buy: Apple - iPhone 16 or Apple - iPhone SE (3rd gen)?
Apple - iPhone 16 leads the current Mars Score by 12.5 points.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare screen size, ram, pixel density, battery capacity against the way you will actually use the product.
Choose Apple - iPhone 16 if…
Apple - iPhone 16 has the measurable edge on main cam mp, antutu score, ram gb.
Choose Apple - iPhone SE (3rd gen) if…
Apple - iPhone SE (3rd gen) has the measurable edge on weight g.
This is a structured comparison of the published catalog values. It is not a claim of identical real-world performance across every workload; use the linked spec drill-downs and methodology page to inspect the inputs.
Why Apple - iPhone 16 wins
- ▲Main camera — 300.00% more. 48 MP vs 12 MP.
- ▲AnTuTu — 107.69% more. 1620000 vs 780000.
- ▲RAM — 100.00% more. 8 GB vs 4 GB.
- ▲Wireless charging — 100.00% more. 15 W vs 7.5 W.
- ▲Battery capacity — 76.46% more. 3561 mAh vs 2018 mAh.
- ▲Front camera — 71.43% more. 12 MP vs 7 MP.
- ▲Pixel density — 41.10% more. 460 ppi vs 326 ppi.
- ▲Screen size — 29.79% more. 6.1 " vs 4.7 ".
Why Apple - iPhone SE (3rd gen) wins
- ▲Weight — 26.00 g less. 144 vs 170.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 | Apple - iPhone SE (3rd gen) |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 170 g | 144 glead |
| Thickness | 7.8 mm | 7.3 mmlead |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP68lead | IP67 |
| Form factor | bar | bar |
Display
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 | Apple - iPhone SE (3rd gen) |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.1 "lead | 4.7 " |
| Pixel densityⓘ | 460 ppilead | 326 ppi |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 60 Hz | 60 Hz |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 2000 nitslead | 625 nits |
Performance
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 | Apple - iPhone SE (3rd gen) |
|---|---|---|
| RAMⓘ | 8 GBlead | 4 GB |
| Storageⓘ | 128 GBlead | 64 GB |
| AnTuTuⓘ | 1620000lead | 780000 |
| CPU total clockⓘ | 17.0 GHzlead | 9.6 GHz |
Cameras
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 | Apple - iPhone SE (3rd gen) |
|---|---|---|
| Main cameraⓘ | 48 MPlead | 12 MP |
| Front camera | 12 MPlead | 7 MP |
| Optical image stabilizationⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 | Apple - iPhone SE (3rd gen) |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacityⓘ | 3561 mAhlead | 2018 mAh |
| Wired chargingⓘ | 20 W | 20 W |
| Wireless chargingⓘ | 15 Wlead | 7.5 W |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 | Apple - iPhone SE (3rd gen) |
|---|---|---|
| 5G supportⓘ | true | true |
| Headphone jack | false | false |
| microSD slot | false | false |
Operating System
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 | Apple - iPhone SE (3rd gen) |
|---|---|---|
| OS | iOS | iOS |
| Promised OS updates | 5 years | 5 years |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery, iPhone 16 or iPhone SE (3rd gen)?+
iPhone 16 has 76.5% more battery — 3561 mAh vs 2018 mAh.
Which is lighter, iPhone 16 or iPhone SE (3rd gen)?+
iPhone SE (3rd gen) is 26g lighter — 170g vs 144g.
Is iPhone 16 waterproof?+
iPhone 16 has an IP68 rating.
Does iPhone SE (3rd gen) support 5G?+
Yes, iPhone SE (3rd gen) supports 5G.
Which has more RAM, iPhone 16 or iPhone SE (3rd gen)?+
iPhone 16 offers 8GB of RAM.
Which has a better camera, iPhone 16 or iPhone SE (3rd gen)?+
iPhone 16 has a 48 MP main camera vs 12 MP.