Between the iPhone SE (3rd gen) and Nord CE 4, the iPhone SE (3rd gen) comes out ahead in weight and antutu, while the Nord CE 4 wins on wired charging and main camera. Overall, the iPhone SE (3rd gen) scores 40.7 and the Nord CE 4 scores 63.2 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The Nord CE 4 is the clear pick on raw spec strength, leading by 22.5 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 SE (3rd gen) if you push the hardware — gaming, on-device AI, heavy multitasking — and the extra compute headroom is worth the trade-offs. The biggest gaps in its favor are weight, antutu, water resistance, among others.
Pick the Nord CE 4 if your top frustration with your current device is running out of charge before the day ends — endurance is the lead spec here. Its strongest claims are wired charging, main camera, battery capacity, among others.
Both ship with comparable 5g support, optical image stabilization, headphone jack, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the Nord CE 4 is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Why Apple - iPhone SE (3rd gen) wins
- ▲Weight — 42.00 g less. 144 vs 186.
- ▲AnTuTu — 8.33% more. 780000 vs 720000.
- ▲Water resistance: IP67 (vs IP54).
- ▲Promised OS updates: 5 (vs 3).
- ▲Wireless charging: 7.5 W vs 0 W.
Why OnePlus - Nord CE 4 wins
- ▲Wired charging — 400.00% more. 100 W vs 20 W.
- ▲Main camera — 316.67% more. 50 MP vs 12 MP.
- ▲Battery capacity — 172.55% more. 5500 mAh vs 2018 mAh.
- ▲Front camera — 128.57% more. 16 MP vs 7 MP.
- ▲RAM — 100.00% more. 8 GB vs 4 GB.
- ▲Refresh rate — 100.00% more. 120 Hz vs 60 Hz.
- ▲Screen size — 42.55% more. 6.7 " vs 4.7 ".
- ▲Pixel density — 20.86% more. 394 ppi vs 326 ppi.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Apple - iPhone SE (3rd gen) | OnePlus - Nord CE 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 144 glead | 186 g |
| Thickness | 7.3 mmlead | 8.2 mm |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP67lead | IP54 |
| Form factor | bar | bar |
Display
| Spec | Apple - iPhone SE (3rd gen) | OnePlus - Nord CE 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Screen sizeⓘ | 4.7 " | 6.7 "lead |
| Pixel densityⓘ | 326 ppi | 394 ppilead |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 60 Hz | 120 Hzlead |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 625 nits | 1100 nitslead |
Performance
Cameras
| Spec | Apple - iPhone SE (3rd gen) | OnePlus - Nord CE 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Main cameraⓘ | 12 MP | 50 MPlead |
| Front camera | 7 MP | 16 MPlead |
| Optical image stabilizationⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Apple - iPhone SE (3rd gen) | OnePlus - Nord CE 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 2018 mAh | 5500 mAhlead |
| Wired chargingⓘ | 20 W | 100 Wlead |
| Wireless chargingⓘ | 7.5 Wlead | 0 W |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple - iPhone SE (3rd gen) | OnePlus - Nord CE 4 |
|---|---|---|
| 5G supportⓘ | true | true |
| Headphone jack | false | false |
| microSD slot | false | truelead |
Operating System
| Spec | Apple - iPhone SE (3rd gen) | OnePlus - Nord CE 4 |
|---|---|---|
| OS | iOSlead | Android |
| Promised OS updates | 5 yearslead | 3 years |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery, iPhone SE (3rd gen) or Nord CE 4?+
Nord CE 4 has 172.5% more battery — 2018 mAh vs 5500 mAh.
Which is lighter, iPhone SE (3rd gen) or Nord CE 4?+
iPhone SE (3rd gen) is 42g lighter — 144g vs 186g.
Is iPhone SE (3rd gen) waterproof?+
iPhone SE (3rd gen) has an IP67 rating.
Does Nord CE 4 support 5G?+
Yes, Nord CE 4 supports 5G.
Which has more RAM, iPhone SE (3rd gen) or Nord CE 4?+
Nord CE 4 offers 8GB of RAM.
Which has a better camera, iPhone SE (3rd gen) or Nord CE 4?+
Nord CE 4 has a 50 MP main camera vs 12 MP.
Spec-level deep dives
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