Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) vs Sony Xperia Z3 Compact
A spec-by-spec comparison of the Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) and the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact, taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.
Head to head
| Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) | Sony Xperia Z3 Compact |
|---|
| Price | $45 | $5,405 |
| Our rating | 7/10 | 8/10 |
| Battery | 1,624 mAh | 2,600 mAh |
| Wired charging | — | 18W |
| RAM (max) | 2 GB | 2 GB |
| Storage (max) | 128 GB | 128 GB |
| Screen size | 4 in | 4.6 in |
| Main camera | 12 MP | 20.7 MP |
| Weight (lower is lighter) | 113 g | 129 g |
| Released | Mar 2016 | Sep 2014 |
Summary: Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) is ahead on weight (lower is lighter). Sony Xperia Z3 Compact is ahead on our rating, battery, screen size, main camera.
★ Which should you buy? Sony Xperia Z3 Compact is the stronger overall pick on the measured specs. If budget matters more than the extra capability, Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) is the cheaper option.
Reviewed by the infozme.com Editorial Team — see how we research & rate phones.
Display
| Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) | Sony Xperia Z3 Compact |
|---|
| Type | IPS LCD, 16M colors | IPS LCD, Triluminos display, Live Color LED, X-Reality Engine |
| Size | 4.0 inches, 44.1 cm2 (~60.9% screen-to-body ratio) | 4.6 inches |
| Resolution | 640 x 1136 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~326 ppi density) | 720 x 1280 pixels |
| Protection | Ion-strengthened glass, oleophobic coating | Shatter-proof glass |
| Features | 500 nits max brightness (typical), Full sRGB standard, 800:1 contrast ratio (typical) | — |
| Pixel Density | — | 319 ppi |
Platform
| Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) | Sony Xperia Z3 Compact |
|---|
| OS | iOS 9.3, upgradable to iOS 15.8.8 | Android 4.4.4 KitKat, upgradable to Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow |
| Chipset | Apple A9 (14 nm) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 (MSM8974AC) |
| CPU | Dual-core 1.84 GHz Twister | Quad-core 2.5 GHz Krait 400 |
| GPU | PowerVR GT7600 (six-core graphics) | Adreno 330 |
Memory
| Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) | Sony Xperia Z3 Compact |
|---|
| Card slot | No | microSDXC (dedicated slot, up to 128GB) |
| Internal | 16GB 2GB RAM, 32GB 2GB RAM, 64GB 2GB RAM, 128GB 2GB RAM | 16GB 2GB RAM |
Main Camera
| Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) | Sony Xperia Z3 Compact |
|---|
| Single | 12 MP, f/2.2, 29mm (standard), 1/3.0", 1.22µm, PDAF | 20.7 MP, f/2.0, 25mm (wide), 1/2.3", AF |
| Features | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, five-element lens, sapphire crystal lens cover, backside illumination sensor, autofocus with Focus Pixels, tap to focus with Focus Pixels, exposure control, noise reduction, auto HDR for photos, panorama (up to 63 megapixels), auto image stabilization, burst mode, timer mode, photo geotagging, Live Photos with stabilization | LED flash, HDR, panorama, ISO 12800 |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, 720p@240fps. Cinematic video stabilization (1080p and 720p), continuous autofocus video, face detection, noise reduction, take 8-megapixel still photos while recording 4K video, playback zoom, video geotagging | 2160p@30fps (4K), 1080p@60fps, 720p@120fps, HDR |
Selfie Camera
| Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) | Sony Xperia Z3 Compact |
|---|
| Single | 1.2 MP, f/2.4, 31mm (standard) | 2.2 MP |
| Features | Face detection, HDR, Retina Flash, backside illumination sensor, burst mode, exposure control, timer mode | — |
| Video | 720p@30fps | 1080p@30fps |
Battery
| Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) | Sony Xperia Z3 Compact |
|---|
| Type | Li-Po 1624 mAh, non-removable (6.21 Wh) | Li-Ion 2600 mAh, non-removable |
| Talk time | Up to 14 h (3G) | — |
| Music play | Up to 50 h | — |
| Charging | — | 18W wired (Quick Charge 2.0) |
Body
| Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) | Sony Xperia Z3 Compact |
|---|
| Dimensions | 123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 mm (4.87 x 2.31 x 0.30 in) | 127.3 x 64.9 x 8.6 mm (5.01 x 2.56 x 0.34 in) |
| Weight | 113 g (4.0 oz) | 129 g (4.55 oz) |
| Build | Glass front, aluminum back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Shatter-proof glass), glass back, plastic frame |
| SIM | Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM |
| Water & Dust Resistance | — | IP65/IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) |
Comms
| Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) | Sony Xperia Z3 Compact |
|---|
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, hotspot |
| Bluetooth | 4.2, A2DP, LE | 4.0, A2DP, aptX |
| GPS | GPS, GLONASS | — |
| NFC | Yes (Apple Pay only) | Yes |
| Radio | No | Stereo FM radio with RDS |
| USB | Lightning, USB 2.0 | microUSB 2.0 (MHL 3 TV-out, USB Host) |
| Positioning | — | GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou |
Launch
| Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) | Sony Xperia Z3 Compact |
|---|
| Announced | 2016, March 21 | 2014, September 04 |
| Status | Released 2016, March 31. Discontinued 2018, September 12. | Discontinued |
Frequently asked questions
Which has the better battery, Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) or Sony Xperia Z3 Compact?
Sony Xperia Z3 Compact — 1,624 mAh for the Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) versus 2,600 mAh for the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact.
Which is lighter, Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) or Sony Xperia Z3 Compact?
Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) — 113 g for the Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) versus 129 g for the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact.
Which is newer, Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) or Sony Xperia Z3 Compact?
Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) — Mar 2016 for the Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) versus Sep 2014 for the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact.
Is the Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) or the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact rated higher?
We rate the Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) 7/10 and the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact 8/10.
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