Apple iPhone SE (1st generation) vs Samsung Galaxy S6
A spec-by-spec comparison of the Apple iPhone SE (1st generation) and the Samsung Galaxy S6, taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.
Head to head
| Apple iPhone SE (1st generation) | Samsung Galaxy S6 |
|---|
| Price | $45 | $69 |
| Our rating | 5/10 | 8/10 |
| Battery | 1,624 mAh | 2,550 mAh |
| Wired charging | — | 15W |
| RAM (max) | 2 GB | — |
| Storage (max) | 128 GB | 128 GB |
| Screen size | 4 in | 5.1 in |
| Main camera | 12 MP | 16 MP |
| Weight (lower is lighter) | 113 g | 138 g |
| Released | Mar 2016 | Apr 2015 |
Summary: Apple iPhone SE (1st generation) is ahead on weight (lower is lighter). Samsung Galaxy S6 is ahead on our rating, battery, screen size, main camera.
★ Which should you buy? Samsung Galaxy S6 is the stronger overall pick on the measured specs. If budget matters more than the extra capability, Apple iPhone SE (1st generation) is the cheaper option.
Reviewed by the infozme.com Editorial Team — see how we research & rate phones.
Display
| Apple iPhone SE (1st generation) | Samsung Galaxy S6 |
|---|
| Type | Retina IPS LCD, LED-backlit | Super AMOLED |
| Size | 4.0 inches (diagonal) | 5.1 inches |
| Resolution | 1136 x 640 pixels, 326 ppi | 1440 x 2560 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~577 ppi density) |
| Features | 800:1 contrast ratio (typical), 500 cd/m2 max brightness (typical), Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating, Full sRGB standard | — |
| Protection | — | Corning Gorilla Glass 4 |
Platform
| Apple iPhone SE (1st generation) | Samsung Galaxy S6 |
|---|
| OS | iOS 9.3.1, upgradable to iOS 15.8.8 (as of May 2026) | Android 5.0.2 (Lollipop), upgradable to 7.0 (Nougat) |
| Chipset | Apple A9 (14 nm) | Exynos 7420 Octa (14 nm) |
| CPU | Dual-core 1.84 GHz Twister | Octa-core (4x2.1 GHz Cortex-A57 & 4x1.5 GHz Cortex-A53) |
| GPU | PowerVR GT7600 (six-core graphics) | Mali-T760MP8 |
Memory
| Apple iPhone SE (1st generation) | Samsung Galaxy S6 |
|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 16GB, 32GB, 64GB, 128GB (2GB RAM) | 32GB/64GB/128GB UFS 2.0 |
| RAM | — | 3GB LPDDR4 |
Main Camera
| Apple iPhone SE (1st generation) | Samsung Galaxy S6 |
|---|
| Single | 12 MP, f/2.2, 29mm (standard), 1/3", 1.22µm, PDAF | 16 MP, f/1.9, 28mm (wide), OIS, AF |
| Features | Dual-tone LED flash, HDR, Live Photos, Autofocus, IR filter, Burst mode, Face detection, True Tone flash | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps, 1080p@120fps (slow-motion), 720p@240fps (slow-motion) | 4K@30fps, 1080p@60fps, 720p@120fps, HDR, OIS |
Selfie Camera
| Apple iPhone SE (1st generation) | Samsung Galaxy S6 |
|---|
| Single | 1.2 MP, f/2.4, 31mm (standard) | 5 MP, f/1.9, 22mm (wide) |
| Features | Face detection, HDR, Retina Flash | Dual video call, Auto-HDR |
| Video | 720p@30fps | 1440p@30fps |
Battery
| Apple iPhone SE (1st generation) | Samsung Galaxy S6 |
|---|
| Type | Li-Po 1624 mAh, non-removable (6.21 Wh) | Li-Ion 2550 mAh, non-removable |
| Charging | Standard charging | 15W wired (Quick Charge 2.0), Qi/PMA wireless |
Body
| Apple iPhone SE (1st generation) | Samsung Galaxy S6 |
|---|
| Dimensions | 123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 mm (4.87 x 2.31 x 0.30 in) | 143.4 x 70.5 x 6.8 mm |
| Weight | 113 g (4.0 oz) | 138 g |
| Build | Glass front, aluminum back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 4), glass back (Gorilla Glass 4), aluminum frame |
| SIM | Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM |
| Colors | Space Gray, Silver, Gold, Rose Gold | — |
Comms
| Apple iPhone SE (1st generation) | Samsung Galaxy S6 |
|---|
| 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, hotspot |
| Bluetooth | 4.2, A2DP, LE | 4.1, A2DP, LE, aptX |
| GPS | GPS, GLONASS | — |
| NFC | Yes (Apple Pay only) | Yes |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | Lightning, USB 2.0 | microUSB 2.0, OTG |
| Positioning | — | GPS, GLONASS, BDS |
| Infrared port | — | Yes |
Launch
| Apple iPhone SE (1st generation) | Samsung Galaxy S6 |
|---|
| Announced | March 21, 2016 | March 1, 2015 |
| Status | Released March 31, 2016 | — |
| Released | — | April 10, 2015 |
Frequently asked questions
Which has the better battery, Apple iPhone SE (1st generation) or Samsung Galaxy S6?
Samsung Galaxy S6 — 1,624 mAh for the Apple iPhone SE (1st generation) versus 2,550 mAh for the Samsung Galaxy S6.
Which is lighter, Apple iPhone SE (1st generation) or Samsung Galaxy S6?
Apple iPhone SE (1st generation) — 113 g for the Apple iPhone SE (1st generation) versus 138 g for the Samsung Galaxy S6.
Which is newer, Apple iPhone SE (1st generation) or Samsung Galaxy S6?
Apple iPhone SE (1st generation) — Mar 2016 for the Apple iPhone SE (1st generation) versus Apr 2015 for the Samsung Galaxy S6.
Is the Apple iPhone SE (1st generation) or the Samsung Galaxy S6 rated higher?
We rate the Apple iPhone SE (1st generation) 5/10 and the Samsung Galaxy S6 8/10.
Best phone lists →
