Apple iPhone 5S vs Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen)
A spec-by-spec comparison of the Apple iPhone 5S and the Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen), taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.
Head to head
| Apple iPhone 5S | Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) |
|---|
| Price | €59 | €93 |
| Our rating | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Battery | 1,560 mAh | 1,624 mAh |
| RAM (max) | — | 2 GB |
| Storage (max) | 64 GB | 128 GB |
| Screen size | 4 in | 4 in |
| Main camera | 8 MP | 12 MP |
| Weight (lower is lighter) | 112 g | 113 g |
| Released | Sep 2013 | Mar 2016 |
Summary: Apple iPhone 5S is ahead on weight (lower is lighter). Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) is ahead on our rating, battery, storage (max), main camera.
★ Which should you buy? Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) is the stronger overall pick on the measured specs. If budget matters more than the extra capability, Apple iPhone 5S is the cheaper option.
Researched with AI assistance by infozme.com from manufacturer and retailer sources — see how we research & rate phones.
Display
| Apple iPhone 5S | Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) |
|---|
| Type | IPS LCD | IPS LCD, 16M colors |
| Size | 4.0 inches | 4.0 inches, 44.1 cm2 (~60.9% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Resolution | 640 x 1136 pixels | 640 x 1136 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~326 ppi density) |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass, oleophobic coating | Ion-strengthened glass, oleophobic coating |
| Features | 800:1 contrast ratio (typical), 500 cd/m2 max brightness (typical) | 500 nits max brightness (typical), Full sRGB standard, 800:1 contrast ratio (typical) |
Platform
| Apple iPhone 5S | Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) |
|---|
| OS | iOS 7, upgradable to iOS 12.5.8 | iOS 9.3, upgradable to iOS 15.8.8 |
| Chipset | Apple A7 (28 nm) | Apple A9 (14 nm) |
| CPU | Dual-core 1.3 GHz Cyclone (ARM v8-based) | Dual-core 1.84 GHz Twister |
| GPU | PowerVR G6430 (quad-core graphics) | PowerVR GT7600 (six-core graphics) |
| Coprocessor | M7 motion coprocessor | — |
Memory
| Apple iPhone 5S | Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) |
|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 16GB, 32GB, 64GB | 16GB 2GB RAM, 32GB 2GB RAM, 64GB 2GB RAM, 128GB 2GB RAM |
| RAM | 1GB LPDDR3 | — |
Main Camera
| Apple iPhone 5S | Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) |
|---|
| Single | 8 MP, f/2.2, 29mm (standard), 1/3.0", 1.5µm, AF | 12 MP, f/2.2, 29mm (standard), 1/3.0", 1.22µm, PDAF |
| Features | Dual-LED dual-tone flash (True Tone flash), HDR | 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 |
| Video | 1080p@30fps, 720p@120fps | 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 |
Selfie Camera
| Apple iPhone 5S | Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) |
|---|
| Single | 1.2 MP, f/2.4, 31mm (standard) | 1.2 MP, f/2.4, 31mm (standard) |
| Features | Face detection, HDR | Face detection, HDR, Retina Flash, backside illumination sensor, burst mode, exposure control, timer mode |
| Video | 720p@30fps | 720p@30fps |
Battery
| Apple iPhone 5S | Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) |
|---|
| Type | Non-removable Li-Po 1560 mAh (5.92 Wh) | Li-Po 1624 mAh, non-removable (6.21 Wh) |
| Talk time | — | Up to 14 h (3G) |
| Music play | — | Up to 50 h |
Body
| Apple iPhone 5S | Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) |
|---|
| Dimensions | 123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 mm (4.87 x 2.31 x 0.30 in) | 123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 mm (4.87 x 2.31 x 0.30 in) |
| Weight | 112 g (3.95 oz) | 113 g (4.0 oz) |
| Build | Glass front, aluminum frame, aluminum back | Glass front, aluminum back, aluminum frame |
| SIM | Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM |
Comms
| Apple iPhone 5S | Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) |
|---|
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, hotspot |
| Bluetooth | 4.0, A2DP | 4.2, A2DP, LE |
| GPS | Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS | GPS, GLONASS |
| NFC | No | Yes (Apple Pay only) |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | Lightning, USB 2.0 | Lightning, USB 2.0 |
Launch
| Apple iPhone 5S | Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) |
|---|
| Announced | 2013, September 10 | 2016, March 21 |
| Status | Released 2013, September 20 | Released 2016, March 31. Discontinued 2018, September 12. |
Frequently asked questions
Which has the better battery, Apple iPhone 5S or Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen)?
Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) — 1,560 mAh for the Apple iPhone 5S versus 1,624 mAh for the Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen).
Which is lighter, Apple iPhone 5S or Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen)?
Apple iPhone 5S — 112 g for the Apple iPhone 5S versus 113 g for the Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen).
Which is newer, Apple iPhone 5S or Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen)?
Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) — Sep 2013 for the Apple iPhone 5S versus Mar 2016 for the Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen).
Is the Apple iPhone 5S or the Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) rated higher?
We rate the Apple iPhone 5S 6/10 and the Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) 7/10.
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