Apple iPhone 5 vs Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen)
A spec-by-spec comparison of the Apple iPhone 5 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 5 | Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) |
|---|
| Price | ₹4,765 | ₹4,999 |
| Our rating | 4/10 | 7/10 |
| Battery | 1,440 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 2012 | Mar 2016 |
Summary: Apple iPhone 5 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 5 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 5 | 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 | Scratch-resistant glass, oleophobic coating | Ion-strengthened glass, oleophobic coating |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 | — |
| Pixel Density | 326 ppi | — |
| Features | — | 500 nits max brightness (typical), Full sRGB standard, 800:1 contrast ratio (typical) |
Platform
| Apple iPhone 5 | Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) |
|---|
| OS | iOS 6, upgradable to iOS 10.3.4 | iOS 9.3, upgradable to iOS 15.8.8 |
| Chipset | Apple A6 | Apple A9 (14 nm) |
| CPU | Dual-core 1.3 GHz Swift (ARM v7-based) | Dual-core 1.84 GHz Twister |
| GPU | PowerVR SGX 543MP3 (triple-core graphics) | PowerVR GT7600 (six-core graphics) |
Memory
| Apple iPhone 5 | 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 LPDDR2 RAM | — |
Main Camera
| Apple iPhone 5 | Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) |
|---|
| Single | 8 MP, f/2.4, 33mm (standard), 1/3.2", 1.4µm, AF | 12 MP, f/2.2, 29mm (standard), 1/3.0", 1.22µm, PDAF |
| Features | LED flash, panorama, 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 | 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 5 | Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) |
|---|
| Single | 1.2 MP, f/2.4 | 1.2 MP, f/2.4, 31mm (standard) |
| Video | 720p@30fps | 720p@30fps |
| Features | — | Face detection, HDR, Retina Flash, backside illumination sensor, burst mode, exposure control, timer mode |
Battery
| Apple iPhone 5 | Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) |
|---|
| Type | Li-Po 1440 mAh, non-removable | Li-Po 1624 mAh, non-removable (6.21 Wh) |
| Talk time | Up to 8 h (3G) | Up to 14 h (3G) |
| Music play | Up to 40 h | Up to 50 h |
Body
| Apple iPhone 5 | 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 (Gorilla Glass), aluminum back, aluminum frame | Glass front, aluminum back, aluminum frame |
| SIM | Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM |
Comms
| Apple iPhone 5 | 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 5 | Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) |
|---|
| Announced | 2012, September 12 | 2016, March 21 |
| Released | 2012, September 21 | — |
| Discontinued | 2013, September 10 | — |
| Status | — | Released 2016, March 31. Discontinued 2018, September 12. |
Frequently asked questions
Which has the better battery, Apple iPhone 5 or Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen)?
Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) — 1,440 mAh for the Apple iPhone 5 versus 1,624 mAh for the Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen).
Which is lighter, Apple iPhone 5 or Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen)?
Apple iPhone 5 — 112 g for the Apple iPhone 5 versus 113 g for the Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen).
Which is newer, Apple iPhone 5 or Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen)?
Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) — Sep 2012 for the Apple iPhone 5 versus Mar 2016 for the Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen).
Is the Apple iPhone 5 or the Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) rated higher?
We rate the Apple iPhone 5 4/10 and the Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) 7/10.
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