Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) vs Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017)
A spec-by-spec comparison of the Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) and the Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017), taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.
Head to head
| Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) | Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017) |
|---|
| Price | £55 | £70 |
| Our rating | 7/10 | 6/10 |
| Battery | 1,624 mAh | 2,350 mAh |
| RAM (max) | 2 GB | — |
| Storage (max) | 128 GB | 256 GB |
| Screen size | 4 in | 4.7 in |
| Main camera | 12 MP | 13 MP |
| Weight (lower is lighter) | 113 g | 138 g |
| Released | Mar 2016 | Jan 2017 |
Summary: Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) is ahead on our rating, weight (lower is lighter). Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017) is ahead on battery, storage (max), screen size, main camera.
★ Which should you buy? Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017) 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.
Researched with AI assistance by infozme.com from manufacturer and retailer sources — see how we research & rate phones.
Display
| Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) | Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017) |
|---|
| Type | IPS LCD, 16M colors | Super AMOLED |
| Size | 4.0 inches, 44.1 cm2 (~60.9% screen-to-body ratio) | 4.7 inches |
| Resolution | 640 x 1136 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~326 ppi density) | 720 x 1280 pixels |
| Protection | Ion-strengthened glass, oleophobic coating | Corning Gorilla Glass 4 |
| Features | 500 nits max brightness (typical), Full sRGB standard, 800:1 contrast ratio (typical) | — |
Platform
| Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) | Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017) |
|---|
| OS | iOS 9.3, upgradable to iOS 15.8.8 | Android 6.0.1 (Marshmallow), upgradable to Android 8.0 (Oreo) |
| Chipset | Apple A9 (14 nm) | Exynos 7870 Octa (14 nm) |
| CPU | Dual-core 1.84 GHz Twister | Octa-core 1.6 GHz Cortex-A53 |
| GPU | PowerVR GT7600 (six-core graphics) | Mali-T830 MP1 |
Memory
| Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) | Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017) |
|---|
| Card slot | No | microSDXC (dedicated slot) - up to 256GB |
| Internal | 16GB 2GB RAM, 32GB 2GB RAM, 64GB 2GB RAM, 128GB 2GB RAM | 16GB |
| RAM | — | 2GB |
Main Camera
| Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) | Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017) |
|---|
| Single | 12 MP, f/2.2, 29mm (standard), 1/3.0", 1.22µm, PDAF | 13 MP, f/1.9, 27mm (wide), 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, panorama, HDR |
| 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 | 1080p@30fps |
Selfie Camera
| Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) | Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017) |
|---|
| Single | 1.2 MP, f/2.4, 31mm (standard) | 8 MP, f/1.9 |
| 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) | Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017) |
|---|
| Type | Li-Po 1624 mAh, non-removable (6.21 Wh) | Li-Ion 2350 mAh, non-removable |
| Talk time | Up to 14 h (3G) | — |
| Music play | Up to 50 h | — |
Body
| Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) | Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017) |
|---|
| Dimensions | 123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 mm (4.87 x 2.31 x 0.30 in) | 135.4 x 66.2 x 7.9 mm (5.33 x 2.61 x 0.31 in) |
| Weight | 113 g (4.0 oz) | 138 g (4.87 oz) |
| Build | Glass front, aluminum back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 4), glass back, aluminum frame |
| SIM | Nano-SIM | Single SIM (Nano-SIM) or Hybrid Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) |
| Protection | — | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) |
Comms
| Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) | Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017) |
|---|
| 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 |
| Bluetooth | 4.2, A2DP, LE | 4.2, A2DP, LE |
| GPS | GPS, GLONASS | Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS |
| NFC | Yes (Apple Pay only) | Yes |
| Radio | No | FM radio |
| USB | Lightning, USB 2.0 | USB Type-C 2.0 |
Launch
| Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) | Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017) |
|---|
| Announced | 2016, March 21 | 2017, January |
| Status | Released 2016, March 31. Discontinued 2018, September 12. | Discontinued |
Frequently asked questions
Which has the better battery, Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) or Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017)?
Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017) — 1,624 mAh for the Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) versus 2,350 mAh for the Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017).
Which is lighter, Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) or Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017)?
Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) — 113 g for the Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) versus 138 g for the Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017).
Which is newer, Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) or Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017)?
Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017) — Mar 2016 for the Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) versus Jan 2017 for the Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017).
Is the Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) or the Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017) rated higher?
We rate the Apple iPhone SE (1st Gen) 7/10 and the Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017) 6/10.
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