Apple iPhone 8 vs Apple iPhone SE (2020)
A spec-by-spec comparison of the Apple iPhone 8 and the Apple iPhone SE (2020), taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.
Head to head
| Apple iPhone 8 | Apple iPhone SE (2020) |
|---|
| Price | $65 | $89 |
| Our rating | 7/10 | 8/10 |
| Battery | 1,821 mAh | 1,821 mAh |
| Wired charging | 15W | 18W |
| RAM (max) | — | 3 GB |
| Storage (max) | 256 GB | 256 GB |
| Screen size | 4.7 in | 4.7 in |
| Main camera | 12 MP | 12 MP |
| Weight (lower is lighter) | 148 g | 148 g |
| Released | Sep 2017 | Apr 2020 |
Summary: Apple iPhone SE (2020) is ahead on our rating, wired charging.
★ Which should you buy? Apple iPhone SE (2020) is the stronger overall pick on the measured specs. If budget matters more than the extra capability, Apple iPhone 8 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 8 | Apple iPhone SE (2020) |
|---|
| Type | Retina HD IPS LCD, 3D Touch, True Tone | Retina IPS LCD, 625 nits (typ) |
| Size | 4.7 inches | 4.7 inches, 60.9 cm2 (~65.4% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Resolution | 1334 x 750 pixels, 326 ppi | 750 x 1334 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~326 ppi density) |
| Protection | Ion-strengthened glass, oleophobic coating | Ion-strengthened glass, oleophobic coating |
| Features | Wide color display (P3), 625 nits max brightness (typical) | — |
Platform
| Apple iPhone 8 | Apple iPhone SE (2020) |
|---|
| OS | iOS 11, upgradable to iOS 16.7.16 (as of May 2026) | iOS 13, upgradable to iOS 17.x (as of current knowledge) |
| Chipset | Apple A11 Bionic (10 nm) | Apple A13 Bionic (7 nm+) |
| CPU | Hexa-core (2x Monsoon + 4x Mistral) | Hexa-core (2x2.65 GHz Lightning + 4x1.8 GHz Thunder) |
| GPU | Apple GPU (three-core graphics) | Apple GPU (4-core graphics) |
Memory
| Apple iPhone 8 | Apple iPhone SE (2020) |
|---|
| Internal | 64GB, 128GB, 256GB NVMe | 64GB 3GB RAM, 128GB 3GB RAM, 256GB 3GB RAM |
| RAM | 2GB LPDDR4X | — |
| Card slot | No | No |
Main Camera
| Apple iPhone 8 | Apple iPhone SE (2020) |
|---|
| Single | 12 MP, f/1.8, 28mm (wide), PDAF, OIS | 12 MP, f/1.8 (wide), PDAF, OIS |
| Features | Quad-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panorama | LED flash, HDR, panorama, Portrait mode, Smart HDR |
| Video | 4K@24/30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps | 4K@24/30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, OIS, stereo sound rec. |
Selfie Camera
| Apple iPhone 8 | Apple iPhone SE (2020) |
|---|
| Single | 7 MP, f/2.2 | 7 MP, f/2.2 |
| Features | Face detection, HDR, panorama, Retina Flash | HDR, Portrait mode |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 1080p@30fps; gyro-EIS |
Battery
| Apple iPhone 8 | Apple iPhone SE (2020) |
|---|
| Type | Non-removable Li-Ion 1821 mAh | Li-Ion 1821 mAh, non-removable |
| Charging | Fast charging 15W, Qi wireless charging | 18W wired, 50% in 30 min (advertised), Qi wireless charging |
| Talk time | Up to 14 hours | — |
| Internet use | Up to 12 hours | — |
| Video playback | Up to 13 hours | — |
| Audio playback | Up to 40 hours | — |
Body
| Apple iPhone 8 | Apple iPhone SE (2020) |
|---|
| Dimensions | 138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3 mm (5.45 x 2.65 x 0.29 in) | 138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3 mm (5.45 x 2.65 x 0.29 in) |
| Weight | 148 g (5.22 oz) | 148 g (5.22 oz) |
| Build | Glass front (Corning-made glass), glass back (Corning-made glass), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass), glass back (Gorilla Glass), aluminum frame |
| SIM | Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM and/or eSIM |
| IP Rating | IP67 dust/water resistant (up to 1m for 30 min) | — |
| Water & Dust Resistance | — | IP67 dust/water resistant (up to 1m for 30 min) |
Comms
| Apple iPhone 8 | Apple iPhone SE (2020) |
|---|
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot |
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| GPS | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS | — |
| NFC | Yes (Apple Pay only) | Yes |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | Lightning, USB 2.0 | Lightning, USB 2.0 |
| Positioning | — | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS |
Launch
| Apple iPhone 8 | Apple iPhone SE (2020) |
|---|
| Announced | September 12, 2017 | April 15, 2020 |
| Status | Released September 22, 2017 | Released April 24, 2020 |
Frequently asked questions
Which is newer, Apple iPhone 8 or Apple iPhone SE (2020)?
Apple iPhone SE (2020) — Sep 2017 for the Apple iPhone 8 versus Apr 2020 for the Apple iPhone SE (2020).
Is the Apple iPhone 8 or the Apple iPhone SE (2020) rated higher?
We rate the Apple iPhone 8 7/10 and the Apple iPhone SE (2020) 8/10.
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