What's the difference between the iPhone 6s, 6s Plus, and SE?

There seem to be a thousand different versions of the iPhone, and honestly...that number isn’t too far off. This can make it sorta tricky when it comes time to buy a new device. How do you know which one is for you? Are there really that many differences between them? And, once you narrow it down to a few options, how do you make your final choice? 

While we can’t really make that decision for you, we sure can give you some insight. If you’re deciding between the 6s, 6s Plus, and SE (2nd Generation) then go ahead and keep on reading. If you’re not deciding between those three...well, you can keep reading too. Learning is fun! 

gold iPhone 6s

Colour

Let’s start with the basics. What colour phone do you want? Both the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus come in Space Grey, Silver, Gold, and Rose Gold. The 2nd Gen iPhone SE only comes in Black, (Product)Red, and White. 

Don’t let colour be your only deciding factor, though. You can always get a case! 

Camera

Each of these three models have a single 12-megapixel Wide camera with up to 5x digital zoom. That’s really where the similarities end, though. 

  • iPhone 6s: Wide: ƒ/2.2 aperture, True Tone flash, HDR for photos, 4K video recording at 30 fps, 1080p HD video recording at 30 fps or 60 fps
  • iPhone 6s Plus: Wide: ƒ/2.2 aperture, True Tone flash, HDR for photos, optical image stabilisation, 4K video recording at 30 fps, 1080p HD video recording at 30 fps or 60 fps
  • iPhone SE: Wide: ƒ/1.8 aperture, True Tone flash with Slow Sync, next-generation Smart HDR for photos, Portrait Lighting with six effects (Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono and High‑Key Mono)

  • Screen and Display

    All three of these phones have a Retina HD display, but once again that’s where the similarities between the three come to a halt. 

  • iPhone 6s: 4.7” (diagonal) screen, 1334-by-750-pixel resolution at 326 ppi, 3D Touch, 500 nits max brightness, full sRGB standard 
  • iPhone 6s Plus: 5.5” (diagonal) screen, 1920-by-1080-pixel resolution at 401 ppi, 3D Touch, 500 nits max brightness, full sRGB standard
  • iPhone SE: 4.7” (diagonal) screen, 1334-by-750-pixel resolution at 326 ppi, True Tone display, wide colour display (P3), Haptic Touch, 625 nits max brightness (typical)

  • Battery Life

    Battery life is one of the more important features when buying a phone, so if that’s what matters most to you then you’ll probably want to look at the 6s Plus. 

  • iPhone 6s: up to 11 hours of video playback
  • iPhone 6s Plus: up to 14 hours of video playback
  • iPhone SE: up to 13 hours of video playback

  • Water Resistance

    This is an easy section. Only the iPhone SE is water-resistant to a depth of 1 metre for up to 30 minutes. The iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus are NOT waterproof in any way, shape, or form. 

    Hopefully that makes things a bit more clear. The world of iPhones can be a bit overwhelming, but you can always count on Frank to make it easier to navigate. 

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