Best alternatives to iPhone SE

The Phone SE is one of Apple’s most popular devices, combining the pocketable dimensions of earlier iPhones with the more powerful internals and software of newer models at an affordable price. That’s a winning combo, I think, but there are also some reasons that you might prefer an alternative.

So, without further ado, here are my five top compact, affordable, and capable alternatives to the iPhone SE.

Google Pixel 6a

Google’s Pixel 6a is an awesome little phone that offers one of the best features of the iPhone SE: a great 12-megapixel camera. This is combined with Google’s class-leading image processing to produce some incredible results for its price class, with plenty of detail and contrast but without the oversaturated or over-sharpened look of Samsung or Apple phones.

Of course, the Google Pixel 6a is more than just the camera. You’re also getting a clean stock Android system, a reasonable 6.1-inch display and Google’s own Tensor processor at a winning price. I can’t lie, for the money, this is very hard to beat!

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Nothing Phone (1)

If you’d prefer something around the same price as the iPhone SE but you’re looking for a larger screen, then the Nothing Phone (1) might be worth a look.

The Nothing Phone (1) offers a unique look and a fingerprint reader, just like the iPhone SE, but with a larger 6.5-inch 120Hz OLED screen, capacious 4500mAh battery and an impressive camera setup – including a 50-megapixel dual camera and a 16-megapixel front-facer. As a trendy iPhone alternative, this is a nice shout.

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Samsung Galaxy A54 5G

The safer, but perhaps slightly less exciting option is Samsung’s Galaxy A54, which offers a near-identical 6.4-inch screen and 50-megapixel rear camera to the Nothing Phone (1) but in a more orthodox design with a larger 5000mAh battery.

Some notable highlights of the Galaxy A54 include a more feature-filled Android operating system, a choice of multiple colour options and a solid performance across almost every metric. It’s easy to see why the Galaxy A54 is one of the most popular phones on the market in this price category.

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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 5G

This phone definitely can’t be called boring. Despite taking up a modest 85x72mm when folded, compared to the 138x67mm iPhone SE (2022), the Galaxy Z Flip4 unfolds to reveal a 6.7-inch screen. That means you get a phone that’s easily pocketable, without sacrificing on screen size.

The Galaxy Z Flip4 is also powerful, with a Snapdragon 8+ processor, a 120Hz OLED screen that hits up to 1200 nits and at least 128GB of storage and 8GB of RAM. This impressive outfit makes the phone supremely quick, which also heightens the quality of photos taken with the phone’s 12-megapixel wide or ultra-wide lenses. There’s a 10-megapixel front-facing camera too, but you can use the phone folded to take selfies with the rear cameras. Overall, this is one of the best Android alternatives to the iPhone SE.

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iPhone 13 mini

The iPhone 13 Mini is in many ways the ultimate alternative to the iPhone SE. It essentially offers the same modest dimensions as the iPhone SE (2022) but uses the more modern design introduced by the iPhone X – think the notch at the top of the screen with Face ID, a screen that takes up the entire face of the phone and no home button.

Which style you prefer is a matter of taste, but there’s certainly some benefit from upgrading from a 4.7-inch LCD to a brighter and higher-res 5.4-inch OLED screen. Otherwise, both models offer A15 chipsets, but the 13 Mini has double the storage in its base model, an extra ultra-wide camera, an improved 12-megapixel front facing camera and slightly better battery life, making it the better pick overall in my book.

Okay, yes. We admit it. The iPhone 13 Mini is more expensive than the iPhone SE. However, if you shop refurbished, you can guarantee you’ll be getting the most phone for your money.

Wrapping up

Thanks for checking out my recommendations, I hope they come in handy! However, if none of these alternatives quite hit the mark, you can always buy an iPhone SE. Or shop giffgaff’s full range of mobile phones online. Don’t forget we have some great SIM-only deals too!

If you’ve got questions or comments, feel free to join us in the giffgaff community forums. Or tweet me @wsjudd. Thanks for reading and we’ll see you next time.