iPhone SE 4 (2025) vs Pixel 9a preview: which mini flagship to care about?

Intro

Google has the habit of releasing a sort-of-budget version of its Pixel phones midway through the latest model’s lifecycle. The Pixel “a” series typically come with a cheaper build maybe a different camera sensor, but all the Google brains inside, including the same Tensor chip that powers the big boys. This year, it should be the Pixel 9a, with a Tensor G4, expected to launch in March.

Design and Size

Flat sides united

The Pixel will be slightly larger. It’s said its screen will be 6.3 inches, versus the 6.1 inches of the iPhone SE 4. Aspect ratio will also matter when translating that diagonal length to actual device size, but those details are still a bit muddy.

Oh, also, the iPhone SE will be the first SE to have a USB-C port! Well… technically, it could end up being called the iPhone 16E, so maybe the SE line will go down in hostory as being Lightning-equipped to the end. Of course, no question, the Pixel 9a will also have a USB Type-C port.

Display Differences

We already talked about display size expectations — the iPhone would have a 6.1-incher, the Pixel 9a a slightly bigger 6.3-inch screen. They are both expected to be OLED panels with an FHD+ resolution (or something around it, seeing as iPhones always have unorthodox resolutions).

The iPhone will most definitely rock a Face ID unlock sensor in its rather large notch cutout at the top of the screen. And the Pixel 9a is expected to have an optical under-screen fingerprint scanner, as before.

Performance and Software

Tensor, please

The Pixel 9a, as mentioned before, is expected to rock the newest Tensor chip — the Tensor G4. Google’s chipsets are, unfortunately, not powerhouses. They get beaten out by both their contemporary Qualcomm Snapdragons and Apple A competitors. Not to say that Pixel phones don’t run well — of course they do, Google optimizes both the software and the hardware. But if you are a benchmark aficionado, they won’t give you the bragging rights you may want.

Camera

Cutting corners, or just being a minimalist

I have to say, I find the idea for a single-camera iPhone to be kind of alluring. Over the last few years, we’ve had double- and triple-camera modules, each getting bigger than the last. Samsung even went as far as to attach extra-large lens rings to make its camera module appear even bigger than it is this year around. Pixels’ camera visors are also quite chunky.

And, after all of this, Apple may come out with an iPhone SE 4 with a single 48 MP camera on the back. If it utilizes the excellent crop-in zoom that the iPhone 16 does, it may end up being the only thing most users need.

The Pixel 9a is expected to come with a 48 MP main sensor of its own, and a 13 MP ultra-wide camera. A slight downgrade from the mainline Pixel 9 series, but we still expect excellent camera performance here. It’s in the Pixel’s DNA. Hopefully, we don’t get disappointed!

Battery Life and Charging

iPhones always skate with what’s “passable”

The iPhone SE 4 is said to have a battery somewhere around 3,279 mAh. The community often criticizes iPhones for having a “small” battery, compared to contemporaries. Truth is, iOS does magic when it comes to preserving battery life, and iPhones generally can last you a day and a half with little trouble. Though, we get it — if they can do so well with “smaller” batteries, imagine what they can do with a conventional 5,000 mAh cell!

The Pixel 9a is going to rock that conventional capacity, rumors say. A 5,000 mAh battery is very much normal nowadays, and while some more exotic manufacturers are trying to push that envelope, a “budget” phone like the Pixel 9a will comfortably stick to it. And that’s fine — 5,000 mAh is a lot of juice and we expect the Pixel 9a to provide the same day-and-a-half endurance.

Specs Comparison

Here’s what we know about the iPhone SE 4 (2025) — a.k.a. iPhone 16E — specs thus far, and what we know about the Pixel 9a spec sheet. These are based on leaks, so they are definitely subject to change:

Wishful thinking suggests that MagSafe spec on the iPhone SE 4 would allow for the new 25 W charging speeds, but we don’t know that for sure yet. That aside, it looks like a pretty solid phone — depending on what its final price may be. The Pixel 9a will offer a bit more camera options with that extra lens, and a slightly larger display. But the iPhone SE 4 looks like it will hit hard with a better processor. The thought of it having a 60 Hz screen yet again does make us wince, though.

Summary

If both of these phones end up being launched in March, expect another couple of events talking up AI (or press releases with at least a couple of pages dedicated to it). But will the phones be actual AI powerhouses? No, not really.