Phone Reviews

iPhone SE 4 vs Galaxy S24 FE: A mid-range battle that Apple is not prepared for

November 7, 2024

Intro

The smartphone market is constantly evolving, with new devices vying for consumer attention. Samsung already shook the mid-range segment this year, but Apple is rumored to be planning the release of the iPhone SE 4 soon, so the Fan Edition might be getting some competition.

While these two phones may seem disparate at first glance, they share a common goal: to offer flagship-level performance user experience at a more accessible price point. However, by the leaks we have been getting about the iPhone SE 4, it is sounding like it might have a tough time competing with the Galaxy S24 FE.

The iPhone SE 4, a classic Apple device, is expected to prioritize simplicity, efficiency, maybe even more than it should. In contrast, the Galaxy S24 FE offers users almost the same performance and features as Samsung’s S24 flagship models.

In this comparison, we will delve into the key aspects that set these two devices apart: design and display, performance and software, camera capabilities, battery life and charging, and pricing. By the end of this analysis, you’ll have a clear understanding of which phone is the right fit for your needs.

iPhone SE 4	Galaxy S24 FE
Aluminum frame and 6.1″ display; more compact and lighter	Made from the same materials with 6.7″ display; larger and heavier body
Lower display brightness and refresh rate	Up to 1100 nits display brightness and a 120Hz display refresh rate
Only one 48MP wide camera	Triple-camera setup with a wide, ultra-wide, and 3x telephoto camera
Potentially longer battery life	OK battery lfie
7 years of software support and the latest AI features, will launch with Android 15	7 years of software support and latest AI features, but launched with Android 14
Expected to come with a similar price tag	Starts at $649.99

Table of Contents:

Design and Size

Significantly different size-wize

The design of the iPhone SE 4 has been a hot topic during the past couple of years. In general, most leakers tend to agree that it will adopt the same design as the iPhone 14, just without the large camera module at the back, since the phone will most likely get just one camera at the back.

The S24 FE’s design also takes inspiration from Samsung’s flagship series. In fact, it is hard to tell apart from the rest of the S24 lineup. It has a glass back with aluminum frame, which is alsa what we expect the iPhone SE 4 to be made of.

For durability, the iPhone SE 4 might come with Apple’s 2nd-gen Ceramic Shield. But even if it is the older version it will still be arguably more durable than the Gorilla Glass Victus Plus that protects the S24 FE display.

We still don’t know what colors the iPhone SE 4 might come in. It’s safe to expect one or two “fun” and bright colors and a couple that are more “safe” and neutral.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy S24 FE colors are:

Blue
Graphite
Gray
Mint
Yellow

Display Differences

With the smaller body size comes a smaller display too. The iPhone SE 4 is highly rumored to have a 6.1-inch display, said to be the same OLED panel as the one featured on the iPhone 13.

But no matter how big of an upgrade the new SE 4 display is, the Galaxy S24 FE will still have the better one. Not only is it 6.7 inches, but it also has a 120Hz refresh rate, whereas the SE 4 will almost certainly max out at 60Hz.

When it comes to display visibility, we measured 1110 nits of maximum brightness on the S24 FE during our display lab tests. That is quite a bit more than the 849 nits we measured on the iPhone 13, and if the SE 4 gets the same panel it might also have the same brightness.

As for biometrics, we fully expect Apple to introduce Face ID to the SE series with the SE 4, given that it is supposed to have the body of the iPhone 14. The S24 FE comes with a fast and accurate ultrasonic fingerprint sensor. Both approaches are fast and safe, and both are easy to get used to.

Performance and Software

iPhone SE 4’s chip is unclear, but the S24 FE is an absolute beast

There is a slight issue when speaking about the future iPhone SE’s performance. The leaks and reports have resulted in a big soup of mixed information, and right now it all seems rather unclear what chip Apple will place inside the iPhone SE 4.

Some are saying that Apple might even skip the A16 and A17 chips and upgrade the SE series to the latest A18 chips made via TSMC’s latest 3nm process. This would, of course, be amazing, but it is hard to believe given the price the SE series usually goes for. Since it is the latest rumor though, that is the one we are sticking to for now.

On the other hand, we have the Galaxy S24 FE and its Exynos 2400e chip, which is a slightly altered version than the Exynos 2400 powering the Galaxy S24 flagship lineup. During our S24 FE review we found out that this altered version actually performs very similarly to its flagship counterpart.

As for RAM, the iPhone SE 4 is said to come with 6GB, which is a bit less than the 8GB on the FE. That said, iPhones tend to need less memory than Androids, so this difference between the two shouldn’t be of much significance.

What is significant, however, is that iPhones supposedly need at least 8GB of RAM to support Apple Intelligence (Apple’s AI). This could mean that the SE 4 won’t get any of the AI functionality that the rest of the recent iPhones have, at least not the ones that require on-device processing.

The Galaxy S24 FE comes with all of the Galaxy AI features that the flagship lineup has, such as Live Translate, Interpreter, Transcript Assist, and so on.

For storage, the Fan Edition begins at 128GB, and supposedly so will the SE 4. That said, the FE goes up to 512GB whereas the SE 4 might only go as high as 256GB.

The software update situation is the same for both phones, with up to 7 years of major OS upgrades and security patches. That said, the S24 FE launched with Android 14 and One UI 6.1, while the iPhone SE 4 is expected to launch with iOS 18 (the latest iOS version), so it should last longer into the future.

Camera

Apple is still sticking to just one camera…

Unfortunately, the Galaxy S24 will probably remain the much better choice as far as camera performance goes. That’s because the iPhone SE 4 is rumored to still feature just one camera at the back, compared to the wide, ultra-wide, and 3x telephoto camera setup on the S24 FE.

At least Apple is said to put a 48MP sensor in the SE 4, which may or may not be the same sensor from the recent non-Pro iPhone models.

This would be a major win for the S24 FE, as it will offer a wider range of focal lengths. Different focal lengths can produce dramatically different images. Users are used to having some versatility nowadays when it comes to their phone cameras, so having just one might feel weird and even a bit awkward to some, no matter how good it is.

Battery Life and Charging

The iPhone SE 4 might turn the tides for battery life

No matter how unremarkable the Galaxy S24 FE did during our battery life tests, it was still pretty decent, unlike the latest iPhone SE model. However, the iPhone SE 4 is said to get the same battery like the iPhone 14, which has a capacity of 3,279 mAh. Pair that with the OLED display and more power-efficient chip, and the SE 4 might even last longer then the S24 FE and its bigger 4,700 mAh battery.

As far as charging goes, there still haven’t been any news about the iPhone SE 4. The Galaxy S24 FE comes with a respectable 25W wired and 15W wireless charging, but we suspect Apple won’t offer these kind of speeds with its next budget-friendly iPhone.

More likely than not, the iPhone SE 4 will get 20W wired charging. That said, we could see 15W of wireless charging if Apple decides to introduce MagSafe to its SE series for the first time.

Specs Comparison

	iPhone SE 4*	Galaxy S24 FE
Size, weight	146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8 mm, 172 g	162 x 77.3 x 8 mm, 213 g
Screen	6.1″ OLED 60Hz	6.7″ Dynamic AMOLED 120Hz
Processor	Apple A18 3nm	Exynos 2400e 4nm
RAM, Storage	6/128GB 6/256GB — LPDDR5	8/128GB 8/256GB 8/512GB LPDDR5
Cameras	48MP main — — 12MP front	50MP main 12MP ultra-wide 8MP 3X zoom 10MP front
Battery	3279 mAh	4700 mAh
Charging	USB-C — —	USB-C 25W wired 15W wireless

* rumored specs

— no information/non-applicable

Summary

The iPhone SE 4 and the Galaxy S24 FE present compelling options for budget-conscious consumers seeking powerful smartphones from two of the largest smartphone manufacturers on the market.

The iPhone SE 4, with its compact and lightweight design, offers a familiar iOS experience to that of more modern iPhone models, and possibly even the power of the Apple A18 processor. However, its limited camera capabilities might be a big deal breaker for many potential buyers.

The Galaxy S24 FE, on the other hand, boasts a larger, high-refresh-rate display and a versatile triple-camera system. It offers the flexibility of Android with One UI and faster charging speeds. However, its bulkier and heavier design and potential for shorter battery life are drawbacks worth keeping note of.

The exact pricing and availability of the iPhone SE 4 are yet to be officially announced. At the very least it will undoubtedly be more affordable than the iPhone 16 and even the iPhone 15 series. But if Apple wants to compete with the Galaxy S24 FE, it will have to price the iPhone SE 4 at $649.99 for its base configuration.

A mid-range phone with just one camera sounds a bit ridiculous, but then again so does a 60Hz refresh rate, and Apple has gotten away with that for years. For now, the iPhone SE 4 does not sound like too much of a competition for the Galaxy S24 FE, but time will tell if that will indeed be the case.

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