Apple iPhone SE 2020 vs Google Pixel 4a: Design, specs, camera, price and release date
Apple’s long-awaited iPhone SE was finally announced last week, succeeding the popular but aging iPhone SE munchkin that was released in 2016. With powerful internals and iPhone 8-like design, the new SE keeps the price relatively low for the number of features it offers, bringing insane value and new life to the mid-range phone market which it would likely dominate.Currently, few phones could match the new iPhone SE package in terms of pricing and features. One that could probably do that is a device that has not been announced yet, but probably just around the corner – the Google Pixel 4a.
Would Google’s next affordable device be a match for the iPhone SE?
iPhone SE 2020 vs Pixel 4a Design and Hardware
The iPhone SE follows the iPhone 8 design cues to the letter, with a fashionable all-glass design and an aluminum frame that is as premium as it gets. TouchID is not dead, at least for the foreseeable future, as the new iPhone SE brings back the glorious days of fingerprint-enabled physical buttons. The only discernible differences between the iPhone 8 and the iPhone SE 2020 are the paint jobs – the new iPhone will always come with a black front panel, no matter which color you’d normally go for.
As we already mentioned, the iPhone SE packs a pretty potent punch with its Apple A13 chipset, which can be also found in Apple’s latest iPhones. There’s also the humble amount of 3GB of RAM on deck, but knowing iOS’ optimization, these should be enough to ensure a smooth experience. There’s either 64 or 128GB of native storage on deck depending on which model you go for, and in typical Apple fashion, don’t expect any hardware option for storage expansion.
Apple iPhone SE 2020
When it comes to the Pixel 4a, it is now expected to be the only new device as the Pixel 4a XL is quite likely not happening at all. This would be the first time Google releases just a single Pixel, and would signal a change of focus – one phone, all of Google. The Pixel 4a will most certainly be a plastic device (similar to the Pixel 3a/3a XL), and is expected to come in the same colors as the Pixel 4 – Clearly White, Just Black, and Oh So Orange.
Meanwhile, we can only guess as to what hardware would make it inside the Google Pixel 4a. However, leaks suggest that sitting inside the Pixel 4a will be the Qualcomm Snapdragon 730. This chipset has been used in the Samsung Galaxy A71 and Xiaomi Mi Note 10 Pro, among other devices, and should offer a decent performance boost over the Snapdragon 670 used last year. Some 4GB of RAM and either 64 or 128GB of storage will be present. Other internal components include the Adreno 618 GPU and Google’s Titan M security chip.
It would seem that the Motion Sense and facial recognition sensors could be ditched in favor of a punch-hole camera positioned in the left top corner of the display.
Google Pixel 4a
iPhone SE 2020 vs Pixel 4a Battery
1,811mAh vs 3,100mAh. These are the battery numbers that future buyers would see on the specs sheets, and while it could seem that the Pixel would last longer than the iPhone, the latter’s faster processor could turn things around for Apple. There’s wireless charging and 18W fast charging support on the iPhone SE, and hopefully, we’d see similar features on the next affordable Pixel as well.
iPhone SE 2020 vs Pixel 4a Display
In terms of displays, the two phones are packing vastly different displays, but the large bezels of the iPhone SE mean that it will have a similar footprint to the Pixel 4a. Apple’s newest phone comes along with the good old 4.7-inch Retina LCD display that’s been used since the iPhone 6 in 2014. Of course, it has learned a few new tricks: it has True Tone, Dolby Vision, and HDR10. With a resolution of 750×1334 pixels, the iPhone SE is definitely not among the sharpest displays, but that’s what you should expect from Apple’s compact iPhones. The only thing lacking in comparison with the iPhone 8? The 3D Touch layer has been taken away in favor of Haptic Touch, which is a so-so software replacement.
Meanwhile, the Google Pixel 4a is likely coming with a 5.81-inch display, a nice middle ground between the 5.6-inch and 6.0-inch screens of last year’s Pixel 3a and 3a XL. We expect the Pixel 4a to have an FHD+ resolution of 1080×2340 pixels, which would make that display sharper. What’s more important is the fact that the Pixel 4a will likely use an OLED display, which should provide deeper blacks, higher brightness, less motion blur, and punchier colors.
iPhone SE 2020 vs Pixel 4a Camera
The iPhone SE 2020 comes with a single 12MP F1.8 camera. Thanks to an upgraded image signal processor and the Neural Engine of the upgraded chipset, Apple says this is its best single-camera system ever. It now supports Portrait Mode, Smart HDR for photos, extended dynamic range for videos, and stereo sound recording too. Up at the front, we have a 7MP camera that should produce good selfies.
The Pixel 4a will most certainly score a square-shaped camera module in the top-left corner at the rear. Housed within it are an LED flash and a single 12.2-megapixel camera complete with support for autofocus and OIS/EIS. Improved Night Mode and videography are reportedly on the way, The Google Pixel 4a should be capable of recording 1080p video at 30fps, 60fps, and 120fps in addition to 4K video at 30fps and slow-mo 720p video at 240fps.
Taken with the iPhone SE
Do the iPhone SE 2020 and Pixel 4a support 5G?
The iPhone SE 2020 doesn’t support 5G and neither will the Pixel 4a.
iPhone SE 2020 vs Pixel 4a Price and Release Date
The iPhone SE 2020 is selling for $399, which is an extremely competitive price for what you’re getting. Sure, the design could be a bit outdated and such, but it offers insane value at a very aggressive price point, which renders many similarly-priced devices obsolete. The phone is currently available for pre-order and will ship by April 24.
Meanwhile, our guess is as good as yours when it comes to the Google Pixel 4a’s announcement, price tag, and release date. With Google I/O 2020 canceled, Mountain View will likely release the Pixel 4a with a press release at an undisclosed point in the future. A launch should take place shortly after and a $399 retail price for the 64GB version is expected. As for colors, Google is apparently planning Just Black and Barely Blue versions, the latter of which could replace the white model.
There isn’t any word on carrier availability just yet, but the phone will be compatible with all major carriers at launch.