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Phone and foldable comparisons

iPhone SE vs iPhone 16 Screen Comparison

Compare iPhone SE and iPhone 16 references to see how small-screen layouts differ from modern full-screen iPhone layouts.

At a glance

Measured screen and viewport differences

Values combine reference display records and calculated geometry. Rounded corners, cutouts, hinges, browser UI, and device modes can change the usable area.

CSS viewport reference

iPhone SE 3rd gen
375 × 667 CSS px
iPhone 16
393 × 852 CSS px

Physical resolution

iPhone SE 3rd gen
750 × 1,334 px
iPhone 16
1,179 × 2,556 px

Diagonal

iPhone SE 3rd gen
4.7 inches
iPhone 16
6.1 inches

Calculated panel size

iPhone SE 3rd gen
4.1 × 2.3 inches
iPhone 16
5.5 × 2.6 inches

Calculated screen area

iPhone SE 3rd gen
9.4 square inches
iPhone 16
14.2 square inches

Pixel density

iPhone SE 3rd gen
326 PPI
iPhone 16
460 PPI

Aspect ratio

iPhone SE 3rd gen
16:9
iPhone 16
19.5:9

Device pixel ratio

iPhone SE 3rd gen
DPR 2
iPhone 16
DPR 3

Decision guide

Choose the screen that fits the task

Small phones remain important for accessibility and compatibility testing. Compare iPhone SE with iPhone 16 to check whether CTAs, menus, and forms still fit on shorter screens.

Choose iPhone SE 3rd gen when

  • Test small-screen mobile layouts and above-the-fold content.
  • Check whether sticky footer bars cover important UI.
Review iPhone SE 3rd gen data

Choose iPhone 16 when

  • Check whether sticky footer bars cover important UI.
  • Confirm forms and checkout flows still work on compact phones.
Review iPhone 16 data

Visual comparison

Compare screen shapes

Compare physical screen proportions and native pixel grids, or switch to CSS viewport references for responsive-layout work. Every drawing uses one shared scale so the relative size remains meaningful.

Left device
Right device

CSS viewport comparison

Compare two devices to see the relative area.

—

iPhone SE 3rd gen

iPhone · DPR 2 · 326 PPI

—

iPhone 16

iPhone · DPR 3 · 460 PPI

Proportional comparison of iPhone SE 3rd gen and iPhone 16 using physical screen dimensions, CSS viewport references, or native pixel grids.

Decision factors

What materially changes between these displays?

CSS viewport area

iPhone SE 3rd gen
250,125 CSS pixels
iPhone 16
334,836 CSS pixels

iPhone 16 provides about 34% more normalized viewport area in this reference pair.

Physical pixel count

iPhone SE 3rd gen
1,000,500 pixels
iPhone 16
3,013,524 pixels

Physical pixels help explain screenshot and media detail; live layout still follows the browser viewport and scaling.

Physical display area

iPhone SE 3rd gen
9.4 square inches
iPhone 16
14.2 square inches

iPhone 16 is the larger calculated panel, excluding bezels, curvature, stands, hinges, and chassis.

Practical considerations

What should you verify before deciding?

  • Test small-screen mobile layouts and above-the-fold content.
  • Check whether sticky footer bars cover important UI.
  • Confirm forms and checkout flows still work on compact phones.

Methodology and sources

Calculation method and evidence

Physical dimensions are calculated from diagonal and aspect ratio. Named-product hardware claims use manufacturer specifications; CSS viewports remain practical browser references.

How the geometry is calculated

Width and height divide the diagonal using the stated aspect ratio. Screen area is width × height, and PPI divides the diagonal pixel count by the diagonal inches.

Reviewed under the ScreenMetricLab methodology and editorial policy. Reference values are not a substitute for checking the exact model, browser, scaling, and accessibility settings you will use.

Frequently asked questions

Questions about this comparison

Should I still test iPhone SE sizes?

Yes. Small viewports can reveal cramped layouts, hidden CTAs, and vertical spacing problems.

Why does iPhone SE matter if newer phones are larger?

Many users still have compact phones or use accessibility settings that reduce available space.

Which bugs appear on smaller phones?

Common issues include overlapped buttons, too-tall modals, hidden submit buttons, and unreadable forms.

Continue the cluster

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Follow a shared device, move to a neighbouring size, or use the supporting calculators to verify the next decision.

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