The iPhone XS Max is a top-of-the-range phone, albeit a couple of years older than the iPhone SE (2020), which was released as a budget-friendly option. So, how do they shape up against one another? Does the newer technology get your vote, or is the older premium phone the way to go?

When it was released, the iPhone XS Max was Apple’s biggest-ever phone, and it’s still up there today. It has a stunning OLED 6.5-inch display, designed for an immersive experience. The XS models were the first to get rid of the bezels and home button for a sleeker, more modern appearance and extra screen size. In comparison, the iPhone SE (2020) is tiny. Its screen is just 4.7 inches and LCD, meaning you just don’t get the same experience. Both the iPhone XS Max and iPhone SE (2020) offer a 12 MP rear camera, but the XS Max has the edge with 2X optical zoom. If you’re into selfies, you get 7 MP with either of these phones.

The iPhone SE (2020) has a newer processor than the iPhone XS Max, A13 vs A12, so it will be faster. The SE also saw the return of the home button – lots of people like it and find it easy to use, so although you lose out on screen space, you get Touch ID instead of Face ID and a seamless transition if you’re more used to the home button style phones. Another plus for the iPhone SE is that it’s easy to use one-handed and slip into your pocket. The smaller size of the iPhone SE means that battery life isn’t quite as good, and you’ll probably get a good couple of hours more out of the iPhone XS Max. As for storage, the iPhone XS Max has the edge with 1 GB of RAM.

In terms of performance and cameras, there isn’t much between these two phones, despite the big difference in their original cost (over €1,000 for the XS Max, compared to €499 for the iPhone SE). The difference is the size and the screens, so if you want a pocketable phone then the SE is ideal, but if you’re all about the games, opt for the XS Max.