I don't know about you, but I don't feel that the so-called "flagships" are so high on the podium anymore. Before, the flagships stood out quickly from all points of view, but something has changed. No matter how much I tried, maybe out of pride, to avoid the truth, I have to admit... good people, mid-range phones are getting more and more badass! And to support what I said, I have two examples here: the new Galaxy A51 and iPhone SE 2. On one side and the other, these phones have inherited the best from the Samsung and Apple terminals that currently hold supremacy in the world.
In the apple corner we have the brain of the iPhone 11, the bionic A13 processor, in a small body that will surely activate your nostalgia, and in the galactic corner we have a super 6.5" borderless screen, with a fingerprint reader under screen and no less than 5 cameras.
At first glance, it seems a bit forced comparison and probably many of you will say that there is no point in talking about the new iPhone SE because the Galaxy A51 is clearly stronger, although it is much, much cheaper. at least in Romania, and maybe that's true, but you see, after you press both phones, there will be a battle inside you between what your brain is telling you and what your heart is telling you.
Without further ado, here are the main features of the new mid-range phones.
Samsung Galaxy A51 comes with a 6.5" Infinity-O screen, 4 main cameras of 48MP, 12MP, 5MP and 5MP and a 32MP selfie camera, fingerprint unlocking sensor located under display, 4,000mAh battery, 4K 30fps recording and price of 1,400-1,600 lei.
Apple iPhone SE2 has a 4.7" IPS LCD retina screen, A13 bionic processor, 12MP main camera and 7MP selfie camera, Touch ID fingerprint unlock sensor, is water and dust resistant - IP67 certification, 1,821mAh battery, 4K 60fps filming and a price in Romania of 2,400 lei.
Design
From the start, we notice the size difference between the two phones. The Galaxy A51 wants to play with the big boys, while the iPhone SE 2 stays at the discreet size of the iPhone 8 and looks at its rival while sipping a mouthful of red wine, confident in its own advantages. Because the differences between the two phones are so big and obvious, it all boils down to what exactly everyone wants from a phone.
Both look extremely good, but build-wise, and we have to give the iPhone its due (try saying that 3 times fast). Yes, iPhone SE 2 is like a vacation in the Caribbean for your hand. It fits perfectly in the palm of your hand and doesn't strain your fingers, everything is within reach and I can't believe I'm saying this, but it's downright refreshing to return to a screen under 6". On the other hand, we have the Galaxy A51, which for only 1,400 lei ticks a lot of boxes for those looking for the best entertainment device. The screen is great for YouTube and social networks, you can take whatever pictures you want using the 4+1 cameras and the abundance of cool features offered by Android 10.
As I said, from the start it seems like an unequal battle, and the price difference is the deciding factor for most buyers. But the iPhone SE should not be neglected either. If I had to reduce the phone to one word, it would definitely be "nostalgia". As soon as you put your hand on this phone, it's like someone giving you to hold their baby. You are attentive and loving, you feel that you have something fragile in your hand, you want to protect it. Because Apple has endowed the SE2 with the strongest processor it has and dressed it in iOS 13, obviously the phone is lightning fast, and for you this means a smooth experience in use, as if you were surrounded by bowls Tibetan, it's soothing. Yes, it may look the same both on the outside and on the inside, on the software side, but it's like going on vacation to your grandmother and she's waiting for you with the same kinds of food, but damn good... always.
Screen
As for the new iPhone SE 2, from the start you know what you're getting into. The screen is tiny by current standards. Even my wife switched to a phone with an almost 6" screen. In addition, maybe I was too dreamy, but I really expected the screen to be 3D Touch, something I loved a lot on my iPhone 6S from a century ago, but not the case on the iPhone SE 2. Basically, when you keep your finger pressed on the screen, it simulates a kind of 3D Touch, that is, the icon menu appears at the same time as the haptic engine gives you a small set of vibrations. Want to watch something on YouTube? I'm sorry for you.
Totally opposite to the iPhone SE 2, the Galaxy A51 is proud of its screen like a peacock. It has no edges, the selfie camera is relatively discretely integrated and is everything you expect from a Super AMOLED. If it had better protection than Gorilla Glass 3, I would have been even more delighted.
Performance iPhone SE 2 vs Galaxy A51
Here, the scale tilts much in favor of the iPhone SE2. The bionic A13 processor is clearly superior to the Exynos 9611, which is precisely why the iPhone SE 2 can record 4K at double the framerate of the A51. Antutu placed the new iPhone Special Edition on the 9th place in the top of the hottest mobile devices from Apple. It is significantly more powerful than the iPhone XS Max, for example. On the other hand, the Galaxy A51 does not break down normally in terms of performance. Geekbench 5 scored it with numbers that a Galaxy S8+, a 3-year-old phone, gets.
And since we are still talking about performances, let's see how long these performances last. Here, we have a clear winner: the Galaxy A51 has more than double the battery of the iPhone SE2 – 4,000mAh vs. 1,821mAh. Of course, the screen of the A51 will consume as if compared to the small IPS LCD, but the A13 bionic processor will also be extremely thirsty.
Cameras, photos and filming
Galaxy A51 has 4 main cameras: one 48MP f2.0 wide, one 12MP f2.2 ultrawide and two 5MP each for macro and depth. The selfie one has 32MP. iPhone SE 2 has a single 12MP main camera with f1.8, and the selfie camera has 7MP.
And regarding the cameras, the truth is somewhere in the middle between SE2 and A51. Yes, the Galaxy has 4 main cameras, while the iPhone only has one. But the quality leans a bit more towards SE2. The pictures are more natural, closer to reality. And I liked the clips shot with the iPhone SE2 camera more, especially since we have 4K 60fps. I admit, I was a little amused when I received the phones and I knew I had to make a comparison between a phone with 4 cameras, one of which is 48MP and a phone with a single 12MP camera. Lesson learned, be more humble.
Conclusion: iPhone SE 2 vs Galaxy A51
We cannot overlook the fact that the iPhone SE2 is 1,000 lei more expensive than the Galaxy A51, and this is a decisive aspect in the mind of a buyer.
We are dealing with two mid-range phones that couldn't be more different. But I like them so much that if I could, I would use both daily. Here, everything boils down to the preferences of each of us.