iPhone 15 Plus vs iPhone SE (3rd gen)

Phone 1

Phone 2

Winner

Apple iPhone 15 Plus

Lifespan decides this one: the iPhone 15 Plus is supported until Sep 2030 at $7.85 per month of safe use, while the iPhone SE (3rd gen) runs out in Mar 2029 ($3.02/month). On a which-lasts-longer question, that's not a tie — it's the whole answer.

Value Score: iPhone 15 Plus 67 · iPhone SE (3rd gen) 56 — methodology

The lifespan decider

When specs are close, support length decides it — this is what each phone costs per month of safe use.

Apple iPhone 15 Plus $403

Safe to buy$7.85/mo

2023◆ Buy-by Sep 20282030

Apple iPhone SE (3rd gen) $100

Buy with care$3.02/mo

2022◆ Buy-by Mar 20272029

Category by category

Display

iPhone 15 Plus 50iPhone SE (3rd gen) 50

Both displays are effectively the same class.

Performance

iPhone 15 Plus 80iPhone SE (3rd gen) 74

The iPhone 15 Plus's Apple A16 Bionic is simply the faster chip.

Camera

iPhone 15 Plus 62iPhone SE (3rd gen) 40

The iPhone 15 Plus has the stronger camera system (2 real rear lenses vs 1).

Battery

iPhone 15 Plus 68iPhone SE (3rd gen) 20

4,383mAh vs 2,018mAh — the iPhone 15 Plus lasts longer between charges.

Software longevity

iPhone 15 Plus 61iPhone SE (3rd gen) 39

The iPhone 15 Plus is supported until Sep 2030 — 18 months longer than the iPhone SE (3rd gen).

Value

iPhone 15 Plus 67iPhone SE (3rd gen) 56

Overall value goes to the iPhone 15 Plus at $7.85 per month of safe use.

Full spec table

Spec	iPhone 15 Plus	iPhone SE (3rd gen)
Price (street)	$403	$100
Display	6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED, 60Hz, up to 2000 nits peak	4.7-inch Retina HD LCD, 60Hz
Chipset	Apple A16 Bionic	Apple A15 Bionic
RAM	6GB	4GB
Storage	128GB/256GB/512GB	64GB/128GB/256GB
Battery	4,383 mAh	2,018 mAh
Charging	20W+ wired (50% in ~30 min), MagSafe 15W wireless, Qi 7.5W	20W wired, Qi wireless 7.5W
Rear cameras	48MP main, 12MP ultra-wide	12MP main
Dimensions	160.9 × 77.8 × 7.8 mm	138.4 × 67.3 × 7.3 mm
Weight	201 g	144 g
Water resistance	IP68	IP67
Supported until	Sep 2030	Mar 2029

iPhone 15 Plus full verdict →iPhone SE (3rd gen) full verdict →Longevity master board →

Scores and verdicts are computed from our verified database — see exactly how. Specs from manufacturer documentation; prices reflect major US retailers.