Apple announced two new iPhones to its portfolio in early September in the form of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. The two new devices join the one year-old iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus, along with the smaller iPhone SE that arrived in March.

There were originally rumours for a third iPhone this September in the iPhone 7 Pro, but either Apple changed its mind, or someone was pulling a few legs as didn't appear on 7 September.

With the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus now discontinued by Apple, that leaves us with five Apple iPhones to choose from. This feature specially focuses on how the iPhone 7 differs from the iPhone SE and which model might be the right one for you.

Apple iPhone 7 vs iPhone SE: Design

The Apple iPhone 7 measures 138.3 x 67.1 x 7.1mm and weighs 138g. It features a similar design to the iPhone 6S in that it offers rounded edges and an all metal design, but it makes a few changes to last year's model.

The antenna bands on the rear have been moved to the top and bottom edges, providing a cleaner look, while the headphone jack has been removed entirely in favour of a Lightning-only port and stereo speakers. The iPhone 7 is also IP67 water and dust resistant and the Home button has been re-engineered but it continues to sport the second-generation of Touch ID.

The iPhone SE is the smallest iPhone available and it measures 123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6mm, meaning it is slightly thicker than the latest model. It is lighter at 113g, though it doesn't offer any kind of waterproofing and it has much more prominent antenna bands on the rear of its squarer body, as well as the 3.5mm headphone jack.

The design is a little less fluid, taking from the older iPhone 5S, while the Home button sports the first generation of Touch ID so it won't be quite as responsive as the one on the iPhone 7.

Apple iPhone 7 vs iPhone SE: Display

The Apple iPhone 7 features the same 4.7-inch display size that was introduced in the iPhone 6 two years ago. The LED-backlit IPS display has a resolution of 1334 x 750 pixels, which delivers a pixel density of 326ppi.

There is a new Taptic engine on board and Apple also introduced a wide colour gamut for the new model, meaning you should see richer colours. The iPhone 7 also features the company's 3D Touch technology that launched on the iPhone 6S last year, enabling users to access various functions and shortcuts based on the force with which they press. 

The iPhone SE has a 4-inch LED-backlit IPS display that features a pixel resolution of 1136 x 640, which puts its pixel density at the same as the iPhone 7. There is no Display Zoom as there is on the iPhone 7 and there is no 3D Touch capability either.

The smaller iPhone features a 500 cd/m2 max brightness like the iPhone 6S, while the iPhone 7 bumps this up to 625 cd/m2 max, meaning it should be more capable in brighter outdoor conditions.

Apple iPhone 7 vs iPhone SE: Cameras 

The iPhone 7 features a 12-megapixel rear sensor with an aperture of f/1.8 that is said to let in 50 per cent more light. Apple has introduced optical image stabilisation to the new device, along with a new Quad-LED True Tone flash, Flicker sensor and wide colour capture for photos and Live Photos. 

There is a six element lens on board, body and face detection and a 7-megapixel front-facing camera. The iPhone 7 is capable of 1080p video recording from the front and 4K from the rear, with the rear also offering optical image stabilisation for the video.

The iPhone SE features the same rear camera as the iPhone 6S meaning a 12-megapixel sensor with an f/2.2 aperture. It's a five-element lens in this case and there is a dual-LED True Tone flash. There is no optical image stabilisation for photos or video.

The front camera of the iPhone SE has a resolution of 1.2-megapixels with an aperture of f/2.4. It is capable of 720p HD video recording, while the rear can manage 4K like the iPhone 7. Both the iPhone 7 and iPhone SE have a Retina Flash to help with selfies in low light conditions.

Apple iPhone 7 vs iPhone SE: Hardware

The iPhone 7 features the new A10 Fusion processor with an embedded M10 motion coprocessor. According to Apple, the iPhone 7 will be 40 per cent faster with 50 per cent better graphics than the A9.

The new device is also claimed to have a battery life of up to two hours longer than the iPhone 6S and it comes in storage options of 32GB, 128GB and 256GB. 

The iPhone SE features the A9 processor with an embedded M9 motion coprocessor. Battery life is said to be up to 14 hours for the iPhone SE and it comes in 16GB and 64GB storage options.

Apple iPhone 7 vs iPhone SE: Software

The iPhone 7 debuts on iOS 10. There are several new features and functions in the new software, all of which you can read about in our iOS 10 feature and our iOS 10 tips and tricks feature.

The iPhone SE saw an update to iOS 10 on 13 September, meaning the experience will be very similar to the new device, aside from a couple of extra features and functions that require the updated hardware.

Apple iPhone 7 vs iPhone SE: Conclusion

It's probably not too surprising that the iPhone 7 improves in most areas when compared to the iPhone SE, though that's not to say it's the right choice for everyone. 

The iPhone SE is a smaller and more compact device and it packs in some great specs, even if they aren't the latest and greatest now. It also will save you a considerable amount of pennies in comparison to the new device.

The iPhone 7 will be the more powerful handset of these two and it will offer enhancements in lots of places, including the camera and storage options, as well as design, but you'll pay the price for this.