Apple, at a press event in Cupertino, launched their latest smartphone - the iPhone SE, where the SE stands for Special Edition. Bringing the 4-inch back after 2 years, this new iPhone has hardware specifications that match those of the iPhone 6S.

In many ways, this iPhone is a successor to the iPhone 5S and has similar design elements. Here is a complete rundown of 5 differences and 5 similarities between the iPhone SE and iPhone 5S.

DIFFERENCES

1. Processor

The iPhone 5S was launched back in 2014 and is powered by the Apple A7 processor, the latest by the company in that year. It's 2016, and Apple has now moved onto the powerful A9 chipset.

In true tradition, the iPhone SE will sport the A9 processor. Counted among the best in the world, the A9 chipset is a beast by all means and rips apart performance benchmark tests.

2. Color variants

The iPhone SE will come in four color variants - Silver, Space Grey, Gold and Rose Gold, the latter being introduced only last year with the iPhone 6S.

The iPhone 5S, naturally, doesn't have Rose Gold/Pink as a color variant and it can be quite be a deal-breaker for users looking to stand out.

3. Memory capacity

The iPhone SE comes with two gigabytes of RAM, compared to the minuscule 1GB on the iPhone 5S. In times of extensive and memory-hogging applications, 2GB is the minimum requirement for ensuring a completely lag-free user experience.

While the 5S will not be completely useless, it surely doesn't stand up to the SE in terms of multitasking capabilities.

4. Camera specifications

The iPhone 5S has an 8MP rear camera with features like autofocus, dual-LED dual-tone flash, 29nm sensor, HDR and an aperture of f/2.2. It can record Full HD videos at 30FPS. Comparatively, the iPhone SE has a 12MP rear camera with features like phase detection autofocus, dual-LED flash, HDR and an aperture of f/2.2. It can record 4K videos at 30FPS and Full HD videos at 60FPS.

5. Live Photos

Live Photos is a big upgrade that was first seen on the iPhone 6S. Enabling users to record short videos, while taking photos, is what Live Photos offered last year. Apple has used the same technology on the iPhone SE, although there is no 3D Touch to complement complete usage of the feature. Nonetheless, people can create short GIFs or videos - 3 seconds before and 3 seconds after - while clicking still photos, to capture important moments.

SIMILARITIES

1. 4-inch display

The whole purpose of launching the iPhone SE has been to get back the audience that had since abandoned Apple after they shifted onto bigger screens with the iPhone 6.

Therefore, the iPhone SE has been modeled on the same screen as of the iPhone 5S, so that consumers can now experience the compact feel with flagship-level hardware specifications.

2. Touch ID

The iPhone 5S was the first smartphone from Apple to incorporate the Touch ID fingerprint sensor, right into the home button. While the iPhone 6S debuted with the faster 2nd gen Touch ID, the iPhone SE still sports the same fingerprint sensor that was present on the 5S. Most other hardware specifications have been adopted from the 6S, except this one. Quite weird.

SEE ALSO: Top 5 Reasons Why Apple 9.7-inch iPad Pro Is Worth Buying!

3. Secondary camera

While the primary/rear camera on the iPhone SE and iPhone 5S are quite different, the secondary or front camera is the exact same. The iPhone SE also sports a 1.2MP camera sensor with features like 31mm sensor size, face detection, HDR, FaceTime and an aperture of f/2.2. The camera on both the devices can record up to 720p videos at 30FPS.

4. Software

The iPhone 5S was launched with iOS 7, back in 2014, but as Apple tradition goes, it can be easily upgraded to iOS 9.3. The iPhone SE has been launched with iOS 9.3 out of the box.

Although, you can sync the OS model number on both the devices, there will definitely be a significant performance variation due to difference in overall specifications.

5. Storage variants

The iPhone SE comes in two internal storage variants - 16GB and 64GB. The iPhone 5S was also launched in these two variants, including another 32GB option too. Both these smartphones, like Apple's each one, has no option for expandable storage so you'll have to manage with the variant you buy.