Apple's budget iPhone is more powerful than top Android flagships: iPhone fandom explained

Please don't shoot the messenger, but Apple's newest "budget" iPhone SE (2022) is packing the same A15 Bionic processor found in the iPhone 13. That means Apple's cheapest entry-level 2022 iPhone outperforms top-tier Android flagships like the Galaxy S22 Ultra.

It's almost comical, but true. Here are our A15 Bionic performance benchmarks (using the iPhone 13) against rival Android flagships, just to get a perspective:



Since the iPhone SE (2022) has the same 6-core CPU, 4-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine processor and 4GB of RAM as the iPhone 13 here, we can expect about the same, if not exactly the same performance from it. Stay tuned for our iPhone SE (2022) review – we'll benchmark it soon.

So what does all of this gobbledygook mean? Am I just throwing raw specs to upset Android fans? Nope, I'm one of you. This isn't a rap battle or a diss track.

What we're about to do is take a look at why Apple is so successful as a company, particularly in selling iPhones, and why even in 2022, Apple keeps gaining more and more new users and fans.

iPhone is the safe option – it just works, and it works well

Say you're an average smartphone user who needs a new phone in 2022. You want something that works well, is built well, and will last for many years, meaning it will get software updates for as long as you own it…

Apple just released the iPhone SE (2022) – it costs $430, looks a bit outdated with those bezels, but is built with premium materials, and that Apple logo slapped on the back is pretty reassuring that this phone will work well and run the latest software for quite some time.

Then you look at the Android options. You've had cheap Android phones before, and you already know those can be pretty sluggish or can even break for no reason (my mom's budget Nokia sure did recently).

So you decide to check out the Android flagships from a brand you recognize… And my, my, that Samsung Galaxy S22 costs $800, and that's just the base model out of three, the rest are starting at $1000 and $1300 respectively.

And since you're not exactly an expert, you either ask one or you Google it, only to find out that even these super-expensive Android flagships don't match that cheap iPhone you looked at previously, in terms of raw performance. And Samsung's track record of software updates is bumpy, to say the least. You're not 100% sure for how long any of those phones will be running the latest Android.

"Up to four years" sounds good, but is it true? And that's just Samsung's promise, other Android phone makers might be on an "up to four months" or "up to the moment we sell it to you" software update schedule.

So, the cheap iPhone it is, then.

But the iPhone is not just for normies… Pro users also enjoy how powerful it is, its long-term support, and how they'll be able to sell it for a great price when it's time to upgrade

I don't think we talk enough about how well iPhones keep their resale value, as opposed to any Android smartphone. And this matters a whole lot to many of us, who buy the latest thing, keep it nice and protected, and after a few years – sell it to buy the next new thing, without spending too much on it. Good stuff!

A smartphone "power user" or "pro user" doesn't necessarily mean they have to use Android. iOS has tons of fantastic, exclusive pro apps that are only on iPhone, work amazing, and even come for free – preinstalled. Those include, but are not limited to GarageBand for music making and iMovie for video editing.

Meanwhile the Android "pro" user has to pay to get such apps, and play bingo to find actually good ones that perform at least somewhat as well as their iPhone counterparts.

At the very least, your new iPhone comes with a YouTuber starter kit. And I'm giving this example, because everybody wants to be a professional YouTuber these days, right? If you're a pro – Apple starts you off with great free iPhone apps, let's not underestimate that.

Now, we all know certain Android phones with "Pro" in the name do come with amazing camera features, and Android in general is infinitely more customizable than iOS, which many of us power users love, but the point is – the iPhone can be for pros too, especially pros who appreciate peak performance and long-term reliability. And want to just buy the thing and start doing what they love with it – no customizing, no searching for, and buying apps.

On top of being a good product, the iPhone is (unfortunately?) also a status symbol

Here's something that for me is a negative topic, but for Apple is a huge positive – iPhones (and pretty much anything with the Apple logo) have become a major status symbol in our society.

Even if you've never done this – go check out the countless influencers on social media that your kids look up to and you'll see them flaunting iPhones and Apple Watches; even doing iPhone giveaways.

In addition, the Apple logo often makes it into blockbuster movies, and has been doing so for many decades now, thus even the grown ups would appreciate having it on the back of their phone or laptop.

I'm usually against trends, which is why I stayed away from iPhones for a very long time, and my favorite smartphone to this day is still a very niche Xiaomi one nobody knows about. But like it or not, trends are important to the majority of people, perhaps even you and me, and even if we don't like to admit it. And the iPhone is trendy. Even if you don't know how good of a smartphone it is – you know it's iconic.

Android smartphone makers have been having a hard time making their smartphones as iconic, but I sure hope they keep working on it.

Come on, Samsung – the Galaxy Z Flip 3 is close! And the Z Fold 3 is what I would confidently call one of the most amazing smartphones ever made, that should definitely be highly iconic, in a fair world.

Android fights back by naturally offering more variety and features, but will it ever catch up to even the cheapest modern iPhone in terms of stability and performance?

Okay, if you're a smartphone enthusiast and you know your stuff – there's definitely so much more to choose from on Android's side, and that's by design. Apple makes the operating system iPhones use (iOS), and only iPhones can use it.

But Android is a whole different story – it's open for all other phone brands to put in their smartphones. And they kind of have to, since it's pretty much an impossible task for them to build an entire new operating system and expect it to compete with iOS and Android. Even Microsoft couldn't do it with Windows Phone. Both phone users and app developers are hard to sway. Thus, Android or iOS it is – no third option.

With that in mind, the non-Apple smartphone companies can really focus on the hardware to make their phones stand out – and that's great for us – the tech users who like variety!

If you're willing to stand out and try something new as a phone user, you can get a foldable Android smartphone, or a flagship with a built-in stylus, or even a dual-screen phone – go crazy! Tons of options to explore.

While on Apple's side – the few available iPhones are the only iPhones you're getting. And since they're small in numbers, they're also playing it pretty safe in terms of design. No crazy niche features like two screens or a built-in stylus…

But hey, we've had our fun. Let's get down to business and answer the most important question…

What do you want from a phone?

Make yourself heard! Let us know what you are looking for in a smartphone in the comments section – what's important to you. Also tell us what phone, especially if it's an Android one, did you find to be perfect for your needs.

And do you believe an Android phone will ever beat the iPhone in terms of raw performance, or does that even matter?