Photography / 

19 May 2022

iPhone SE camera resolution specs

Note that this concerns the iPhone SE Second Generation, aka the iPhone “SE 2” or sometimes the “SE 2020”. Despite the fact that I actually bought mine in 2022, just a couple months before they announced the new 2022 edition and the prices on used ones dropped. My timing is great like that.

Main camera

• Native resolution: 3024 x 4032 px
• 12,192,768 pixels after interpolation
  • This isn’t necessarily the actual number of R,G,B image elements on the sensor
• 4:3 (or 1.33:1, or 1:0.75) aspect ratio (exact)
• Maximum printable size at 300dpi: 10 x 13 inches (approx.)
  • This isn’t really a truly ‘standard’ size for photo paper, but it’s reasonably common because modern minilab machines print from continuous rolls, rather than individual sheets of paper, so if you have 10in wide paper it’s not hard.
  • 9x13 would technically be the closest traditional sheet size.

Front / Selfie camera

• Native resolution: 3088 x 2320 px
• 7,164,160 pixels after interpolation
  • Again, not necessarily the actual number of physical image elements on the sensor
• Very close to 4:3 aspect ratio (but not exactly on the dot)
  • If you resize in post to a precise 4:3 aspect ratio, it will resample
• Maximum printable size at 300dpi: 10 x 7.5 inches (approx; rounded down to 0.5in)
  • Unfortunately it’s not quite able to produce a proper 8x10in print at 300dpi from the selfie camera
  • It’s probably better to think of it as a 5x7-capable device, which leaves some room for error/cropping in post.