On Wednesday morning, Apple unveiled the iPhone 16e, now the most budget-friendly option in their current lineup. It replaces the 2022 iPhone SE as the "affordable" choice, though it marks a departure from the substantial discount the older SE line was known for. The iPhone 16e starts at $599, narrowing the price gap with the $799 iPhone 16 released last fall. Pre-orders begin on Friday, Feb. 21, with the official release following on Friday, Feb. 28.
The iPhone 16e is the first to feature Apple’s new C1 cellular modem. Apple has enjoyed success with its in-house chips, such as the M1 series in computers and the A-series in mobile devices. The cellular modem is a critical yet often overlooked component in phones. If Apple hasn't perfected the C1, users might face connectivity issues. Hopefully, Apple has taken lessons from the "Antennagate" scandal with the iPhone 4, ensuring the iPhone 16e's connectivity is robust.
iPhone 16e
4 Images
From the front, the iPhone 16e closely resembles the iPhone 14. It features a 6.1-inch OLED display with a 2532x1170 resolution and 1,200-nit peak brightness, which isn't as sharp or bright as the iPhone 16. The iPhone 16e includes the Action button and a USB-C port but lacks the Camera Control feature.
The back of the iPhone 16e sets it apart with a single 48MP camera, similar to the iPhone SE. While it shares many features with the iPhone 16's main camera, some advanced capabilities like sensor-shift stabilization, the latest Photographic styles, and adjustable focus in portrait mode are reserved for the higher-end model. The selfie camera is identical and includes Face ID.
The iPhone 16e is encased in aluminum with a glass back and Apple’s Ceramic Shield on the front. Apple claims this Ceramic Shield is "tougher than any smartphone glass," yet a newer version boasts being "two times tougher." This raises questions about the durability of the older Ceramic Shield used in the iPhone 16e, especially considering the wear observed during the iPhone 16 review.
The internals of the iPhone 16e showcase product stratification. While the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro models differ in chip performance, the iPhone 16e uses an "A18" chip like the iPhone 16 but with a 4-core GPU instead of 5. This suggests a performance step down from the iPhone 16, yet the Neural Engine remains, enabling access to Apple Intelligence features.
The iPhone 16e, priced at $599, represents a compromise for affordability. Unlike the 2022 iPhone SE, which offered a significant discount, the iPhone 16e's price reduction is less pronounced. The iPhone SE launched at $429 with the same chip as the $799 iPhone 13, despite its dated design. The iPhone 16e, based on a design only a couple of years old, may still struggle to attract buyers not already invested in the Apple ecosystem, especially with competitive Android options like the OnePlus 13R around $600.
