Apple has introduced its latest iPhone, and it’s a huge shakeup to the iPhone lineup. It’s not an update to the $429 iPhone SE, which was last updated three years ago. Instead, it’s a new iPhone 16 model, the iPhone 16e, which comes in one size and shaves $200/£200 off the starting price.
It’s a huge leap up in capabilities over the old third-generation iPhone SE, but also a big step up in price. Now, the iPhone SE has been eliminated from the iPhone lineup, as have a number of older models. Apple no longer sells a “budget” phone, just a less-expensive version of the current model.
Pre-orders for the new model begin on February 21, with availability starting on February 28. It is available in white or black, with prices starting at $599/£599 for the 128GB model.
An iPhone 16 by any other name
The new iPhone 16e naming is appropriate. This new phone has more in common with Apple’s latest iPhone 16 than with prior models. At a glance, you get:
- A 6.1-inch OLED display
- Face ID
- A18 processor
- Apple Intelligence support
- 48MP rear camera with 2x telephoto
- Satellite connectivity
- Action Button
So what are you missing from the regular iPhone 16? Well, for $200 more, the iPhone 16 gives you the Camera Control button, an ultrawide rear camera with macro photography, Dynamic Island, MagSafe charging, a brighter display, ultra-wideband, and the ability to take spatial photos and videos. And of course, colors.
Apple has made some interesting tradeoffs to bring the price down. Taking away the second rear camera was a given, but that also removes the ability to take spatial photos and videos and the useful macro photography mode. As expected, Face ID is incorporated into the screen using the old “notch” style rather than the newer Dynamic Island, so you miss out on persistent live activities.
With Camera Control gone, you might think you’re missing out on the Visual Intelligence feature of iPhone 16, but that’s not the case: Apple has made it accessible via the Action button.
Apple
It’s surprising to see Apple drop MagSafe from the iPhone 16e, however. The magnetic attachment feature has been a staple of the iPhone for the last four years. You still get Qi wireless charging up to 7.5 watts, but faster charging (and attachment to magnetic accessories) is off the table.
The display is the same size as that on the iPhone 16 (6.1 inches) but doesn’t get as bright. The maximum brightness for iPhone 16e is 800 nits or 1,000 for HDR content. That compares to 1,000/1,600 nits for the iPhone 16, which can boost to 2,000 nits in bright outdoor light. The iPhone 16e essentially has the iPhone 14 display.
It’s worth noting that the A18 in the iPhone 16e is not quite as powerful as the A18 in the regular iPhone 16. It has only 4 GPU cores active, while the iPhone 16’s A18 has 5 GPU cores. Apple may reduce performance in other ways as well, such as limiting clock speed, but we won’t know until we run our own performance tests.
Apple
Introducing the Apple C1 modem
One big exclusive feature of the iPhone 16e is the debut of Apple’s latest silicon: the Apple C1 modem. It supports sub-6GHz 5G and 4G LTE with 4×4 MIMO, and Apple calls it “the most power-efficient modem ever on an iPhone.” As previously expected, it does not support mmWave 5G connectivity but neither did the previous SE.
Together with its other Apple silicon and a new internal design, Apple promises a big boost in battery life. The company claims up to 26 hours of video playback, compared to 22 hours for the regular iPhone 16 and 27 hours for the iPhone 16 Pro.
When it comes to other connectivity, the iPhone 16e is a bit of a step back from the standard iPhone 16. It deosn’t have ultra-wideband radio, so while it will certainly work with your AirTags, the “precision finding” capability won’t. It’s also missing Thread networking and has Wi-Fi 6 instead of Wi-Fi 7.
The iPhone 16e is available in white or black and starts at $599/£599 for 128GB. The 256GB model is $699, and the 512GB model is $899. Essentially, a $200/£200 price reduction across the board compared to the iPhone 16.