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Apple iPhone 16e: Two-Minute Evaluation
The iPhone 16e is an efficient telephone. It has a delightful design, and it seems like a real member of the iPhone 16 household. It’s not an ideal telephone, although – how may it’s with a retro notch within the Tremendous Retina XDR show and only a single 48MP digital camera?
There are ‘price range’ telephones that value far much less and which have bigger screens and a number of rear cameras. They don’t seem to be iOS handsets, and that counts for one thing – any new iPhone joins an expansive and well-designed ecosystem providing connective tissue between glorious Apple companies and different Apple {hardware}. I largely reside in that world now, and I respect how properly my iPhone 16 Pro Max works with, as an illustration, my Mac, and the way all my cloud-connected companies know it is me on the road.
It has been some time since I’ve had such conflicting emotions about an iPhone. I respect that Apple thought it was time to maneuver away from the iPhone SE design language, one which owed most of its feel and look to 2017’s iPhone 8. I am certain Apple could not wait to cast off the Lightning port and the Residence button with Contact ID (which lives on in Macs and a few iPads). However as a substitute of giving us one thing contemporary, Apple took a little bit of this and a little bit of that to cobble collectively the iPhone 16e.
The show is sort of the perfect Apple has to supply when you can ignore the notch, aren’t bothered by bigger bezels, and do not miss the Dynamic Island an excessive amount of. The principle 48MP Fusion digital camera is superb and shoots high-quality stills and movies, however do not be fooled by the claims of 2x zoom, which is definitely a 12MP crop on the center of the 48MP sensor. I fear that folks paying $599 / £599 / AU$999 for this telephone will probably be a bit annoyed that they don’t seem to be at the very least getting a devoted ultra-wide digital camera at that worth.
Conversely, there may be one little bit of this iPhone 16e that is not solely new however is, for the second, distinctive amongst iPhone 16 units: the C1 chip. I do not know why Apple’s most cost-effective iPhone obtained this brand-new little bit of Apple silicon, however it does a superb job of delivering 5G and even satellite tv for pc connectivity. Plus, it begins transferring Apple out from underneath the yolk of Qualcomm, Apple’s mobile modem chip frenemy. That relationship has been fraught for years, and I’m wondering if Apple had initially hoped to place the C1 in all iPhone 16 fashions however the growth schedule slipped.
In any case, whereas it is arduous to measure the connectivity advantages (it is one other good 5G modem), Apple says that is essentially the most environment friendly mobile modem it is ever put in an iPhone (that looks as if a swipe at Qualcomm), and helps to ship stellar battery life: a claimed 26 hours of video streaming. Battery life in real-world use will, naturally, be a unique story.
On stability, I like this telephone’s efficiency (courtesy of the A18 chip and 8GB of RAM), its appears to be like, and the way it feels within the hand (a matte glass again and Ceramic Defend entrance), and I believe iOS 18 with Apple Intelligence is well-thought-out and more and more clever (although Siri remains a bit of a disappointment); however when you’re searching for a sub-$600 telephone, there could also be different even higher selections from the likes of Google (Pixel 8a), OnePlus (OnePlus 13R) and the anticipated Samsung Galaxy S25 FE. You simply should be prepared to go away the Apple bubble.
Apple iPhone 16e: Worth and availability
Apple unveiled the iPhone 16e on February 19, 2025. It joins the iPhone 16 lineup, and begins at $599 / £599 / AU$999 with 128GB of storage, making it essentially the most reasonably priced smartphone of the bunch. It is out there in black or white.
Whereas some would possibly take into account the iPhone 16e to be the successor to the iPhone SE 3, it has little in frequent with that system. Particularly, that was a $429 telephone. At $599, Apple is likely to be stretching the definition of price range, however it’s $200 cheaper than the bottom iPhone 16. The telephone’s worth compares considerably much less favorably exterior the iOS sphere. The OnePlus 13R as an illustration is a 6.7-inch handset with three cameras, and the Google Pixel 8a matches the iPhone 16e’s 6.1-inch display measurement (although at a decrease decision), but additionally contains two rear cameras.
You will not discover extra reasonably priced new telephones within the iOS house. The iPhone 15 has the principle and ultra-wide digital camera and the Dynamic Island, however it prices $699 / £699 / AU$1,249. A refurbished iPhone 14 prices $529, however neither it nor the iPhone 15 helps Apple Intelligence.
Apple iPhone 16: Specs
| Header Cell – Column 0 |
iPhone 16 |
|---|---|
|
Dimensions: |
146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8mm |
|
Weight: |
167g |
|
Show: |
6.1-inch OLED |
|
Decision: |
2532 x 1170 pixels |
|
Refresh charge: |
60Hz |
|
Chipset: |
A18 |
|
Rear cameras: |
48MP principal (26mm, f/1.6) |
|
Entrance digital camera: |
12MP (f/1.9) |
|
Storage: |
128GB, 256GB, 512GB |
Apple iPhone 16e: Design
- No hint of the iPhone SE design stays
- Hybrid iPhone 14/15 design
- Sharper edges than the present iPhone 16 design
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There is no query that the iPhone 16e is part of the iPhone 16 household. At a look, particularly when the display is off, it is virtually a useless ringer for the bottom mannequin; the aerospace aluminum fame is simply barely smaller.
Upon nearer examination, these similarities recede, and I can see the myriad variations that make this a real hybrid design. That is now the one iPhone with a single digital camera, which nearly appears to be like a bit lonely on the matte glass again. The sides of the metallic band that wraps across the physique are noticeably sharper than these of every other iPhone 16, however the telephone nonetheless feels good within the hand.
The button configuration is basically what you’d discover on an iPhone 15. There’s the facility / sleep / Siri button on the fitting, and on the left are the 2 quantity buttons and the Motion button. In contrast to the remainder of the iPhone 16 lineup the 16e would not get the Digicam Management, however at the very least the Motion button is configurable, so you possibly can set it to activate the digital camera or toggle the Flashlight, Silent Mode, Voice Memo, and extra. I set mine to launch Visible Intelligence, an Apple Intelligence characteristic: you press and maintain the Motion button as soon as to open it, and press once more to seize a photograph, after which you possibly can choose on-screen if you’d like ChatGPT or Google Search to deal with the question. Apple Intelligence may also analyze the picture straight and establish the topic.
The telephone is iP68 rated to deal with water and dirt, together with a dunk in six meters of water for half-hour. The display is protected with a Ceramic Defend to higher defend it from drops, although I am undecided it does a lot to stop scratches.
I put a case on the telephone, by no means dropped it, and dealt with it gingerly, and but inside a day I observed a protracted scratch on the display, though I’ve no recollection of brushing the show towards something. I had an identical scenario with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra; I await the telephone that may deal with life in my pocket (empty aside from the telephone) with out sustaining a scratch.
General, when you just like the appears to be like of the iPhone 16 lineup (and even the iPhone 14 and 15 lineups) the iPhone 16e is not going to disappoint.
Apple iPhone 16e: Show
- Virtually Apple’s finest smartphone show
- The notch is again
- The bezels are a bit greater
Should you’re coming from the iPhone SE to the iPhone 16E, you are in for fairly a shock. This 6.1-inch Tremendous Retina XDR OLED display is nothing just like the 4.7-inch LCD show on that now-retired design.
The iPhone 16e includes a pretty edge-to-edge design – with barely bigger bezels than you may discover on different iPhone 16 telephones – that leaves no room for the dearly departed Contact ID Residence button. As an alternative, this telephone adopts the Face ID biometric safety, which is, so far as I am involved, in all probability the perfect smartphone face recognition within the enterprise. Face ID lives within the TrueDepth digital camera system notch, which additionally accommodates, amongst different issues, the 12MP front-facing digital camera, microphone, and proximity sensor.
Whereas I by no means had an enormous drawback with the notch, I am unable to say I am thrilled to see it return right here. The remainder of the iPhone 16 lineup options the versatile Dynamic Island, which I believe most would agree is preferable to this cutout.
Picture 1 of 3
The iPhone 16e shares the iPhone 16’s 460ppi decision, however it does lose a couple of pixels (2532 x 1170 versus 2556 x 1179 for the iPhone 16). It nonetheless helps True Tone, Large coloration (P3), and a 2,000,000:1 distinction ratio. The one space the place it loses a little bit of oomph is on the brightness entrance. Peak brightness for HDR content material is 1,200 nits, and all different content material is 800nits. The iPhone 16’s peak outside brightness is 2,000 nits. As with different non-pro fashions, the refresh charge on the iPhone 16e sits at a set 60Hz.
Even so, I had no hassle viewing the iPhone 16e display in all kinds of lighting conditions, and any shortcomings are solely evident within the brightest, direct daylight.
In day-to-day use, every part from pictures and video to AAA video games, apps, and web sites appears to be like nice on this show. Colours are vivid and punchy, and the blacks are inky. I am not distracted by the notch on video games, the place it might probably reduce a bit into the gameplay view, and most video streaming defaults to a letterbox format that steers away from it, with black bars on the left and proper sides of the display.
Apple iPhone 16e: Software program and Apple Intelligence
- iOS 18 is a wealthy and well-thought-out platform
- Apple Intelligence has some spectacular options, however we await the Siri of our goals
- Mail and picture redesigns go away one thing to be desired
iOS 18 is now smarter, extra proactive, and extra customizable than ever earlier than. I can remodel each app icon from ‘Gentle’ to ‘Tinted’ (monochromatic), fill my house display with widgets, and develop them till they virtually fill the display. This customizability carries by way of to the Management Heart, which is now a multi-page affair that I can go away alone, or utterly reorganize so the instruments I care about can be found with a fast swipe down from the upper-right nook.
Picture 1 of 2
Apple Intelligence, which Apple unveiled final June, is rising in prominence and utility. It lives throughout apps like Messages and E-mail in Writing Instruments, which is a bit buried so I typically neglect it exists. It is in notification summaries that may be helpful for at-a-glance motion however that are typically a bit complicated, and in image-generation instruments like Picture Playground and Genmojis.
It is also in Visible intelligence, which, as have it arrange, provides me one-button entry to ChatGPT and Google Search.
Picture 1 of 2
I believe I desire the extra utilitarian options of Apple Intelligence. like Clear Up and Audio Combine. The previous helps you to shortly take away individuals and objects from pictures as in the event that they have been by no means there within the first place. Audio Combine is a strong method to clear up the messiest audio to make it usable in social media, podcasts, or simply for sharing with pals.
iOS 18 additionally options up to date Pictures and Mail apps with Apple Intelligence. I’ve struggled a bit with how Pictures reorganized my photographs, and I’ve had comparable points with how Mail is now reorganizing my emails. I hope Apple takes one other run at these apps in iOS 19.
Siri is smarter and extra conscious of iPhone options than earlier than. It may well deal with my vocal missteps, and nonetheless is aware of what I need, however stays largely unaware of my on-device data, and feels far much less conversational and highly effective as a chatbot than Google Gemini and ChatGPT.
Apple iPhone 16e: Digicam
- 48MP Fusion is an efficient digital camera
- The front-facing digital camera shines as properly
- A single rear digital camera at this worth is disappointing
With a extra highly effective CPU, a much bigger display, and the brand new C1 chip, I can virtually perceive why Apple set the iPhone 16e worth as excessive because it did. Virtually… till I take into account the only, rear 48MP Fusion digital camera. Most smartphones on this worth vary characteristic at the very least two lenses, and often the second is an ultra-wide – with out that lens you miss out on not solely dramatic ultra-wide pictures but additionally macro images capabilities. Had Apple priced this digital camera at $499, I’d perceive.
Picture 1 of 4
Nonetheless, I like this digital camera. It defaults to capturing in 24MP, which is a bin of the 48MP out there on the sensor (two pixels for every single picture pixel to double the picture data). There is a 2x zoom possibility, which is beneficial, however it’s solely capturing at 12MP as a result of it is solely utilizing the central 12 megapixels from the total 48MP body. These photographs are nonetheless good, however simply not the identical decision because the default or what you would get capturing full-frame.
General, the digital camera shoots pretty pictures with beautiful element and the form of coloration constancy I respect (in individuals and skies particularly) in all kinds of eventualities. I captured glorious nonetheless lifes, portraits, and night-mode pictures. I used to be additionally impressed with the entrance digital camera, which is very good for portrait-mode selfies. A lot of this picture high quality is due to the work Apple has performed on its Photonic Engine. Apple’s computational picture pipeline pulls out extraordinary element and nuance in most photographic conditions, even whether it is for simply these two cameras.
iPhone 16 digital camera samples
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Apple iPhone 16e: Efficiency
- The A18 is a superb and highly effective CPU
- It is prepared for Apple Intelligence
- C1, Apple’s first mobile modem, is efficient for 5G and satellite tv for pc connectivity
Should you’re questioning why the successor to the iPhone SE is just not a $429 smartphone, you would possibly take a look at the processing combo of the highly effective A18 and the brand new C1.
The A18 is identical chip you may discover within the iPhone 16, apart from one fewer GPU core. I promise you may by no means discover the distinction.
Efficiency scores are glorious, and in keeping with the numbers we obtained for different A18 chips (and barely decrease than what you get from the A18 Professional within the iPhone 16 Professional and 16 Professional Max).
The A18 has greater than sufficient energy not only for day-to-day duties like electronic mail and net looking, however for 4K video modifying (which I did in CapCut) and AAA gaming (recreation mode activates robotically to divert extra assets towards gaming). I performed Asphalt 9 United, Resident Evil 4, and Name of Responsibility Cell, and made issues simpler for myself by connecting my Xbox controller. My solely criticism could be {that a} 6.1-inch display is a bit tight for these video games. The audio from the stereo audio system, by the best way, is great – I get a powerful spatial audio expertise with Resident Evil 4.
Picture 1 of 3
There’s additionally the brand new C1 chip, which is notable as a result of it is Apple’s first customized mobile cell chip. Beforehand Apple relied on, amongst different companions, Qualcomm for this silicon. I did not discover any distinction in connectivity with the brand new chip, which is an efficient factor – and I used to be impressed that I may use text via satellite.
I did not assume I would get to check this characteristic, however AT&T connectivity is so unhealthy in my New York neighborhood that the SOS icon appeared on the high of my iPhone 16e display, and subsequent to it I observed the satellite tv for pc icon. I opened messages, and the telephone requested if I needed to make use of the Satellite tv for pc texting characteristic. I held the telephone close to my display door to get a transparent view of the sky, and adopted the on-display information that advised me which method to level the telephone. I obtained a ‘Linked’ notification, after which despatched a couple of SMS texts over satellite tv for pc. It is a nifty characteristic, and it was a pleasant little check of the C1’s capabilities.
Apple iPhone 16e: Battery
- Lengthy lasting
- Wi-fi charging
- No MagSafe
It is clear that Apple has prioritized battery life on the iPhone 16e over another options. That might seemingly clarify, as an illustration, why now we have wi-fi charging however not MagSafe assist – including that magnetic ring may need eaten into battery house. The C1 chip is outwardly smaller than the modem chip in different iPhone 16 fashions, and even the choice to incorporate one digital camera as a substitute of two in all probability helped make room for what’s a bigger battery than even the one within the iPhone 16.
Apple charges the iPhone 16e for 26 hours of video-rundown battery life – that is about 4 hours greater than the iPhone 16. In my real-world testing the battery life has been superb, however diversified use can run the battery down in far fewer than 26 hours.
On in the future after I did every part from electronic mail and net looking to social media consumption after which quite a lot of gaming, battery life was about 12 hours – gaming specifically actually chewed by way of the battery and made the telephone fairly heat.
My very own video rundown check (I performed by way of episodes of Higher Name Saul on Netflix) returned about 24 hours of battery life.
I used a 65W USB-C charger to cost the telephone to 57% in half-hour, with a full cost taking about one hour and 50 minutes. I additionally tried a 20W charger, which charged the telephone to 50% in half-hour.
Must you purchase the Apple iPhone 16e?
iPhone 16e rating card
|
Attributes |
Notes |
Ranking |
|
Worth |
Since that is now Apple’s new price range telephone you would possibly count on both a cheaper price, or extra for its significantly increased worth. You is likely to be disenchanted |
4/5 |
|
Design |
That is now clearly a part of the iPhone 16 household, however a few omissions and the return of the notch won’t be for everybody. |
4.5 / 5 |
|
Show |
Tremendous Retina XDR is Apple’s finest iPhone display know-how, however the return of the notch is just not a welcome growth. |
4 / 5 |
|
Efficiency |
The A18 is a strong, quick chip that brings Apple Intelligence to the ‘price range’ realm. And the C1 chip does the comms trick. |
5 / 5 |
|
Digicam |
One digital camera at this worth would possibly frustrate some, however it is a superb one. The 2x zoom is beneficial even when it is not full body. |
4 / 5 |
|
Software program |
iOS 18 is a wealthy, good, customizable and helpful platform. Apple Intelligence continues to enhance. however Siri must catch up. |
4 / 5 |
|
Battery |
Battery life for video is likely to be the perfect amongst iPhones, however real-world use brings it again to earth. |
4.5 / 5 |
Purchase it if..
Don’t purchase it if…
Apple iPhone 16: Additionally take into account
Apple iPhone 16: How I examined
I’ve reviewed numerous smartphones starting from essentially the most reasonably priced fashions to flagships and foldables. I put each telephone by way of as many rigorous checks and on a regular basis duties as attainable.
I had the iPhone 16e for slightly below every week, and after receiving it I instantly began taking pictures, operating benchmarks, and utilizing it as an on a regular basis system for pictures, movies, electronic mail, social media, messaging, streaming video, and gaming.
First reviewed February 26, 2025