The iPhone 16e is right here and at $599 it’s positively not a price range iPhone. The iPhone 16e (for financial?) might not be a real iPhone SE alternative for these searching for an inexpensive iPhone, but it surely nonetheless prices considerably lower than an iPhone 16, which begins at $799.
So two issues are true on the similar time: At $600, the iPhone 16e is on no account a price range mannequin, however at $200 lower than the common iPhone 16, it’s clearly a price choice. Is that additional $200 value it? Apple has made various vital compromises, however they might be definitely worth the financial savings for you.
We’re solely highlighting the numerous variations right here—you possibly can assume every thing else is identical, or shut sufficient to not matter (no person goes to care about three grams of weight).
| Characteristic | iPhone 16e | iPhone 16 |
|---|---|---|
| Beginning Worth | $599 | $799 |
| Colours | white, black | white, black, pink, teal, ultramarine |
| Processor | A18 with 4-core GPU | A18 with 5-core GPU |
| Digital camera Management | No | Sure |
| Ultrawide digicam | No | Sure, w/Macro mode |
| Spatial pictures and movies | No | Sure |
| Video recording modes | Dolby Imaginative and prescient | Dolby Imaginative and prescient, Motion Mode, Cinematic mode, Spatial, Macro |
| Entrance digicam / Face ID | Notch | Dynamic Island |
| Show brightness | 800 / 1000 (HDR) nits | 1000 / 1600 (HDR) / 1 nit min / 2000 nits (outside) |
| Wi-fi charging | Qi 7.5W | Qi, Qi2, MagSafe as much as 25W |
| Wi-fi options | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 7, Extremely Wideband, Thread |
| 5G | Sub-6 GHz | Sub-6 GHz, mmWave |
| Battery life | 26 hours video playback | 22 hours video playback |
As you possibly can see, the $200 value improve to step as much as the iPhone 16 does get you a good set of options, however they might not be that vital to you. Probably the most noticeable characteristic would be the digicam, which is a single 48MP Fusion lens on the 16e and an “superior dual-camera system” on the iPhone 16 that pairs a 12MP ultra-wide digicam with the identical 48MP Fusion major digicam. Together with the bigger subject of view, you additionally get a number of options, together with Motion, Cinematic, and Macro modes, in addition to the power to file spatial pictures and movies for viewing on the Imaginative and prescient Professional.
You’re additionally shedding out on MagSafe charging, which has been a characteristic of all new iPhones because the iPhone 12. The iPhone SE will work with an ordinary wi-fi charger however solely as much as 7.5W and it’s not appropriate with any magnetic stand. So in the event you assume you’ll actually miss the ultrawide digicam or MagSafe charging, we advocate springing for the dearer mannequin. And clearly, in order for you a 6.7-inch display screen, you’ll have to get the iPhone 16 Plus, which begins at $899.
Nevertheless, even with these sacrifices, there’s good worth within the iPhone 16e. It’s the identical value because the earlier iPhone 14 and has a bunch of upgrades, together with a greater processor (A18 vs A16) and major digicam (48MP vs 12MP), Motion button with Visible Intelligence, USB-C as an alternative of Lightning, and 6 additional hours of battery life. In truth, if what issues to you most is battery life, the iPhone 16e truly beats the iPhone 16 by virtually 20 % in accordance with Apple’s specs, which are inclined to underpromise and overdeliver.
So finally the selection between the 2 telephones comes down to a few questions:
- Would you like an ultra-wide lens?
- Would you like magnetic charging?
- Do you wish to hate notches?
Should you answered sure to any of those questions, spend additional on the iPhone 16. In any other case, save $200 and seize the iPhone 16e.
For extra recommendation about which iPhone to purchase check out our iPhone comparability chart the place we examine each iPhone, or learn our iPhone shopping for information.
