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I liked using the iPhone SE 2022; while it was based on an older design, the refreshed internals and the diminutive design made it a fun device, and it was affordable. With the iPhone 16e, Apple is looking to update that formula; the phone has a bigger profile and includes Face ID as standard, and it gets USB-C connectivity. There’s a bigger battery than the one in the iPhone 16, and as it is powered by the same A18 platform, it comes with all the Apple Intelligence features.
All of these upgrades come at a cost, with the iPhone 16e starting at $599. That puts it uncomfortably close to last year’s iPhone 15, and while it does a great job with the fundamentals, it misses out on extras: you don’t get a secondary camera at the back, there’s no MagSafe, and the panel is still 60Hz.
But if you’re on an older iPhone and looking to upgrade, there are enough new features on the iPhone 16e that make it a decent choice — if you don’t mind the high asking price.
Apple iPhone 16e: Pricing and availability
Apple unveiled the iPhone 16e on February 19, 2025, and the device went on sale globally starting February 28. It starts at $599 in the U.S., £599 ($775) in the U.K. and €699 ($761) in other countries in the region, and ₹59,990 ($690) in India. The standard model comes with 128GB of storage, and you also get 256GB and 512GB variants. The iPhone 16e is available in white and black options, and this is what the device costs around the world:
- iPhone 16e (128GB): $599 / £599 / €699 / ₹59,990
- iPhone 16e (256GB): $699 / £699 / €829 / ₹69,990
- iPhone 16e (512GB): $899 / £899 / €1,029 / ₹89,990
|
Category |
Apple iPhone 16e |
|---|---|
|
Display |
6.1-inch 60Hz Retina XDR OLED, 2532×1170, Dolby Vision, 1200 nits max, Ceramic Shield |
|
OS |
iOS 18.3 |
|
Chipset |
Apple A18, 4-core GPU, 3nm |
|
RAM |
8GB |
|
Storage |
128GB/256GB/512GB |
|
Rear camera |
48MP f/1.6, OIS, 4K60 video |
|
Front camera |
12MP f/1.9 |
|
Ingress protection |
IP68 dust and water resistance |
|
Connectivity |
Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, USB-C |
|
Security |
Face ID |
|
Audio |
USB-C, stereo sound |
|
Battery |
3,961mAh battery, 20W charging, 7.5W Qi charging |
|
Dimensions |
146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8mm, 167g |
|
Colors |
White, Black |
Apple iPhone 16e: Design
The iPhone 16e uses the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 as the foundation for the design, and the device has the exact same dimensions. It isn’t quite as small as the iPhone SE 2022, and that’s ultimately a good thing — that 4.7-inch size was getting too small anyway. The iPhone 16e has a good in-hand feel, and even though it has a bigger battery than the iPhone 13, it is a smidgen lighter, and that’s always a good thing.
The positioning of the power and volume buttons is unchanged, and what I like is that the Action button from the iPhone 15 is available on the device. The button is just as customizable, and you can use it as a flashlight toggle, switching to silent mode, changing Focus modes, dictating notes, launching the camera, real-time translations, or a custom control.
I find the Action button to be the easiest way to toggle Focus modes, and I’m glad the feature is available on this device. Another iPhone 15 feature that trickled down to the device is the USB-C port; the iPhone 16e marks the end of the Lightning port, with all of the devices in Apple’s portfolio now coming with USB-C. This is a positive move, and makes charging the 16e significantly easier.
The one feature that didn’t make its way over is the notch; the iPhone 16e uses the older iPhone 13-style cutout and not the Dynamic Island that debuted on the iPhone 14 Pro and subsequent models. The older notch is distracting, and doesn’t quite blend into the background as well as Dynamic Island. I find myself using the feature to easily control music playback on my iPhone 16 Pro Max, and not being able to do that here was irksome.
Another issue is with the choice of colors. The iPhone 16e is available in just white and black color options, and it misses out on the red variant that looked gorgeous on the SE 2022. Obviously, you can deck the device out in colorful cases, but as someone who doesn’t use cases, I wanted a color option that stood out a bit more.
On that note, the build quality itself is terrific (as you’d imagine), with the phone getting an aluminum mid-frame sandwiched between two panes of glass. The back has a frosted glass finish that feels great, and as an added bonus, it doesn’t pick up smudges.
The iPhone 16e has a single camera at the back, and the lens doesn’t call out much attention to itself — in what is a stark contrast to the massive camera lenses that are a mainstay on all Android phones. The mid-frame has a matte texture that makes holding the phone just that bit easier.
There’s a SIM card slot in global models of the device (just like the iPhone 16), but the U.S. version is limited to eSIM connectivity, but you can use two eSIMs at the same time. Another standard feature is IP68 ingress protection, with the device getting the ability to withstand submersion in up to six meters of water.
Although the design of the iPhone 16e is familiar, it has enough differentiated features from newer models that it stands out from the regular iPhone 13 and 14.
Apple iPhone 16e: Display
You get the same 6.1-inch OLED panel as the iPhone 13 and 14, and like those devices (and the iPhone 16), it is limited to 60Hz. It’s annoying that 120Hz is still limited to the iPhone Pro models, particularly considering that budget Android phones also come with 120Hz as standard these days. It is a limitation on the iPhone 16e, and you can easily feel the difference when using it next to the iPhone 16 Pro Max or any Android device.
The panel is protected by Ceramic Shield, and it holds up to tumbles incredibly well. My 21-month-old daughter decided to throw the phone around the moment I unboxed it (she likes doing that), and it came away unscathed. You get True Tone and Dolby Vision alongside HDR10, and it has good brightness levels; while it isn’t on par with the iPhone 16 or the Pixel 9, the 16e does a good job in this regard, and I didn’t see any problems viewing the panel under harsh sunlight.
Colors are detailed, and contrast is excellent. In fact, the only other annoyance with the panel is that there’s no always-on mode — that’s again limited to the Pro models. The 6.1-inch size has been around a while now on iPhones, and going with this panel makes sense; although the notch is of an older style, it is immediately familiar.
Talking about the notch, it houses the requisite modules to enable Face ID, and it is just as fast and fluid as every other iPhone I’ve used when it comes to authentication. It also has the secondary speaker and camera, and they both do a good job.
Apple iPhone 16e: Performance
The key differentiator with the iPhone 16e is that it is powered by the same A18 platform as the regular iPhone 16 models. This gives the device a huge advantage, and although it is using a binned version of the chip that sees a quad-core GPU in lieu of the five that’s standard on the other models, the rest of the features are identical. The phone also gets 8GB of RAM as standard, and again, this is higher than what’s available with the iPhone 14 and 15.
The phone starts with 128GB of storage on the base model, and it can be configured with 256GB or 512GB. I’m using the 512GB edition, and it is just as fluid as the iPhone 16 in daily use. It handles demanding games with ease, delivering stable framerates without any lag. If anything, the 60Hz panel holds the device back, and it’s clear that it is able to push higher framerates without taxing the internals too much.
|
Category |
Apple iPhone 16e |
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max |
Xiaomi 15 Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Geekbench 6 (single-core) |
2979 |
3344 |
2963 |
|
Geekbench 6 (multi-core) |
6364 |
8131 |
8989 |
|
Geekbench AI (Quantized Score) |
5426 |
6066 |
3587 |
|
3DMark Wild Life Extreme (score) |
2729 |
3688 |
5834 |
|
3DMark Wild Life Extreme (FPS) |
16.3 |
22.1 |
34.93 |
|
3DMark Solar Bay (score) |
5175 |
6593 |
10006 |
|
3DMark Solar Bay (FPS) |
19.7 |
25.1 |
38.05 |
There are no issues with overheating either, and overall, the phone does a fantastic job in this regard. The switch to USB-C means you can use a single cable to charge all of your devices, and while you don’t get fast data transmission — it is limited to 480Mbit/sec — it is much better than using Lightning.
The iPhone 16e gets all the extras that are included on the iPhone 16, such as Emergency SOS, roadside assistance, and Find My via satellite, as well as crash detection. Interestingly, the iPhone 16e sees the debut of the C1, an in-house modem built by Apple that takes over from the Qualcomm-based solutions used in all other iPhones.
The modem doesn’t have mmWave connectivity, but it has better efficiency figures, and this is evident while testing, with the iPhone 16e eking out better battery life than the iPhone 16. I didn’t see any issues with connectivity or signal quality between the two devices, and it will be interesting to see if Apple is able to scale the tech to its entire iPhone portfolio.
Overall, the iPhone 16e is the fastest phone in its category, and if you’re coming from an older device, you’ll love what it can deliver.
Apple iPhone 16e: Battery life
The iPhone 16e has a sizeable 3,961mAh battery, and it lasts longer than any iPhone outside of the Pro Max models. Thanks to the bigger battery and efficient A18 platform, the phone manages to last over a day with relative ease, and even with heavy use, I got to the night with over 15% left.
There’s no question that the iPhone 16e has an edge over the iPhone 16 and iPhone 15 when it comes to battery life, and if you need a 6.1-inch iPhone that lasts all day, this is the one to get. I also like that it charges over USB-C; this was a point of contention with the iPhone SE 2022, and I’m glad it isn’t a problem with the 16e.
Like other iPhones, you don’t get a charger in the box, and the charging is limited to 20W. The phone gets to the 50% mark in under 30 minutes, but it takes close to two hours to charge the battery using a standard USB PD charger, and unlike most Android phones, I left it plugged in overnight because of the lengthy charging times.
Another annoyance is that there isn’t MagSafe, so if you’ve invested in the accessory ecosystem, you won’t be able to use those with the iPhone 16e. That said, the phone goes up to 7.5W over the Qi standard, so if you have a charging mat, you can use it with the device — it just doesn’t go up to 25W over MagSafe like the iPhone 16.
Apple iPhone 16e: Cameras
The iPhone 16e has the unwelcome distinction of being the only phone I tested in recent years to feature a single camera at the back. The phone has a 48MP camera with OIS, and while it uses in-sensor zoom to deliver the same caliber of shots at 2x, that’s about as versatile as it gets.
The phone misses out on the new Photographic Styles that debuted with the iPhone 16, instead defaulting to the older system where you can pick between five choices. You still get a decent customizability in this regard, but it isn’t quite what you get on the other iPhone 16 models. Similarly, there’s no Cinematic mode or Action mode, but you get slow-motion video and the ability to shoot 4K60 footage.
The camera interface itself is identical to every other iPhone, with the shooting modes at the bottom, and the various toggles around the viewfinder. Thankfully, Audio Mix is intact, giving you much greater control while shooting videos, and there’s Night mode when taking photos.
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While it’s not quite as good as the iPhone 16, the 16e manages to take good photos in any situation. Daylight shots have good detail rendition and colors, and the camera does a decent job in low-light, with the dedicated Night mode making a difference in this regard.
That said, the limited versatility is the biggest downside of the iPhone 16e; not having a wide-angle or telephoto lens is a big enough disadvantage that I’d suggest getting the iPhone 15 if you need auxiliary cameras. The 48MP camera does a good job at 2x as well, but go beyond that and you start to see visible noise.
Apple iPhone 16e: Software
The iPhone 16e comes with iOS 18.3 out of the box, and my unit got an update to 18.3.1 shortly after I set it up. As of writing, the iPhone 16e is the most affordable device with Apple Intelligence. Apple is pushing its AI suite as a differentiator, and while most of the features are still in beta, there’s plenty of great potential. I’ll be honest; I wouldn’t have used anywhere as much AI features if Apple didn’t showcase them at an event in Mumbai, India shortly after the debut of the iPhone 16e.
I’m ambivalent toward generative AI in general, but I’ll admit that the iPhone 16e has one of the strongest AI-assisted feature-set of any device today. Visual Intelligence is Apple’s answer to Google Lens, and it does a good job identifying locations, objects, and just about anything you look up. It is easy to use — it can be launched via the Action button, lock screen, or Control Center — and gives you decent information of the world around you.
In a similar vein, Writing Tools assist with proofreading and summarizing text, and you can use the built-in features to rewrite existing text. There’s also the option to create unique images with text prompts via Image Playground, and custom emoji with Genmoji. You get the usual image-editing tools as well, and even if you don’t use most of these features, it’s clear that this is what Apple believes will make its products stand out.
Outside of the AI features, there isn’t much new with iOS 18. The visuals have a slight refresh, but the UI as a whole should be immediately recognizable if you’re coming from an older iPhone. There’s a Control Center that houses all the usual toggles, and it is paginated now, giving you better access to customize media and any other controls. Focus mode is great to cut out distractions, and you get the usual privacy tools baked in.
The software is designed to be familiar while offering new tools. And as is the case with all iPhones, the iPhone 16e will pick up five iOS updates. Unlike most Android phones, there’s no waiting to get the update (looking at you, Samsung); all iPhones can download the latest iOS version as soon as it is available.
Apple iPhone 16e: The alternatives
The iPhone 15 is the closest alternative to the 16e. It costs an additional $100, but you get a cleaner design with Dynamic Island, two cameras at the back, and MagSafe charging. However, the device doesn’t last as long as the iPhone 16e, and you miss out on all the AI features.
Over on Android, the OnePlus 13R is my recommendation. It has a good design, vibrant AMOLED with 120Hz, two terrific cameras at the back, a massive battery with 80W charging, and a good overall value. Google’s Pixel 9a should also be a good option to consider, and if it has cameras that are anywhere as good as the 8a, it should be a standout mid-range choice.
Apple iPhone 16e: Should you buy it?
You should buy this if:
- You need Apple Intelligence
- You want an iPhone with great battery life
- You want terrific performance
- You need Face ID and USB-C
You shouldn’t buy this if:
- You need a wide-angle or tele lens
- You need an iPhone with a 120Hz panel
- You want MagSafe connectivity
- You want a good value
Ultimately, the iPhone 16e is a good phone, but a bad value right now. I can see this phone doing quite well if it sold at $449 or even $499, but at $599 it’s hard to justify the asking price when you look at the omissions — the iPhone 15 becomes a better alternative instead. Yes, the iPhone 16e has a 48MP camera at the back, you get the A18 platform, better battery life, and it has all the AI-assisted features that you get in the iPhone 16.
However, there’s just a single camera at the back, and that just isn’t enough in 2025 — even entry-level phones have wide-angle lenses these days. Granted, these sensors tend to be average at best and unusable at times, but not including one at all on a $599 phone is a short-sighted move. Similarly, not including a 120Hz panel hobbles the device, and it makes it a poor bargain against Android rivals.
It’s clear that the iPhone 16e is aimed at older iPhones users looking to switch to a (relatively) affordable model with the latest hardware. The inclusion of the A18 and all the AI features make it a decent choice in this regard, and if I’m looking at it purely as a successor to the iPhone SE 2022, it gets a lot right: you get a much bigger screen, significantly improved battery life, much better hardware, and a great camera at the back.
As an upgrade to the iPhone SE 2022, the iPhone 16e nails the brief. If that’s what you’re looking for in an iPhone upgrade, then the iPhone 16e is a good choice. Otherwise, the iPhone 15 gives you more value, even if you miss out on Apple Intelligence.
The iPhone 16e has plenty of upgrades if you’re on an older iPhone, but it doesn’t quite do enough to justify the added cost. But if you need all the new AI features and standout battery life, this is the iPhone to buy.
