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Apple just introduced the new iPhone 16e (not the iPhone SE 4), with an A18 chipset and Apple Intelligence, making it sound similar to the baseline iPhone 16. However, there are a few critical differences that you should know about before making a decision.
iPhone 16e Has a Notch at the Front
When you holdthe iPhone 16ein your hand, the first thing you’ll notice is the return of the notch at the top (like the one on theiPhone 14). The glass back panel houses a single camera sensor in the top left corner (like theiPhone Xr).
In comparison, the iPhone 16 hasthe Dynamic Islandon the front (a pill-shaped interactive notch) and a vertically-stacked dual camera setup on its color-infused glass back.
Speaking of the color-infused glass back, theiPhone 16 is available in five colors: Ultramarine, Teal, Pink, White, and Black, while the iPhone 16e only comes in Black and White shades (and it’s not color-infused).
In terms of dimensions, the iPhone 16e is a tiny bit shorter and every-so-slightly narrower than theregular iPhone 16, differences that are negligible. The cheaper iPhone measures three grams less on the weighing scale as well.
Regarding buttons, theiPhone 16e gets the Action Button(which replaces the alert slider on theiPhone SE 3) but lacks theCamera Control buttonfound on the iPhone 16. Beyond this, though, both phones share certain similarities.
For instance, both phones have an aluminum frame,Ceramic Shield front glass(latest-generation on the iPhone 16), a glass back (frosted glass on the iPhone 16), a shiny Apple mascot in the back panel’s center, and anIP68 rating (maximum depth of 6m for up to 30 minutes).
iPhone 16 Offers a Brighter (and Slightly Bigger) Screen
The iPhone 16e has a 6.1-inchSuper Retina XDR OLED screenwith a resolution of 2532 x 1170 pixels (460 ppi) and achieves apeak brightnessof 1,200 nits while viewing HDR content.
Even though the iPhone 16 also has a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED screen with a similar resolution (2556 x 1179) andpixel density, it is significantly brighter at 1,600 nits (for HDR content). Outdoors, the display reaches a peak brightness of 2,000 nits; indoors, it can come down to a nit.
And yes, both phones still support only a60Hz refresh rate, which is downright upsetting. On the brighter side, the cutout on the iPhone 16e accommodates all the requiredFace ID sensors.
While Apple markets both phones as having a 6.1-inch screen, the iPhone 16e’sscreen measures 6.06 inches diagonally, less than that of the iPhone 16 (6.12 inches). The company also mentions that the “Actual viewable area is less” than the diagonal measurement.
Given that the iPhone 16e has thicker bezels and is shorter, I’m sure it has a slightly smaller screen than the baseline flagship (something that is also evident in the resolution mentioned above).
Besides that, both displays havethe True Tone feature, support awide color gamut (P3), a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio, and a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating.
Both iPhones Feature the A18 Chipset (But There’s a Catch)
On the surface, both iPhones feature Apple’s latest, most powerful, and most efficient mobile chipset:the A18 chip with a six-core CPU(two performance and four efficiency cores). However, Apple has toned down the GPU on the iPhone 16e a bit.
The iPhone 16e has afour-core GPUinstead of a five-core GPU like the iPhone 16. Yes, Apple uses fancy terms like “hardware-accelerated ray tracing” for the cheaper iPhone. However, the lack of a GPU core can still be noticeable whenplaying AAA video gamesor generating images via Image Playground.
I’m waiting for the iPhone 16ebenchmark scoresto show up to determine how much of an impact the missing GPU core could have on the graphical performance. TheiPhone 16e and the iPhone 16 pack 8GB of memory, but that’s primarily to handle all the Apple Intelligence features. Regarding storage, both iPhones have 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB options.
iOS 18 and Apple Intelligence
On the software side, the iPhone 16e will shipwith iOS 18 out of the box. It provides a similar user experience as the iPhone 16 and supports all theApple Intelligence features, such asWriting Tools, Image Playground, andChatGPT-integrated Siri.
You might think the iPhone 16e lacks Visual Intelligence because itdoesn’t have a Camera Control button, but that’s not true. Like the iPhone 16, the iPhone 16e has a visual search feature that combines the utilities of Google Lens and ChatGPT. Based on this theory, the feature should also be available on the olderiPhone 15 Promodel, right?
Apple launched the iPhone 16e in the same cycle as the iPhone 16 and features the same hardware combination (A18 chip with 8GB of RAM). Hence, it should get thesame software support as the iPhone 16, in my opinion.
iPhone 16 Provides a Superior Camera Setup
No, the iPhone 16e does not entirely borrow the iPhone 16’s primary camera. Let me explain.
TheiPhone 16 has a 48MP (f/1.6, 26mm) primary camerawith sensor-shift stabilization, which is better than regular optical image stabilization. Though the iPhone 16e has the same camera sensor, it settles with slightly inferioroptical image stabilization. On the brighter side, you’re able to shoot high-resolution pictures (at 24MP or 48MP) from both phones.
Besides the primary camera, the iPhone 16 has a 12MP (f/2.2) ultrawide camera with a 120° field of view. Since the sensor has autofocus,it doubles as a macro shooterwith a minimum focusing distance of 2cm.
Additional camera features on the more expensive iPhone include a Camera Control button, latest-generationPhotographic Styles, next-generation portraits with focus control, and the ability to recordSpatial photos and videos(which can be viewed on the Vision Pro headset).
Video recording abilities differ slightly too. While both can record 4KDolby Visionvideos at up to 60 fps, the official spec sheet for the iPhone 16e doesn’t mention anything aboutCinematic ModeorAction Mode, implying that they aren’t there.
Even so, the iPhone 16e features Spatial Audio recording and wind noise reduction, as well asthe new Audio Mix feature, which helps curb background noises and enhance vocals in a video.
iPhone 16e Offers Better Battery Life
Apple claims that the iPhone 16e can provide up to26 hours of video playback, four hours (or about 18%) more than the iPhone 16. The iPhone 16e’s audio playback rating is also higher than the flagship’s (90 hours vs. 80 hours).
Both phones also support fast wired charging (up to 50% in 30 minutes with a 20W or higher adapter). The downside is that the iPhone 16e doesn’t support25W MagSafe charging. Instead, it gets non-magneticQi wireless charging(at only 7.5w).
iPhone 16e Features Apple’s First In-House Modem
The ‘economical’ iPhone features a component that represents six years of research and development for the company: its first cellular modem called C1. Apple claims that it is the “most power-efficient modem ever on an iPhone, delivering fast and reliable 5G cellular connectivity.” This should explain the battery life bump on the iPhone 16e.
While the modemsupports sub-6GHz 5G, it seems to have dropped the support for mmWave connectivity. Further, the C1 modem comes equipped withWi-Fi 6, which means slower upload and download speeds compared withWi-Fi 7on the iPhone 16.
Apple’s C1 modem sounds promising, but I’ll remain concerned about its effectiveness against Qualcomm’s X71 5G modem. Questions like howgood cellular receptionis, what the maximum download/upload speed is, and how efficient the modem is under prolonged usage (or in areas where it’s hard to get reception) remain unanswered at the moment.
While both the iPhone 16e and the iPhone 16 come withdual eSIM support, a USB-C port (up to 480 Mbps), Bluetooth v5.3, and NFC with reader mode, the latter also features a second-generationultra-wideband chipthat enables Precision Finding for supported Apple devices. Last but not least,Emergency SOS via Satelliteis available on both iPhones.
iPhone 16 Costs $200 More Than the iPhone 16e
TheiPhone 16e’sbaseline variant, with 128GB of storage, costs $599. It is currently up for pre-orders on the official website and will be available in stores starting August 08, 2025.
TheiPhone 16, on the other hand, costs $799 for the 128 GB storage variant. It is available through the company’s official website and other retailers, such as Best Buy and Walmart.
iPhone 16e
iPhone 16
128GB
$599
$799
256GB
$699
$899
512GB
$999
The iPhone16e is an affordable addition to the iPhone 16 line, costing $200 less than the base iPhone 16.
Apple iPhone 16
Apple’s newest iPhone featuring a camera button, programmable action button, and artificial intelligence features.
The big thing stopping me from recommending the iPhone 16e is the C1 modem. While the Qualcomm modems on the iPhone have performed well, Apple’s own tech is as-yet unproven.
In totality, we are looking at a few key features that the iPhone 16e misses out on: Dynamic Island, Camera Control, the 12MP ultrawide sensor, a slightly more powerful GPU in the A18 chip, MagSafe charging, and mmWave connectivity. If you’re willing to trade them for a $200 discount, the iPhone 16e offers great value.
However, if you want all those features, the iPhone 16 is the better option. If you’re really looking for a chance to save some money on an iPhone, you might have tolook at the used or refurbished iPhone market.
