Apple iPhone 16e evaluate: Elevated fundamentals

I appreciated utilizing the iPhone SE 2022; whereas it was based mostly on an older design, the refreshed internals and the diminutive design made it a enjoyable machine, and it was inexpensive. With the iPhone 16e, Apple is trying to replace that components; the cellphone has a much bigger profile and consists of Face ID as normal, and it will get USB-C connectivity. There’s a much bigger battery than the one within the iPhone 16, and as it’s powered by the identical A18 platform, it comes with all of the Apple Intelligence options.

All of those upgrades come at a price, with the iPhone 16e beginning at $599. That places it uncomfortably near final yr’s iPhone 15, and whereas it does an ideal job with the basics, it misses out on extras: you do not get a secondary digital camera on the again, there isn’t any MagSafe, and the panel remains to be 60Hz.

But in the event you’re on an older iPhone and trying to improve, there are sufficient new options on the iPhone 16e that make it an honest alternative — in the event you do not thoughts the excessive asking worth.

Apple iPhone 16e: Pricing and availability

Apple unveiled the iPhone 16e on February 19, 2025, and the machine went on sale globally beginning February 28. It begins at $599 within the U.S., £599 ($775) within the U.Ok. and €699 ($761) in different international locations within the area, and ₹59,990 ($690) in India. The normal mannequin comes with 128GB of storage, and also you additionally get 256GB and 512GB variants. The iPhone 16e is accessible in white and black choices, and that is what the machine prices around the globe:

• 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

Apple iPhone 16e: Design

The iPhone 16e makes use of the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 as the muse for the design, and the machine has the very same dimensions. It is not fairly as small because the iPhone SE 2022, and that is in the end a great factor — that 4.7-inch dimension was getting too small anyway. The iPhone 16e has a great in-hand really feel, and though it has a much bigger battery than the iPhone 13, it’s a smidgen lighter, and that is at all times a great factor.

The positioning of the ability and quantity buttons is unchanged, and what I like is that the Action button from the iPhone 15 is accessible on the machine. The button is simply as customizable, and you should use it as a flashlight toggle, switching to silent mode, altering Focus modes, dictating notes, launching the digital camera, real-time translations, or a customized management.

I discover the Action button to be the simplest solution to toggle Focus modes, and I’m glad the function is accessible on this machine. Another iPhone 15 function that trickled all the way down to the machine is the USB-C port; the iPhone 16e marks the top of the Lightning port, with all the gadgets in Apple’s portfolio now coming with USB-C. This is a optimistic transfer, and makes charging the 16e considerably simpler.

The one function that did not make its manner over is the notch; the iPhone 16e makes use of the older iPhone 13-style cutout and never the Dynamic Island that debuted on the iPhone 14 Pro and subsequent fashions. The older notch is distracting, and does not fairly mix into the background in addition to Dynamic Island. I discover myself utilizing the function to simply management music playback on my iPhone 16 Pro Max, and never with the ability to try this right here was irksome.

Another challenge is with the selection of colours. The iPhone 16e is accessible in simply white and black coloration choices, and it misses out on the pink variant that appeared beautiful on the SE 2022. Obviously, you’ll be able to deck the machine out in colourful circumstances, however as somebody who does not use circumstances, I wished a coloration choice that stood out a bit extra.

On that notice, the construct high quality itself is terrific (as you’d think about), with the cellphone getting an aluminum mid-frame sandwiched between two panes of glass. The again has a frosted glass end that feels nice, and as an added bonus, it does not choose up smudges.

The iPhone 16e has a single digital camera on the again, and the lens does not name out a lot consideration to itself — in what’s a stark distinction to the large digital camera lenses which might be a mainstay on all Android telephones. The mid-frame has a matte texture that makes holding the cellphone simply that bit simpler.

There’s a SIM card slot in world fashions of the machine (similar to the iPhone 16), however the U.S. model is proscribed to eSIM connectivity, however you should use two eSIMs on the similar time. Another normal function is IP68 ingress safety, with the machine getting the flexibility to face up to submersion in as much as six meters of water.

Although the design of the iPhone 16e is acquainted, it has sufficient differentiated options from newer fashions that it stands out from the common iPhone 13 and 14.

Apple iPhone 16e: Display

You get the identical 6.1-inch OLED panel because the iPhone 13 and 14, and like these gadgets (and the iPhone 16), it’s restricted to 60Hz. It’s annoying that 120Hz remains to be restricted to the iPhone Pro fashions, significantly contemplating that price range Android telephones additionally include 120Hz as normal nowadays. It is a limitation on the iPhone 16e, and you may simply really feel the distinction when utilizing it subsequent to the iPhone 16 Pro Max or any Android machine.

The panel is protected by Ceramic Shield, and it holds as much as tumbles extremely nicely. My 21-month-old daughter determined to throw the cellphone across the second I unboxed it (she likes doing that), and it got here away unscathed. You get True Tone and Dolby Vision alongside HDR10, and it has good brightness ranges; whereas it is not on par with the iPhone 16 or the Pixel 9, the 16e does a great job on this regard, and I did not see any issues viewing the panel below harsh daylight.

Colors are detailed, and distinction is superb. In truth, the one different annoyance with the panel is that there isn’t any always-on mode — that is once more restricted to the Pro fashions. The 6.1-inch dimension has been round some time now on iPhones, and going with this panel is sensible; though the notch is of an older type, it’s instantly acquainted.

Talking concerning the notch, it homes the requisite modules to allow Face ID, and it’s simply as quick and fluid as each different iPhone I’ve used with regards to authentication. It additionally has the secondary speaker and digital camera, they usually each do a great job.

Apple iPhone 16e: Performance

The key differentiator with the iPhone 16e is that it’s powered by the identical A18 platform because the common iPhone 16 fashions. This provides the machine an enormous benefit, and though it’s utilizing a binned model of the chip that sees a quad-core GPU in lieu of the 5 that is normal on the opposite fashions, the remainder of the options are equivalent. The cellphone additionally will get 8GB of RAM as normal, and once more, that is greater than what’s out there with the iPhone 14 and 15.

The cellphone begins with 128GB of storage on the bottom mannequin, and it may be configured with 256GB or 512GB. I’m utilizing the 512GB version, and it’s simply as fluid because the iPhone 16 in each day use. It handles demanding video games with ease, delivering secure framerates with none lag. If something, the 60Hz panel holds the machine again, and it is clear that it is ready to push greater framerates with out taxing the internals an excessive amount of.

There are not any points with overheating both, and total, the cellphone does a improbable job on this regard. The change to USB-C means you should use a single cable to cost your whole gadgets, and whereas you do not get quick knowledge transmission — it’s restricted to 480Mbit/sec — it’s significantly better than utilizing Lightning.

The iPhone 16e will get all of the extras which might be included on the iPhone 16, akin to Emergency SOS, roadside help, and Find My through satellite tv for pc, in addition to crash detection. Interestingly, the iPhone 16e sees the debut of the C1, an in-house modem constructed by Apple that takes over from the Qualcomm-based options utilized in all different iPhones.

The modem does not have mmWave connectivity, but it surely has higher effectivity figures, and that is evident whereas testing, with the iPhone 16e eking out higher battery life than the iPhone 16. I did not see any points with connectivity or sign high quality between the 2 gadgets, and it is going to be fascinating to see if Apple is ready to scale the tech to its total iPhone portfolio.

Overall, the iPhone 16e is the quickest cellphone in its class, and in the event you’re coming from an older machine, you will love what it will probably ship.

Apple iPhone 16e: Battery life

The iPhone 16e has a sizeable 3,961mAh battery, and it lasts longer than any iPhone outdoors of the Pro Max fashions. Thanks to the larger battery and environment friendly A18 platform, the cellphone manages to final over a day with relative ease, and even with heavy use, I acquired to the evening with over 15% left.

There’s no query that the iPhone 16e has an edge over the iPhone 16 and iPhone 15 with regards to battery life, and in the event you want a 6.1-inch iPhone that lasts all day, that is the one to get. I additionally like that it costs over USB-C; this was a degree of competition with the iPhone SE 2022, and I’m glad it is not an issue with the 16e.

Like different iPhones, you do not get a charger within the field, and the charging is proscribed to 20W. The cellphone will get to the 50% mark in below half-hour, but it surely takes shut to 2 hours to cost the battery utilizing an ordinary USB PD charger, and in contrast to most Android telephones, I left it plugged in in a single day due to the prolonged charging occasions.

Another annoyance is that there is not MagSafe, so in the event you’ve invested within the accent ecosystem, you will not be capable to use these with the iPhone 16e. That stated, the cellphone goes as much as 7.5W over the Qi normal, so when you have a charging mat, you should use it with the machine — it simply does not go as much as 25W over MagSafe just like the iPhone 16.

Apple iPhone 16e: Cameras

The iPhone 16e has the unwelcome distinction of being the one cellphone I examined in recent times to function a single digital camera on the again. The cellphone has a 48MP digital camera with OIS, and whereas it makes use of in-sensor zoom to ship the identical caliber of photographs at 2x, that is about as versatile because it will get.

The cellphone misses out on the brand new Photographic Styles that debuted with the iPhone 16, as an alternative defaulting to the older system the place you’ll be able to choose between 5 selections. You nonetheless get an honest customizability on this regard, but it surely is not fairly what you get on the opposite iPhone 16 fashions. Similarly, there isn’t any Cinematic mode or Action mode, however you get slow-motion video and the flexibility to shoot 4K60 footage.

The digital camera interface itself is equivalent to each different iPhone, with the taking pictures modes on the backside, and the assorted toggles across the viewfinder. Thankfully, Audio Mix is undamaged, supplying you with a lot better management whereas taking pictures movies, and there is Night mode when taking pictures.

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While it is not fairly nearly as good because the iPhone 16, the 16e manages to take good pictures in any state of affairs. Daylight photographs have good element rendition and colours, and the digital camera does an honest job in low-light, with the devoted Night mode making a distinction on this regard.

That stated, the restricted versatility is the largest draw back of the iPhone 16e; not having a wide-angle or telephoto lens is a sufficiently big drawback that I’d counsel getting the iPhone 15 in the event you want auxiliary cameras. The 48MP digital camera does a great job at 2x as nicely, however transcend that and also you begin to see seen noise.

Apple iPhone 16e: Software

The iPhone 16e comes with iOS 18.3 out of the field, and my unit acquired an replace to 18.3.1 shortly after I set it up. As of writing, the iPhone 16e is probably the most inexpensive machine with Apple Intelligence. Apple is pushing its AI suite as a differentiator, and whereas a lot of the options are nonetheless in beta, there’s loads of nice potential. I’ll be sincere; I would not have used anyplace as a lot AI options if Apple did not showcase them at an occasion in Mumbai, India shortly after the debut of the iPhone 16e.

I’m ambivalent towards generative AI usually, however I’ll admit that the iPhone 16e has one of many strongest AI-assisted feature-set of any machine at this time. Visual Intelligence is Apple’s reply to Google Lens, and it does a great job figuring out areas, objects, and absolutely anything you search for. It is straightforward to make use of — it may be launched through the Action button, lock display, or Control Center — and provides you first rate info of the world round you.

In an identical vein, Writing Tools help with proofreading and summarizing textual content, and you should use the built-in options to rewrite present textual content. There’s additionally the choice to create distinctive pictures with textual content prompts through Image Playground, and customized emoji with Genmoji. You get the standard image-editing instruments as nicely, and even in the event you do not use most of those options, it is clear that that is what Apple believes will make its merchandise stand out.

Outside of the AI options, there is not a lot new with iOS 18. The visuals have a slight refresh, however the UI as an entire ought to be instantly recognizable in the event you’re coming from an older iPhone. There’s a Control Center that homes all the standard toggles, and it’s paginated now, supplying you with higher entry to customise media and some other controls. Focus mode is nice to chop out distractions, and also you get the standard privateness instruments baked in.

The software program is designed to be acquainted whereas providing new instruments. And as is the case with all iPhones, the iPhone 16e will choose up 5 iOS updates. Unlike most Android telephones, there isn’t any ready to get the replace (taking a look at you, Samsung); all iPhones can obtain the most recent iOS model as quickly as it’s out there.

Apple iPhone 16e: The alternate options

The iPhone 15 is the closest various to the 16e. It prices a further $100, however you get a cleaner design with Dynamic Island, two cameras on the again, and MagSafe charging. However, the machine does not final so long as the iPhone 16e, and also you miss out on all of the AI options.

Over on Android, the OnePlus 13R is my suggestion. It has a great design, vibrant AMOLED with 120Hz, two terrific cameras on the again, an enormous battery with 80W charging, and a great total worth. Google’s Pixel 9a also needs to be a great choice to think about, and if it has cameras which might be anyplace nearly as good because the 8a, it ought to be a standout mid-range alternative.

Apple iPhone 16e: Should you purchase it?

You can buy this if:

• You want Apple Intelligence
• You need an iPhone with nice battery life
• You need terrific efficiency
• You want Face ID and USB-C

You should not purchase this if:

• You want a wide-angle or tele lens
• You want an iPhone with a 120Hz panel
• You need MagSafe connectivity
• You desire a good worth

Ultimately, the iPhone 16e is an efficient cellphone, however a nasty worth proper now. I can see this cellphone doing fairly nicely if it bought at $449 and even $499, however at $599 it is exhausting to justify the asking worth whenever you take a look at the omissions — the iPhone 15 turns into a greater various as an alternative. Yes, the iPhone 16e has a 48MP digital camera on the again, you get the A18 platform, higher battery life, and it has all of the AI-assisted options that you simply get within the iPhone 16.

However, there’s only a single digital camera on the again, and that simply is not sufficient in 2025 — even entry-level telephones have wide-angle lenses nowadays. Granted, these sensors are usually common at finest and unusable at occasions, however not together with one in any respect on a $599 cellphone is a short-sighted transfer. Similarly, not together with a 120Hz panel hobbles the machine, and it makes it a poor cut price in opposition to Android rivals.

It’s clear that the iPhone 16e is geared toward older iPhones customers trying to change to a (comparatively) inexpensive mannequin with the most recent {hardware}. The inclusion of the A18 and all of the AI options make it an honest alternative on this regard, and if I’m taking a look at it purely as a successor to the iPhone SE 2022, it will get rather a lot proper: you get a a lot larger display, considerably improved battery life, significantly better {hardware}, and an ideal digital camera on the again.

As an improve to the iPhone SE 2022, the iPhone 16e nails the temporary. If that is what you are on the lookout for in an iPhone improve, then the iPhone 16e is an efficient alternative. Otherwise, the iPhone 15 provides you extra worth, even in the event you miss out on Apple Intelligence.