iPhone 16e vs. iPhone 16 — it’s decision time for anyone considering an affordable iPhone. The iPhone 16e, Apple’s newest addition to its iPhone 16 family, costs $599. It iPhone replaces the iPhone SE 3 to become the cheapest Apple smartphone with an A18 chip.
At first glance, the iPhone 16e seems quite similar to the iPhone 16, despite a $200 lower price. So, how does the iPhone 16e compare to the iPhone 16? Should you save your money and get Apple’s newest iPhone? Or pay extra and go for the iPhone 16? If you’re wondering which device best suits your needs, our iPhone for life guide breaks it down in detail.
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iPhone 16e vs. iPhone 16 comparison
Apple took some of the best bits of the iPhone 16 for the iPhone 16e, delivering almost the same experience at a lower price point. So, you get access to Apple Intelligence, a super-fast chip and Face ID. The single rear 48MP camera even supports 2x zoom.
However, this does not mean the iPhone 16 is not worth buying now. It packs several advantages over its cheaper sibling, especially if you value camera performance and a brighter display. Plus, it supports faster Wi-Fi and mobile data speeds. And the iPhone 16e lacks some key features, including (somewhat inexplicably) MagSafe.
When you pit the iPhone 16e vs. iPhone 16, how do they stack up? Is it worth paying extra for the iPhone 16, or is the 16e the better choice? Find out in this in-depth comparison.
Table of contents: iPhone 16e vs. iPhone 16 comparison
- Design: Almost the same
- Display: Not the same
- Processor and storage: A binned A18
- Camera: Single vs. dual
- Connectivity: Hello, C1!
- Battery life: A surprising winner
- Price: Cheaper by $200
- Conclusion
Design: Almost the same
Photo: Apple
- iPhone 16e: 146.7 mm x 71.5 mm x 7.8 mm; 167 grams; IP68, aerospace-grade aluminum with glass back, Ceramic Shield (front), Action button, Face ID
- iPhone 16: 147.6 mm x 71.6 mm x 7.8 mm; 171 grams; IP68, aerospace-grade aluminum with color-infused glass back, second-gen Ceramic Shield (front), Action button, Camera Control, Face ID
The iPhone 16e looks almost identical to the iPhone 16 from the front, barring the missing Dynamic Island. Instead, it features a notch, as seen on iPhone 14 and older models. There are several other minor design differences as well, though.
The iPhone 16e boasts an aluminum frame with a sleek glass back, though it lacks the color-infused glass found on the iPhone 16. Due to this, the new iPhone is only available in white and black colors. In comparison, Apple offers the iPhone 16 in five shades, including teal, pink and ultramarine.
iPhone 16e is a wee bit lighter, but the overall dimensions of the two phones are almost identical. Despite its lower price tag, the phone features an IP68 rating and a customizable Action button — only the Camera Control button is missing. But like other members of its family, the iPhone 16e features Visual Intelligence, the Apple Intelligence feature that uses the camera to look up information on objects in the real world. Unlike other iPhone 16 models, you trigger Visual Intelligence using the iPhone 16e’s Action button.
iPhone 16e vs. iPhone 16 displays: Not the same
Photo: Apple
- iPhone 16e: 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display, 2,532 x 1,170 pixels, 60Hz refresh rate, Haptic Touch, True Tone, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 800 nits typical brightness, 1,200 nits peak brightness, dual ambient light sensors
- iPhone 16: 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display, 2,556 x 1,179 pixels, 60Hz refresh rate, Haptic Touch, True Tone, Dynamic Island, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1,000 nits typical brightness, 2,000 nits peak brightness, 1 nit minimum brightness, dual ambient light sensors
The iPhone 16e packs a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display with a notch instead of the Dynamic Island. You might think that’s the only difference between the iPhone 16 and 16e’s display. But that’s not the case — there are many more differences, with the cheaper new iPhone using an inferior panel.
Apple says the iPhone 16e’s display delivers a typical brightness of 800 nits and a peak of 1,200 nits. These numbers are significantly lower than the iPhone 16. The latter promises 1,000 nits typical brightness and 2,000 nits peak brightness. Additionally, the iPhone 16 can dim its screen to as low as 1 nit for enhanced low-light visibility.
The iPhone 16 also uses the latest-gen Ceramic Shield cover glass, while the iPhone 16e uses an older version.
Processor and storage: A binned A18 in iPhone 16e
Photo: Apple
- iPhone 16e: A18 chip, 3nm fab, 6-core CPU, 4-core GPU, 2x faster 16-core Neural Engine, up to 512GB storage
- iPhone 16: A18 chip, 3nm fab, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 2x faster 16-core Neural Engine, second-gen Ultra Wideband chip, up to 512GB storage
Both the iPhone 16e and iPhone 16 feature a 3nm A18 chip with a 6-core CPU. However, to keep the price in check, Apple uses a binned version of the A18 SoC on the iPhone 16e. It ships with one less GPU core (four vs. five). Still, the lack of an extra GPU core should not affect the iPhone 16e’s performance significantly. Apple’s A18 chip remains among the fastest mobile SoCs on the market.
More importantly, like the iPhone 16, the cheaper iPhone ships with 8GB of system memory. This ensures Apple Intelligence support, with access to features like Writing Tools, image creation tools Image Playground and Genmoji, and Clean Up tool in the Photos app.
Unlike the iPhone 16, the iPhone 16e does not come with an Ultra Wideband chip. That means the iPhone 16e misses out on several features, like Precision Finding of AirTags, Apple Car Key support and superior location accuracy. If you don’t care about these features, the iPhone 16e’s missing Ultra Wideband chip won’t bother you much.
Camera: Single vs. dual
Photo: Apple
- iPhone 16e: 48MP f/1.6 Fusion camera, optical image stabilization; Smart HDR 5, Photonic Engine, True Tone flash, wind noise reduction, Audio Mix; Front: 12MP camera with f/1.9 aperture
- iPhone 16: 48MP f/1.6 Fusion camera, sensor-shift stabilization; 12MP f/2.2 Ultra Wide camera; macro photography, Smart HDR 5, Photonic Engine, True Tone flash, Cinematic mode (4K HDR@30fps), Action mode, spatial video recording, wind noise reduction, Audio Mix; Front: 12MP camera with f/1.9 aperture, autofocus
Apple equipped the iPhone 16e with a single 48MP f/1.6 Fusion camera at the rear. In comparison, the iPhone 16 packs a dual rear camera setup: a 48MP primary sensor and a 12MP ultrawide with macro support. This is not the only imaging difference between the two phones, though. The iPhone 16e lacks several advanced camera features.
From a hardware perspective, the iPhone 16e likely uses an older 48MP camera with a slower sensor readout. As a result, it can record QuickTake videos in 1080p resolution. The iPhone 16, on the other hand, supports QuickTake videos in up to 4K resolution with Dolby Vision HDR. Additionally, while the iPhone 16e’s sensor is optically stabilized, it falls short of the more advanced sensor-shift stabilization found on the iPhone 16.
Apple’s cheaper new iPhone also cannot take spatial photos or videos. So, if you own a Vision Pro headset, you might want to avoid buying the iPhone 16e. The new budget iPhone also misses out on Action mode, macro capabilities and Cinematic mode. While you can take Portrait photos on the iPhone 16e, next-gen portrait features, like Depth Control, are not available. Likewise, while Photographic Styles are available, they are the older version seen on the iPhone 15.
The front 12MP selfie shooter is the same on both iPhones. But again, the iPhone 16e lacks Cinematic mode, next-gen Portrait mode, and support for the latest Photographic Styles.
Connectivity: Hello, C1!
Image: Apple
- iPhone 16e: Sub-6Ghz 5G, Emergency SOS via satellite, Roadside Assistance via satellite, Messages via satellite, high-dynamic-range gyro, Crash Detection, dual eSIM slots, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, GPS, USB-C (USB 2 at 480Mbps)
- iPhone 16: mmWave 5G, Emergency SOS via satellite, Roadside Assistance via satellite, Messages via satellite, Thread networking, high-dynamic-range gyro, Crash Detection, dual eSIM slots, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, GPS, USB-C (USB 2 at 480Mbps)
The iPhone 16e stands out for being the first device to launch with Apple’s in-house C1 modem. The company says it is the most efficient modem ever in an iPhone. While that sounds impressive, Apple’s C1 modem is not as good in certain respects as the iPhone 16’s Snapdragon X75 baseband. The iPhone 16e lacks mmWave 5G support, preventing it from achieving the gigabit-plus speeds possible on the iPhone 16.
Plus, Apple’s C1 modem only supports Wi-Fi 6, not even Wi-Fi 6E. In comparison, the iPhone 16 supports Wi-Fi 7. Other connectivity features missing on the iPhone 16e include Ultra Wideband and Thread networking. Without the latter, your iPhone 16e cannot act as a smart home router for compatible Thread devices. Admittedly, this will only matter if you are heavily invested in a smart home ecosystem.
From a safety perspective, the iPhone 16e packs all the features seen on the iPhone 16. These include Crash Detection, Emergency SOS via satellite and Messages via satellite.
iPhone 16e vs. iPhone 16 battery life: A surprising winner
- iPhone 16e: Up to 26 hours of video playback, up to 90 hours of audio playback; 7.5W Qi wireless charging support
- iPhone 16: Up to 22 hours of video playback, up to 80 hours of audio playback; 25W MagSafe and Qi2 wireless charging support
Despite similar displays and almost identical internals, Apple says the iPhone 16e delivers the “best battery life ever on a 6.1-inch iPhone.” It provides up to four more hours of extra video playtime over the iPhone 16. Apple credits this to its C1 modem, calling it the “most power-efficient modem ever on an iPhone.”
One major drawback of the iPhone 16e is the absence of MagSafe and Qi2 support. Instead, it relies on standard Qi wireless charging, with speeds capped at 7.5W. For comparison, the iPhone 16 supports 25W MagSafe wireless fast charging — more than 3x faster. The only catch is that you must use Apple’s upgraded MagSafe wireless charger to enjoy these speeds.
However, when using a wired USB-C connection, the iPhone 16e supports fast charging, allowing you to charge its battery to 50% in just 30 minutes — matching the iPhone 16.
Price: Cheaper by $200
Photo: Apple
- iPhone 16e: Starts at $599 for 128GB storage
- iPhone 16: Starts at $799 for 128GB storage
As mentioned, pricing for the iPhone 16e starts at $599 with 128GB storage, making it $200 cheaper than the iPhone 16. The upgrade to 256GB and 512GB storage options will cost you an extra $100 and $300, respectively. Apple charges a similar premium for the iPhone 16’s 256GB and 512GB storage upgrades.
iPhone 16e vs. iPhone 16 conclusion: Which is the better buy?
Apple made several key compromises to achieve the iPhone 16e’s lower price tag. It comes with an inferior, dimmer display than the regular iPhone 16. It lacks the Dynamic Island, an Ultra Wideband radio and MagSafe. And it comes with a single rear 48MP camera.
If you don’t care much about cameras and use your phone only for work purposes, the iPhone 16e is a great buy. With Apple Intelligence support and long battery life, the iPhone 16e should be a reliable workhorse. But if you want your iPhone in a snazzy color and care about MagSafe accessories and faster wireless charging, the iPhone 16 is a better pick. Its mmWave 5G connectivity will also be useful if you are always on the move and heavily rely on mobile data.
