The iPhone 16e takes a brand-new position in Apple’s iPhone family. With the $429 iPhone SE out of the picture, the $599 iPhone 16e stands as the most affordable new iPhone you can buy. Yes, it costs almost $200 more than the iPhone SE did, but the iPhone 16e is far closer in features and functionality to the $799 iPhone 16, so the price makes sense. The iPhone 16e runs just as well as other iPhone 16 models when it comes to apps and Apple Intelligence, and a custom Apple-made C1 modem inside gives it power efficiencies not available to other iPhones. The result is competitive 5G and voice performance in a handset with the best battery life of any iPhone with a 6.1-inch screen. The standard iPhone 16 is still the best iPhone for most people, thanks to its additional ultra-wide camera, faster 5G and Wi-Fi radios, and brighter screen, so it remains our Editors’ Choice. But the iPhone 16e is an excellent entry point for beginners and anyone else looking for an affordable iPhone.
Design: Keeping It in the Family
The iPhone 16e is something of a cross between the iPhone 16 and the iPhone 14, with elements of both appearing in its design. It doesn’t resemble the iPhone SE at all.
Left to right: iPhone 16e, iPhone 16 (Credit: Eric Zeman)
For the last few generations, Apple has kept the iPhone’s rigid metal frame and glass front and back design mostly the same. The iPhone 16e relies on aluminum for the outer chassis and Apple’s previous-generation Ceramic Shield for the front glass; the rear panel is an undefined type of glass. Its lines are as simple and straightforward as could be. You could say the 16e is the minimalist iPhone.
There are only two color options: black or white. I like the matte black treatment of the phone I received for review; it has a pleasing texture. The iPhone 16, which has the latest-generation Ceramic Shield, comes in pink, teal, or ultramarine, in addition to black or white.
(Credit: Eric Zeman)
As always, the quality of the materials and assembly is top-notch. All the individual pieces fit together snugly, and the phone feels solid and compact. It measures 5.78 by 2.82 by 0.31 inches (HWD) and 5.88 ounces, which makes it the exact same size as the iPhone 14 and fractionally shorter and lighter than the iPhone 16 (5.81 by 2.82 by 0.31 inches, 6.0 ounces). The $499 Google Pixel 8a is about the closest Android phone in terms of size at 5.99 by 2.86 by 0.35 inches and 6.63 ounces.
(Credit: Eric Zeman)
The front panel is almost all screen, though the bezels are a bit wider than those of the iPhone 16. The earpiece is just barely visible against the metal frame near the top edge. The left edge holds the Action Button—something available to all iPhone 16 models—and the separate volume keys. These controls have excellent travel and feedback. You can program the Action Button to handle lots of different tasks, including Apple Intelligence. The right edge holds just the large power/lock button. The 16e does not have the Camera Control of the other iPhone 16 models, nor does it have a SIM card tray—at least for the US version of the phone. Apple sells the iPhone 16e with a SIM card tray in markets outside of the US. All versions support eSIM. The bottom edge holds the USB-C (v2.0) port, microphone, and downward-firing speaker. The Lightning port of the iPhone 14 and iPhone SE is long gone.
(Credit: Eric Zeman)
A single raised camera peers at you from the upper left corner of the rear panel. The circular lens is protected by sapphire glass. A small microphone hole and flash are to its right. The Apple logo is the only other design element on the back.
The iPhone 16e has an IP68 rating, which means it is well protected against dust and water. It can sit in up to about five feet of water for up to 30 minutes without worry. This puts it on the same footing as the rest of the iPhone 16 family and slightly ahead of the Pixel 8a, which has an IP67 rating.
(Credit: Eric Zeman)
Display: Just as Sharp, But Not as Bright
The 16e has a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display, the same size and type of screen as the iPhone 16. The 16e’s resolution is 2,532 by 1,170 pixels, just barely lower than the 16’s 2,556 by 1,179 pixels. Though the pixels are off by a couple of digits, the phones have the same 460ppi pixel density, which means they are plenty sharp. The phones share the same 60Hz refresh rate, which is unfortunate since many less expensive Android phones can run at much faster speeds.
(Credit: Eric Zeman)
The 16e’s screen is less bright than the 16’s. It generates a typical brightness of 800 nits and a peak of 1,200 nits to the 16’s typical 1,000 nits and peak of 2,000 nits. The difference is clear when you hold the two next to one another. You can still see the 16e’s screen easily both indoors and out, but the 16’s extra nits make a difference under sunny skies. Further, the iPhone 16 can reduce its brightness to a single nit to conserve battery life in low light. The iPhone 16e cannot. The 16e also doesn’t support the Always-On display mode of the high-end iPhone Pros, though neither does the 16.
Last, the 16e carves out a notch at the top of the display to hold the TrueDepth camera and Face ID components, whereas the 16 features the less intrusive Dynamic Island.
Performance: On Par With the iPhone 16
The iPhone 16e has Apple’s A18 processor, but it’s not quite the same processor found in the iPhone 16. The 16e’s chip has a six-core CPU with two performance and four efficiency cores, a 16-core Neural Engine, and a four-core GPU. The iPhone 16’s chip has one more GPU core. Apple hasn’t defined the clock speeds of either A18 variant. Third-party apps say both phones feature the same 8GB of RAM, though we don’t know if we’re talking LPDDR4 or LPDDR5. Apple sells the 16e in the same 128GB ($599), 256GB ($699), and 512GB ($899) storage variants as the iPhone 16.
I tested the iPhone 16e over the course of a week. During that time, I didn’t run into any performance issues. The phone was consistently quick to do everything, whether that was querying Apple Intelligence, sifting through multiple open Safari tabs, or scrolling through social media.
(Credit: Geekbench/GFXBench/3DMark/PCMag)
Surprisingly, the iPhone 16e does better than the 16 on some benchmarks. In Geekbench 6, which calculates CPU performance, the 16e scored 3,441 on the single-core test and 8,362 on the multi-core test, compared with the iPhone 16’s scores of 3,267 and 8,004. Both phones destroyed the Pixel 8a, which uses Google’s custom Tensor G3 and scored 1,545 and 4,208 on Geekbench 6.
GFXBench puts the GPU under pressure with the Aztec Ruins test, and the 16e managed to run 3,783 frames at 58.8fps. The 16 ran the same test at 3,864 frames at 60.1fps, while the Pixel 8a ran 3,550 frames at 55fps.
For gaming, the 3DMark Wild Life Extreme test tells us what we need to know. The 16e obtained an overall score of 3,041 with an average frame rate of 18.2fps. The iPhone 16 did better here, with a score of 4,132 at 24.7fps. We can likely attribute this result to the 16’s extra GPU core.
Battery: The Longest-Lasting 6.1-Inch iPhone
Apple doesn’t advertise the size of iPhone batteries. In the case of the iPhone 16e, however, a new internal design allowed Apple to expand the capacity of the battery beyond that of the iPhone 16’s 3,561mAh cell. That, in addition to new efficiencies realized by Apple’s custom C1 modem, gives the 16e “the best battery life of any 6.1-inch iPhone.” Based on our measurements, Apple isn’t exaggerating.
Apple says the iPhone 16e can play up to 26 hours of video, 21 hours of streamed video, and 90 hours of audio. We test battery life by streaming HD video over Wi-Fi with the screen brightness dialed all the way up. Using this method, the 16e lasted 21 hours and 39 minutes—or a stunning 3 hours and 50 minutes longer than the iPhone 16. The 16e comes shockingly close to the battery life of the $1,199 16 Pro Max (22 hours and 5 minutes), and it easily eclipses the Pixel 8a (12 hours and 15 minutes). This significant improvement in battery life is particularly welcome for the smallest iPhone and bodes well for future models.
The iPhone 16e supports fast enough charging speeds. Apple claims that a 20W adapter (or higher) will push the battery from 0 to 50% in 30 minutes. When I tested it with a 20W brick, it took 32 minutes to reach halfway and 69 minutes to reach a full charge. That’s just slightly slower than the iPhone 16 (31 and 66 minutes, respectively). Meanwhile, the Pixel 8a needs 1 hour and 50 minutes. None of these phones includes a charger in the box.
Last, the 16e supports regular Qi wireless charging at 7.5W. It doesn’t support MagSafe wireless charging, which would allow it to charge faster (15W) and align with chargers magnetically. You can get around this last point, though, if you buy a Magsafe-compatible case for the iPhone 16e. Cases that include magnets will align magnetically with MagSafe chargers even though the phone itself doesn’t include magnets.
Connectivity: Apple’s C1 Modem Signals a New Era
Apple gives the 16e a mixed bag of wireless radios. Most importantly, the 16e is the first iPhone to ship with Apple’s C1 modem. Apple has spent many years and billions of dollars to engineer the modem in part so it can get away from third-party suppliers like Intel and Qualcomm. Apple designed the modem from the ground up, including the transceiver, the baseband, the air interface, the controller, and the software. The in-house design allows Apple to control its power needs and integrate it with the phone’s other components in ways it can’t with third-party modems. This is a huge moment for Apple and likely the first in a line of new modems that will appear in many of its devices down the road.
(Credit: Eric Zeman)
In the 16e, the C1 supports sub-6GHz and C-band 5G spectrum, but not the faster mmWave available to the other iPhone 16 models. That limits the 16e’s maximum speed potential in areas where mmWave is available.
I tested the iPhone 16e on AT&T’s network in and around New York City. While I didn’t encounter any mmWave (AT&T has far less than T-Mobile and Verizon), I still came away impressed.
To start, the phone connected every call on the first dial. It didn’t drop or miss any calls, and I didn’t encounter any odd interference problems mid-call. I tested the connection by starting a call and then driving more than 20 miles. The phone hopped from tower to tower along the way without issue.
Wireless data speeds were as good as I’ve seen on AT&T’s network in this area. The 16e reached a top 5G download speed of 667Mbps and a top upload speed of 111Mbps. Unfortunately, I did not have access to another AT&T phone for a direct comparison. The 16 and 16 Pro phones are capable of real-world speeds in excess of 1Gbps given the right conditions on T-Mobile and Verizon, which have deployed more mmWave 5G than AT&T.
Apple has built geolocation components into the C1, too. I ran Apple Maps on the phone, and it was just as accurate as Apple Maps tested on other iPhones running on different networks.
The 16e supports the slightly older Wi-Fi 6 spec rather than Wi-Fi 7 of the other iPhone 16 models. This didn’t matter much when I tested the 16e against a 16 on my home’s Wi-Fi 6 network. Both phones showed similar speeds of about 720Mbps down and 300Mbps up. That’s plenty fast for Wi-Fi now, though Wi-Fi 7 support could come in handy in the future.
A Bluetooth 5.3 radio allows you to pair the 16e with an Apple Watch or AirPods, but the phone lacks the Ultra Wideband capabilities of the pricier iPhone 16 models. This means it doesn’t work quite as well with AirTags for directional guidance.
Last, the iPhone 16e supports current satellite-based services, such as Emergency SOS via Satellite, and is compatible with T-Mobile’s future voice and messaging over satellite features.
Audio: Crisp and Potent
I’ve been testing cellular call quality for more than 20 years. After taking calls on the iPhone 16e, you’d never know it’s using a first-time modem. Voice calls are crystal clear through the earpiece and push out up to 77.7dB of volume, which is easy to hear in most places. If you switch to the speakerphone, the 16e delivers 86.2dB of sound that’s just as clear. The phone also supports Wi-Fi calling.
(Credit: Eric Zeman)
I played some of my favorite tunes through the iPhone’s stereo speakers, and they did a fine job. Nothing beats a good pair of wireless headphones, but the earpiece and down-firing speaker work together to create a tight stereo landscape and enough dynamic range to add some depth. The phone can’t quite hit the lowest notes of our test track, the Knife’s “Silent Shout,” but it handles your average YouTube and TikTok videos just fine.
Camera: A More Powerful Point-and-Shoot
The iPhone 16e has two of the iPhone 16’s three cameras, including the 48MP f/1.6 Fusion camera and the 12MP f/1.9 TrueDepth selfie camera. Like the pricier iPhone 16, the 16e’s main camera shoots 48MP full-resolution photos and merges them with binned 12MP shots. This results in a 24MP final photo that gets sharp detail from the full sensor and the added light sensitivity of Quad Bayer binning. You can opt to take photos using all 48MP, though in jpeg only. The camera supports 2x zoom shots by cropping down to the central 12MP of the sensor. The iPhone 16e supports up to 10x digital zoom, also via cropping. It doesn’t have the ultra-wide camera of the iPhone 16 nor the optical telephoto camera of the 16 Pro.
(Credit: Eric Zeman)
While the hardware is essentially carried over, not all the software features are. For example, the 16e supports Apple’s photographic styles, but not as many. Five styles are available on the 16e, while 14 styles are available on the 16 Pro Max. The 16e also forgoes macro photography and the more advanced Portrait mode of the 16.
The same story applies to the phone’s video capture capabilities. It lacks the iPhone 16’s Cinematic background blur mode with 4K Dolby Vision, Action mode, spatial video, and macro video recording. It can shoot 4K60 and 1080p60, slow motion, time-lapse, and Night mode, and includes basic optical image stabilization, audio zoom, and spatial audio recording.
Apple is running your images through the same processing pipeline as on the other iPhones. In general, the pictures look great. Shots taken from the main camera during the day are clean, in focus, and accurate in color. I appreciate that there’s some contrast in the shots, which gives them a bit of range. Quality takes just a slight step back when you use the 2x zoom function. The color and exposure are the same, but there’s a slight loss of detail. You have to compare the photos on a computer to spot the differences, though. Using the 10x digital zoom tool dials the sharpness back even more. Things don’t get too pixelated or painterly looking, but you can tell that fewer pixels took these shots.
Main camera, 1x (Credit: Eric Zeman)
Main camera, 2x zoom (Credit: Eric Zeman)
Main camera, 10x zoom (Credit: Eric Zeman)
Photos taken indoors are solid, but the phone has more trouble with white balance in settings with artificial light. You can see this plainly in the photo of markers below. Other than that, indoor shots are still clean and free of noise. I did notice that close-ups are prone to producing mild optical distortion, seen in the glassware below.
(Credit: Eric Zeman)
(Credit: Eric Zeman)
(Credit: Eric Zeman)
The iPhone 16e has a Night mode, something the iPhone SE didn’t have, and it helps you take better shots in the dark. Not only does it support longer exposures, it cleans up the noise to a degree. The Night mode samples here are on par with shots from the iPhone 16:
Night mode (Credit: Eric Zeman)
Night mode (Credit: Eric Zeman)
If you’re a fan of taking selfies, you’ll be happy with the iPhone 16e’s TrueDepth camera. I didn’t see much difference between shots taken with the 16e and the 16, and I like that you can control the depth of field when using the Portrait tool. The software-generated bokeh isn’t perfect, but it’s good enough. You will see softer and noisier shots when using the selfie camera at night.
A standard selfie (Credit: Eric Zeman)
A selfie with Portrait mode (Credit: Eric Zeman)
For video, 4K60 footage looks very good. I appreciate the accurate color and exposure and the phone does a solid job of maintaining focus and clarity even without the advanced Action mode of the pricier iPhone 16 models.
Software: All the Apple Intelligence
The iPhone 16e ships with iOS 18.3 preinstalled. That means you get Apple Intelligence out of the box. You can choose to disable it upon setup, but if you want AI assistance, it’s there, ready and waiting.
All the software features available to the broader iPhone 16 family are fully functional. That means you can create your own Genmoji, use Writing Tools to clean up your messy emails and texts, switch on ChatGPT, and generate your own images with Image Playground. I tested each one of these against an iPhone 16 Pro Max. They all work, though they are slower in some cases. Genmoji and Image Playground, in particular, take longer to process and apply changes on the 16e than they do on the 16 Pro Max. Given the latter’s extra GPU cores, that’s not much of a surprise.
Beyond Apple Intelligence, iOS 18 is a solid, clean, and polished platform. It’s the most customizable version of iOS and allows you to make the iPhone 16e more your own. Apple doesn’t specify how long the 16e will receive future software updates, but you can assume at least four or five years.
Verdict: Most of the iPhone 16 Experience for $200 Less
The iPhone 16e sees Apple moving its lowest-cost phone upmarket. Priced about midway between the discontinued iPhone SE and the iPhone 16, it isn’t the “budget iPhone” many expected. Instead, the iPhone 16e is a capable new entry point that sets the stage for big changes in the iPhone’s future. For $599, you get a well-made piece of hardware with strong performance and all the Apple Intelligence features of pricier models. In addition, Apple’s C1 modem ensures fast 5G and accurate location services while introducing new efficiencies that contribute to battery life that beats the iPhone 16.
As good as the iPhone 16e is, the iPhone 16’s faster 5G and Wi-Fi, brighter screen, and feature-rich wide-angle camera give it the edge, so it remains our Editors’ Choice as the best iPhone for most buyers. If you’re a content creator and need the absolute best camera and video features, you’ll need to spend twice as much on the iPhone 16 Pro Max. And if you’re in no hurry and want to wait to see what a new iPhone cycle brings, we expect the iPhone 17 to arrive in September with potentially major changes. However, if you simply want to spend less on a highly capable new iPhone, the 16e is a welcome addition to the family.
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The Bottom Line
The iPhone 16e gracefully fulfills its role as the most affordable member of Apple’s iPhone family without compromising the core experience.
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About Eric Zeman
Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics
