Here’s How the IPhone 16e Compares to the IPhone 16
On Wednesday, Apple updated its line of budget iPhones . However, this is not the iPhone SE 4 ; this is iPhone 16e . For the first time in a long time, Apple has added a letter to its current iPhone series (i.e. iPhone 6S or iPhone 5c), which may leave you wondering: Should I buy the iPhone 16 or iPhone 16E?
TL;DR: The iPhone 16e is very similar to the iPhone 16. For most people, it’s likely the iPhone worth buying, and it has enough of what you’re looking for in an iPhone/iOS, especially considering the money you’ll save. However, to make this iPhone more affordable than its other devices, Apple had to make some compromises. I doubt many of these decisions will be a deal breaker for people looking to buy an iPhone without spending a ton of money, but there are some key differences hidden beneath the surface of these two sister devices.
Display
Whether you buy the iPhone 16 or iPhone 16E, you’ll get a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display. What this actually means is that you’ll be using a bright, colorful, high-resolution OLED display that’s the same size on both phones.
However, while both iPhones have the same sized 6.1-inch display, the 16e’s isn’t as bright. Apple says it typically reaches 800 nits of brightness and 1,200 nits for HDR content. On the other hand, the 16’s display typically reaches 1,000 nits of brightness, 1,600 nits for HDR content, and 2,000 nits outdoors. The 16’s resolution is also slightly higher at 2556 x 1179 compared to the 16e’s 2532 x 1170, but both displays are 460 ppi.
The biggest difference you’ll notice, besides how these displays look outdoors, is at the top of the screen. The iPhone 16 comes with Apple’s Dynamic Island , which, in addition to the Face ID camera, also comes with digital widgets for various functions of your iPhone. The 16e, on the other hand, has a traditional notch, just like the one on the iPhone 14. If you’re used to a notch, it’s the same here, but you’re missing out on two key benefits of the Dynamic Island: those widgets and the slight increase in screen real estate that comes with making that notch smaller.
Performance
Both iPhones are powered by the A18 chip, which is Apple’s latest iPhone SoC. With the 16e, you get a six-core processor, a quad-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine. It’s pretty much the same with the 16, except it has an extra GPU core. You won’t notice this extra core in many simple tasks, but it will likely help during intense gaming sessions as well as for longer life. However, this is a minor drawback and probably not a reason to make a purchasing decision.
The A18 chip means the iPhone 16e is compatible with Apple Intelligence , something the third-generation iPhone SE (as well as newer iPhones like the iPhone 15) lack. This is an advantage if you’re really into AI features, but if you’re the type to turn them off right away , you might not care for it.
Camera
Flip the 16 and 16e over and you’ll immediately notice a big difference: the 16e only has one camera, while the 16 has two.
This single camera on the 16e is very similar to the main camera on the 16: they are both 26mm, 48MP fusion lenses with an ƒ/1.6 aperture. The 16e has optical image stabilization, while the 16 has sensor-shift optical image stabilization, which allows for faster stabilization. The 16e has “hybrid focus pixels” and the 16 has “100% focus pixels”. This means that all the pixels in the iPhone 16 are used to focus the image , while the 16e only uses some of them. Both cameras offer “ultra high-resolution” photos in 24MP and 48MP variants. Both cameras also support a 12-megapixel “2x telephoto lens” with a focal length of 52mm.
You also get a number of benefits on both iPhones: 10x digital zoom, night mode, portrait mode, etc. Based on the paper specs, you’ll likely get similar results with both of these cameras. However, with the 16e you’re missing a 12MP ultra-wide-angle lens. If you’re going for one camera, you’ll need a main camera, but it’s good to have an ultra-wide-angle camera since it’s difficult to fit the entire subject in the frame at once.
iPhone 16 also has some video advantages over the iPhone 16e, including 4K Dolby Vision Cinematic Mode, 2.8K Dolby Vision Action Mode, Spatial Video Recording, QuickTake Video for 4K Dolby Vision at 60fps, and Macro Video Recording. But to be clear, you can shoot regular 4K Dolby Vision video on both iPhones.
On the front, you get the same 12MP selfie camera with ƒ/1.9 aperture. The 16 wins here are the additional controls for portrait mode and “last-gen” photographic styles , but for most selfies and FaceTime calls there won’t be much of a difference.
Buttons
If you’re using an older iPhone, you might be surprised by the lack of a ringer switch. In its place is an Action button, just like on the iPhone 16. While the Action button can still put your iPhone into silent mode, you can also assign a different function to it instead . Perhaps you prefer the Action button to launch the camera, flashlight, or shortcut that opens up new options.
However, the iPhone 16 has a button that the 16e doesn’t: camera controls . As the name suggests, this button gives you additional controls over your iPhone’s camera, including the ability to launch the camera with a button, take a photo, or zoom.
Cellular and battery
The iPhone 16e is Apple’s first iPhone to ship with a proprietary cellular modem, which the company calls C1. All other iPhones use Qualcomm modems. You probably won’t notice any network benefits from Apple’s own C1 modem, but there is one benefit: battery life.
Apple says the 16e has “the best battery life of any 6.1-inch iPhone.” According to the company’s statistics, this means up to 26 hours of video playback, 21 hours of video streaming and 90 hours of audio playback. Compare that to the iPhone 16, which offers up to 22 hours of video playback, 18 hours of video streaming, and 80 hours of audio playback. However, you won’t charge the iPhone 16e using MagSafe as the device is not compatible with Apple’s magnetic charging standard. If you don’t already have MagSafe products, you won’t notice this omission, but if you do, it could be a frustrating downgrade.
Colors
The iPhone 16e comes in only two colors: black and white. 16, on the other hand, is black, white, pink, turquoise or ultramarine (purple). It’s an interesting choice, but given how most people put a case on their iPhone immediately after purchasing it, color probably doesn’t make much of a difference here.
Smaller Features
There are a number of smaller features here that are exactly the same: both the 16e and 16 have USB-C, meaning you can finally ditch Lightning cables (if you don’t already have Lightning accessories).
You can also use both devices in water, as the 16 and 16e are rated IP68 for water and dust resistance. This means the phones can withstand being submerged in water up to six meters deep for up to 30 minutes.
Both the 16 and 16e are available in three storage capacities: 128GB, 256GB and 512GB. They are also very similar in size and weight. The iPhone 16e measures 5.78 x 2.82 x 0.31 inches and weighs 5.88 ounces, while the iPhone 16 measures 5.81 x 2.82 x 0.31 inches and weighs six ounces.
Price
Objectively, the iPhone 16 is a better iPhone than the 16e because it’s essentially the 16e with a bunch of extra benefits (minus the extra battery life, that is). However, it’s the price that should make the 16e a bargain. The iPhone 16 starts at $799, which, while cheaper than the $999 iPhone 16 Pro, is still quite expensive.
16e is indeed cheaper, but not cheap. The 128GB model starts at $599. On the other hand, the iPhone SE 3 launched at $429, which itself was $30 more expensive than the previous iPhone SE 2. A “budget” iPhone now clearly means something different.
Everything is expensive now, and this needs to be taken into account. Yesterday you could buy an iPhone 16 for $800. You’ll soon be able to pre-order most of the 16’s best features in the 16e for $600. If you can live without the brighter screen, camera control button, ultra-wide camera, and extra photo controls, that’s a nice $200 saving. Plus, you won’t have to run around looking for a charger as often as you would with the iPhone 16.
Pre-orders for 16e begin on February 21st. iPhone will be available starting February 28th.