iPhone 16e, Apple’s new “affordable” smartphone, arrives with a 48 MP photo sensor, a 6.1″ OLED screen and the A18 chip. Although not called the “SE”, it is the successor to this range, offering a modern design and current technologies at a more affordable price than the iPhone 16.
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iPhone 16e, the new “affordable” iPhone
The iPhone SE series made its debut in March 2016 with its first generation. This innovative model combined the compact design of the iPhone 5s with the performance of the iPhone 6s. Apple then launched the iPhone SE 2 in 2020, followed by the iPhone SE 3 in 2022.
This category has always been distinguished by its combination of compact size and modern technology, appealing to users looking for a phone that’s both smaller and more affordable. Today, the iPhone 16e follows this same philosophy, offering up-to-date features at a competitive price.
Modern features, except for a few details
iPhone 16e is the first iPhone in the “SE” range to adopt a full-height screen, abandoning Touch ID and the large bezels of previous models, swapping them for a notch on the top where Face ID is found.
This model is equipped with a 6.1-inch OLED Super Retina XDR display with 1179 x 2556 pixels. Maximum brightness is 800 nits, with peaks at 1200 nits in HDR, a little less than the iPhone 16. The result should be a bright, clear screen with excellent contrast.
iPhone 16e features the Action button for customizing shortcuts, but not the Camera Control button found on iPhone 16.
It features the A18 processor, which delivers significantly improved performance over previous models (40% faster than the 3rd-generation iPhone SE). However, this SoC is not identical to that of the iPhone 16, since it features only 4 GPU cores instead of 5, but still a 6-core CPU and a 16-core NPU, enabling this iPhone to be fully compatible with Apple Intelligence.
As a reminder, Apple Intelligence will enable you to remove unwanted elements from your photos and search for photos using simple descriptions.
The device also boasts 8 GB of RAM, the minimum required to run Apple Intelligence according to Apple.
In terms of connectivity, the iPhone 16e features a new C1 modem for 5G, designed for the first time by Apple (and not Qualcomm) and presented as optimized for battery life. It is also equipped with Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3.
Inside the iPhone 16e, Apple has rearranged the elements to house a larger battery, offering, according to the manufacturer, fast charging and wireless charging (only 7.5 W and without MagSafe), with up to 26 hours of video playback and 80 hours of audio playback. The iPhone 16e also features a USB-C port, but that’s to be expected.
iPhone 16e and photography: 48 MP and a single lens
Unlike the iPhone 16s, which feature multiple photo modules, the iPhone 16e maintains the tradition of the SE range with a single module. Nevertheless, Apple has chosen to integrate a 26 mm equivalent f/1.6 wide-angle lens, accompanied by the same 48 MP stabilized “Fusion” sensor found on the iPhone 16.
Apple has quadrupled the definition of the sensor compared with the iPhone SE. The new sensor “replaces” two lenses with an algorithmically optimized 2x digital zoom (52 mm equivalent), which Apple describes as “optical quality zoom”. With this zoom, the image produced is 12 MP.
Photo features include Portrait mode with depth-of-field control, Portrait Lighting mode with six effects, night shooting, and panoramic capture up to 63 MP. Finally, the wide-angle front camera allows 12 MP shots.
For video, the iPhone 16e can record in 4K Dolby Vision at 60 fps, as well as slow-motion video in 1080p at 120 fps or 240 fps. It also features cinematic stabilization for smooth visual quality.
iPhone 16e price and availability
The iPhone 16e is available for pre-order from February 21, 2025, with availability on February 28.
It comes in two colors (black and white) and three storage options (128GB, 256GB and 512GB) at $599, $699 and €899 respectively.
Our first opinion
No more small iPhones! With its 6.1-inch OLED screen, the iPhone 16e is much larger than the 4.7-inch iPhone SE 2022. Here, Apple has decided that it’s time to abandon Touch ID and big borders to make its most affordable smartphone more desirable.
However, it has more or less the same features as the last-generation iPhone 16, with a few subtleties. Of particular note is the single 48 MP photo sensor, which Apple presents as 2-in-1 thanks to its 2x digital zoom, and which should indeed do the trick for a large proportion of users.
This iPhone is a very good option for those looking for a recent, high-performance iPhone without the fuss.
