On Wednesday morning, Apple unveiled the iPhone 16e, marking it as the most budget-friendly option in its current range. This new model takes over from the 2022 iPhone SE as the entry-level choice, though it's a departure from the substantial discounts the SE series was known for. Priced at $599, the iPhone 16e narrows the price difference with the $799 iPhone 16, which was released last autumn. Pre-orders for the iPhone 16e begin on Friday, February 21, with the official release set for the following week on Friday, February 28.
The iPhone 16e is the first to feature Apple's C1 cellular modem. Apple has seen significant success with its in-house chips, such as the M1 series in its computers and the A-series in mobile devices. The cellular modem, often overlooked, is crucial for connectivity, and any missteps with the C1 could lead to various issues. Apple must have learned from the "Antennagate" incident with the iPhone 4, where antenna design and placement caused signal strength problems, ensuring the iPhone 16e's connectivity is robust.
iPhone 16e
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At first glance, the iPhone 16e looks strikingly similar to the iPhone 14 from the front. It sports the same 6.1-inch OLED display with a resolution of 2532x1170 and a peak brightness of 1,200 nits. Although not as sharp or bright as the iPhone 16, the iPhone 16e does include the Action button and a USB-C port, though it lacks the Camera Control feature.
The back of the iPhone 16e sets it apart from other models with its single 48MP camera, reminiscent of the iPhone SE. While sharing many traits with the iPhone 16's main camera, it lacks certain advanced features like sensor-shift stabilization, the latest Photographic styles, and the ability to adjust focus in portrait mode. The front-facing camera, however, remains unchanged and includes Face ID.
The iPhone 16e features an aluminum frame, a glass back, and Apple's Ceramic Shield on the front. Although Apple touts the Ceramic Shield as "tougher than any smartphone glass" in its press release, it's important to note that a newer version claims to be "two times tougher." This raises questions about the durability of the Ceramic Shield used on the iPhone 16e, especially given the wear and tear observed on the iPhone 16's display during reviews.
Internally, the iPhone 16e showcases Apple's product stratification strategy. While the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro were differentiated by the A18 Pro chip in the Pro models, the iPhone 16e uses an "A18" chip similar to the iPhone 16. However, it has a 4-core GPU compared to the iPhone 16's 5-core GPU, suggesting a slight performance drop. Despite this, the Neural Engine remains, allowing access to Apple Intelligence features.
The iPhone 16e, while not as heavily discounted as earlier iPhone SE models, still represents a compromise to achieve its lower price point. Launched at $599, it's Apple's most affordable phone, but it's pricier than the 2022 iPhone SE, which debuted at $429 with the same chip as the $799 iPhone 13. The iPhone 16e's design is based on a more recent model, albeit with minor annual updates since 2018.
The performance of the iPhone 16e remains to be seen. With strong competitors like the OnePlus 13R available in the Android market at around $600, Apple may struggle to attract buyers outside its ecosystem.
