Goodbye iPhone SE, hello iPhone 16e. Apple has replaced its budget-friendly phone with a new model that’s more like its standard iPhone — and you can preorder it now. The iPhone 16e comes with both good and bad news.
The iPhone 16e features upgrades in display, performance, and camera while staying cheaper than the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro. However, at a higher price than the $429 iPhone SE, it’s less of a true budget option. It also loses the small size of the SE, which might disappoint fans of compact phones, even though it now includes design features like Face ID.
Let’s break it all down so you can decide if the iPhone 16e is the right choice for you. Preorders are open Friday, Feb. 21.
Faster internals and a better camera
Here’s the good news: The iPhone 16e uses the same A18 chip as the iPhone 16, offering the same strong performance as last year’s flagship. According to Apple, the CPU is 80% faster than the A13 Bionic chip in the iPhone 11. However, compared to the last iPhone SE with the A15 Bionic chip, the speed boost might not be as big.
The modern chip powers Apple Intelligence generative AI features found in higher-end iPhones. While the iPhone 16e isn’t as budget-friendly as the iPhone SE (details below), it’s the most affordable option with Apple Intelligence. This brings advanced tools like Visual Intelligence, which creates calendar events from posters, and image editing features previously unavailable on the iPhone SE. In my experience, Visual Intelligence and notification summarization stood out, though the Writing Tools and Image Playground felt underwhelming.
The big upgrade is the rear camera, which jumps from the iPhone SE’s 12-megapixel sensor to a 48-megapixel one. It also adds a 2x zoom, with Apple’s Fusion tech delivering sharp, telephoto-style photos by using the center of the main sensor.
Apple claims the iPhone 16e has the best battery life of any 6.1-inch iPhone, surpassing the iPhone 16, which lasted over 15 hours in tests. It also offers up to 12 hours more battery life than any iPhone SE.
A larger, more impressive display (paired with a higher price tag)
Apple is making big moves with the iPhone 16e, and there’s both good and bad news. On the bright side, the iPhone 16e gets a major display upgrade compared to the third-gen iPhone SE. It now features a Super Retina XDR OLED screen instead of the old Retina HD LCD panel. This means a bigger, sharper display with better colors.
However, a bigger screen comes with a bigger price. At $599, the iPhone 16e is only $200 less than the iPhone 16, making it a far cry from the budget-friendly iPhone SE, which started at $429. That’s a 40% price hike, which might not sit well with fans of the smaller, more affordable SE lineup.
The pricing feels even harder to justify when you consider the excellent iPhone 15 is still available for $699. For just $100 more, it offers features like the Dynamic Island, an ultra-wide camera, and MagSafe. That said, the iPhone 16e does boast better battery life, rated at 26 hours compared to the iPhone 15’s 20 hours.
The discontinuation of the small iPhone signals a shift toward embracing a new standard
Bad news for those with small hands or pockets: Apple is moving toward bigger iPhones. The 4.7-inch iPhone SE is officially gone, disappointing fans of smaller phones.
The home button is also history. The new iPhone 16e follows the iPhone 16 design with slim bezels and a notch at the top. Touch ID is replaced by Face ID, using the front-facing camera for authentication.
Final Impression
The iPhone 16e brings mixed feelings. Its higher price and bigger size make it stand out, but for those who can handle the larger screen and cost, the faster performance and improved camera are solid upgrades.
It’s worth considering if people will trade their love for smaller phones for the much longer battery life that comes with a bigger device. Check back soon for our full review to see who the iPhone 16e is really designed for.