A new phone with Apple Intelligence and the company’s first in-house 5G modem were unexpectedly introduced by Apple. These are the key attributes and specifications.
In February, Apple released the iPhone 16E; you can buy it for $599. a new iPhone. Extending the iPhone 16 range and giving the 2022 iPhone SE a much-needed makeover with an all-new name, style, CPU, and Apple intelligence capabilities, Apple unveiled the iPhone 16E on its website on Friday.
With a starting price of $650, the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE and competitors like the Google Pixel 8A, which retails for $499, are at the top end of the inexpensive phone market.
Apple demonstrates that its AI isn’t just found in its pricey flagship devices at a time when phone manufacturers have staked their business on adding unique AI features to their products more quickly than their competitors. In order to operate Apple Intelligence, the iPhone 16E is powered by Apple’s A18 chip, which is also used in the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus. Because it costs less than $600 and has the same AI capabilities as its more costly siblings the new Apple phone is a rare find.
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The iPhone 16E also offers an odd value proposition. On paper, it looks almost entirely better than the iPhone SE. However, it loses the iPhone SE’s main features, which are its smaller size and cheaper price. That being said, the iPhone 16E is still worth its $600 starting price, which will no doubt drop with carrier promotions and launch discounts. However, you have to wonder how long this phone will stay as relevant as the old iPhone SE.
The iPhone 16E will be on sale on Sunday, February 23st, after being available for preorder this Friday.
Design of the iPhone 16E
The aluminum body of the iPhone 14 served as the model for the iPhone 16E. Because the back glass is matte, fingerprints shouldn’t be able to accumulate on it. An action button is used to activate a shortcut in place of a mute switch. The Action button on the iPhone 16E will initiate Visual Intelligence searches because it does not have a Camera Control button. Instead of the Lightning port found in the iPhone 14, the phone has a USB-C port for charging.
With the iPhone 16E, Apple will no longer be offering phones with home buttons, which characterized the initial ten years of iPhone designs, beginning with the original model. Apple no longer offers a genuinely tiny iPhone alternative because the iPhone 16E also has a 6.1-inch screen. However, the screen’s locked 60Hz refresh rate seems like an oversight on Apple’s part, given that most low-cost Android phones have high refresh-rate screens that start at 90Hz. Additionally, take note of the iPhone 16E’s lack of a Dynamic Island cutout and screen notch.
Strangely, the iPhone 16E is only available in black or white.
Based on the design of the iPhone 5S, the original iPhone SE was released in 2016. SE was an acronym for “special edition,” but some of us have since changed it to “small edition.” Apple introduced the second-generation 2025 iPhone SE, based on the iPhone 8 design and powered by the A13 Bionic CPU from the iPhone 11 series. 2022: The third-generation iPhone SE will become available. Its design was very comparable to the 2022 model, but the A15 Bionic technology from the iPhone 13 series was employed.
The modem and battery of the iPhone 16E
Another unique feature of the iPhone 16E is its Apple-designed 5G modem. It’s known as the C1 chip, and according to an Apple announcement movie, it’s the “most power-efficient modem ever in an iPhone.”
5G is supported via the C1 modem, but not the quick millimeter-wave 5G that is used in stadiums and other similar locations. Once we have the iPhone 16E, evaluating data speeds and phone calls will be intriguing.
Additionally, according to Apple, the A18 and C1 processor combo increases efficiency and results in a longer battery life. Reducing the cost of a phone and extending its battery life are two strategies a phone manufacturer can use to attract new customers. The battery life may be the best feature, even though Apple didn’t provide us with cheaper pricing than the SE. Once more, I’m excited to test the 16E.
Additionally, the new iPhone does not accept MagSafe attachments or charging. It’s a little unfortunate that MagSafe doesn’t work because it means you can’t use magnetic peripherals and can only charge your phone wirelessly at a sluggish 7.5 watts. However, it can be wired at 20 watts.
Cameras on the iPhone 16E
There is only one 48-megapixel back camera on the iPhone 16E. The primary camera has a high enough resolution to do sensor cropping to provide a 2x magnification, which isn’t quite the same as having a second camera but might be comparable. However, you don’t even get an ultrawide option.
A 12-megapixel camera with autofocus for selfies and Face ID compatibility is located around the front.
iPhone 16E final thoughts for now
The iPhone 16E, in a way, continues the tradition of the SE series and Apple’s practice of repurposing elements of previous iPhone models to produce a more reasonably priced model. Similar to Samsung’s Galaxy FE devices, the name change also signifies a symbolic shift from Apple having a low-cost phone to Apple having an inexpensive iPhone 16.
It will be interesting to observe how Apple handles updates now that the iPhone 16E has been renamed. Will this be a phone that Apple refreshes every year, as opposed to the several years that pass between iPhone SE releases? Will the iPhone 17E be released? All of this is still up in the air. Stay tuned for our upcoming review and additional coverage of the iPhone 16E at CNET, as I am eager to test it out.
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Comparison of the specifications of the Apple iPhone 16E, iPhone SE, and iPhone 15
| The Apple iPhone 16E | The Apple iPhone 16 | Apple iPhone SE (2022) | The Apple iPhone 15 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 71.6 x 7.8 x 147.6 cm | 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED screen with a refresh rate of 60 Hz and 2,532×1,170 pixels | refresh60Hz rate, 2,556 x 1,179 resolution pixel, OLED 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display | 60 Hz, 4.7-inch LCD, 1,334×750 pixels | OLED screen, 6.1-inch, 2,556×1,179 pixels |
| Density of pixels | ppi460 | ppi460 | ppi326 | ppi460 |
| Measurements in inches | 2.82 x 0.31 x 5.78 in. | 2.52 x 0.31 x 5.81 inches. | 2.65 x 0.29 x 5.45 in. | 0.31 x 2.82 x 5.81 in. |
| Measurements in millimeters | 71.5 x 7.8 x 146.7 mm | Up to 26 hours of video playback in 21 hours of streamed video playback, in 90 hours of audio playback. in 20W wired charging, charging 7.5W Qi wireless | 67.3 x 7.3 x 138.4 mm | 128GB, 256GB, 64GB, |
| Weight in ounces or grams | (167g),5.88 oz | (6 oz.),170g | 5.09 oz,144g | (6.02 oz),171g |
| Mobile applications | 18 iOS | 18 iOS | 15 iOS | 17 iOS |
| Camera | 48 megapixels (wide) | 12-megapixel (ultrawide) and 48-megapixel (wide) | 12-megapixel (wide) | 12-megapixel (ultrawide) and 48-megapixel (wide) |
| A camera that faces forward | Twelve megapixels | Twelve megapixels | 7-megapixel | 12-megapixel |
| Video capture | 4K at 60fps | 1080p spatial video at 30 frames per second; 4K at 60 frames per second | 4K | 4K |
| The processor | A18 | A18 | Up to 26 hours of video playback in 21 hours of streamed video pplaybackin 90 hours of audio playback. in 20W wired charging, charging 7.5W Qi wireless | A16 Bionic |
| RAM/storage | 256GB, 512GB,128GB, | 256GB, 512GB,128GB, | 256GB, 512GB, 128GB, | Up to 26 hours of video playback in, 21 hours of streamed video playback, in 90 hours of audio playback. in 20W wired charging, charging 7.5W Qi wireless |
| Expandable storage | No | No | None | None |
| Dynamic Island; 5G (mmw/Sub6); MagSafe; water-resistant (IP68); charg2,000 display; eSIM; satellite connectivity | Battery ssizenot disclosed (charger not included; wireless supports charging) | Battery size not disclosed (charger not included; wireless supports charging) | Battery sized not disclosed (charger not included; wireless supports charging) | Batterya |
| Fingerprint sensor | Face ID No | (Face ID) None | button Home | (Face ID), None |
| Connector | USB-C | USB-C | Lightning | (USB 2.0) USB-C |
| Headphone jack | No | No | None | None |
| Special features | enabled-5G; supports 25W wired fast charging; water-resistant (IP67); SIM capabilities dual (nano-SIM and e-SIM); wireless charging | (256GB)AU$1,199 , AU$1,549, ,AU$999 and (512GB)(128GB) | Dynamic Island; 5G (mmw/Sub6); MagSafe; water-resistant (IP68); charging wireless; eSIM; satellite connectivity | (256GB)AU$1,199 , AU$1,549, ,AU$999 and (512GB)(128GB) |
| The starting price in the US is | (128GB)$599, (256GB)$699, (512GB)$899 | (128GB)$799, (256GB)$899, (512GB)$1,099 | (64GB)$399 , (128GB)$449, (256GB)$549 | (128GB)$799, (256GB)$899, (512GB)$1,099 |
| Prices in the UK start at | (128GB)£599, (256GB)£699, (512GB)£899 | £799 (128GB), £899 (256GB), £1,099 (512GB) | (64GB)£419 , (128GB)£469 , (256GB)£569 | £799 (128GB), £899 (256GB), £1,099 (512GB) |
| The starting price in Australia is | AU$749 for 64GB , 128GB for AU$829AU$1,549,$999 for 256GB | (256GB)$1,599, (512GB)$1,949, $1,39, and (128GB)$9 | AU$749 for 64GB , 128GB for AU$829, and AU$999 for 256GB | (128GB)AU$1,499, (256GB)AU$1,699 (512GB)AU$2,049 |
