Say Hello to the iPhone 16e!

Surprisingly, it’s not called an SE.

Apple announced the newest member of the iPhone 16 lineup, calling it the iPhone 16e. But despite the name change, we think it still follows the spirit of that predecessor, offering interested people a more affordable way to switch to an iPhone or a more accessible way of upgrading for those still on much older models. Especially if they are interested in trying out Apple Intelligence.

Of course, like its predecessor before it, the iPhone 16e also comes with its own compromises, at least when compared with the iPhone 16. But first, what else can we expect from this device?

All set for Apple Intelligence

Let’s talk about performance first. Apple isn’t shy about telling us that this is designed for Apple Intelligence first so we do get improved RAM on the phone and Apple’s A18 chip; the same one used in the base iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus. So even if you’re not interested in using these features, you do get great performance across your apps and games.

In case you do want to use these features, the iPhone 16e offers a wide array of Writing Tools to help you compose your messages and emails. There’s also Clean Up for your photos, and of course, a smarter Siri for day-to-day assistance.

Sadly, while the phone has been upgraded with a 6.1-inch OLED display, it’s still locked to a 60Hz Refresh Rate, making it feel less snappy than the ProMotion displays Apple reserves for their Pro iPhones.

The iPhone 16e’s also debuting its very first 5G modem, which they call the C1. Supposedly, this should help the phone’s efficiency when you’re just browsing; a major upgrade compared to the previous SE phones. You get 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB options; plenty of storage for most people.

Hardware Changes and Omissions

While it doesn’t have the titanium construction of the iPhone 16 Pro, the iPhone 16e nonetheless features a durable construction, with its aluminum enclosure. Likewise, it inherits the Action Button; a convenient shortcut for an app you want to access often but no Camera Control Button. No Home Button here either like the previous SE phones; the iPhone 16e uses Face ID.

There’s one rear camera on the iPhone 16e, with a 48MP wide camera which can make use of sensor-cropping in order to get 2x magnification for zoomed-in shots. As for the selfie camera, it uses the same 12 MP front-facing camera like the iPhone 16.

There are omissions of course. First, there’s no MagSafe charging, which immediately sets it apart from the rest of the iPhone lineup. There’s no Ultra Wideband as well, which is a much bigger change as it actually affects things like NameDrop and AirDrop. To be clear, they will still work but probably not as well as say, an iPhone 16 Pro or even the base model.

Sadly, color options are very, very restrictive with the iPhone 16e. You can only get them in either Black or White compared to the nice, colorful options found in the base iPhone 16.

Much Better Battery Life

Another upgrade we can see with the iPhone 16e is in battery life. Apple did mention that this should be the most efficient out of all its 6.1-inch devices and it really does seem to be shaping up that way, with up to 26 hours of video playback or 90 hours of audio playback.

It’s definitely a noticeable improvement, especially compared to the previous SE phones as well as the iPhone 11 and iPhone 12.

As for charging speed, it’s fine. The company recommends a 20W adapter on the official page, which should supposedly get you 50% charge in around 30 minutes; a far cry from the 120W powerhouses found in other phones.

A More Affordable iPhone

Let’s get one thing clear though. The iPhone 16e is not a “cheap” smartphone. It’s affordable when we compare it to the rest of the iPhone 16 lineup, coming in at USD 599 (approx. PHP 34,700) but it’s still not as cheap as previous SEs or even other mid range smartphones.

Whether the lower price is worth it for the features lost however, is up to you. Alternatively, you can check out some of the now discounted, older generation iPhones here at Kimstore!

For gadgets and electronics, get it at Kimstore!