Yesterday, Apple announced the successor to the iPhone SE (third generation), which was released three years ago. Instead of calling it the iPhone SE (fourth generation), we have a brand-new name: the iPhone 16e. Given the number of changes, I think that this new device earns a new name. For example, the iPhone SE was the last iPhone that still had a button on the front (used for Touch ID); the new iPhone 16e removes the button to have more usable screen space and uses Face ID like every other modern iPhone. The iPhone SE was also the last iPhone to have a Lightning port; the new iPhone 16e has a USB-C port like every other modern iPhone. But the primary purpose remains the same: just like the iPhone SE, the iPhone 16e is the least expensive iPhone. It is the device to get if you want something new but don’t want to pay more than you have to.
Like an iPhone 16, minus a few features
I suspect that most people considering the purchase of an iPhone 16e will be comparing it to the iPhone 16, which was announced on September 9, 2024. The iPhone 16 starts at $799 but the new iPhone 16e starts at $599, so you save $200. The two devices are virtually the same physical size. (The iPhone 16 is .03 inches taller and weighs .12 ounces more, and I doubt you would notice the difference unless you held them close to each other.) Both have a 6.1” screen. Both devices have an Action button on the left side. Both devices use the A18 chip. Both devices start at a 128GB capacity, or you can pay more for 256GB or 512GB. Both devices use USB-C instead of Lightning.
So what is different? The camera system is very different, and this is immediately apparent when you look at the back because the iPhone 16e has only a single camera whereas the iPhone 16 has two cameras (and the iPhone 16 Pro has three cameras).
The iPhone 16e has the 48MP Fusion camera, which is a big improvement over the iPhone SE’s 12MP camera. But you don’t get the second lens, the 12MP Ultra Wide lens that is used for wide-angle photography and for macro photography. Having only a single camera means that you cannot take spatial photos or videos for viewing on a device like the Apple Vision Pro. The iPhone 16e also lacks the Camera button on the right side that is on the iPhone 16.
The iPhone 16 also lacks the Dynamic Island, a useful feature introduced with the iPhone 15 that allows you to use one app on most of the screen but get updates from another app at the top of the screen.
The iPhone 16e also lacks true MagSafe support. It does support Qi charging up to 7.5W, so you can do wireless charging. But the charger won’t attach to the back of the iPhone (nor can you use other devices that take advantage of the magnet part of MagSafe to attach to the back of an iPhone) and you don’t get the faster 15W charging of MagSafe and Qi 2.
Those are all of the big things that you miss when you save $200. There are also some very minor additional differences, but they are things that most folks won’t notice. For example, the iPhone 16 has an A18 chip with a 5-core GPU; the iPhone 16e has an A18 chip with a 4-core GPU, so it will be a little bit slower on some tasks. But again, I doubt you will really notice this. There are also some other minor differences regarding photographs and videos, how dim the screen can get, color choices (the iPhone 16e only comes in black or white), etc. But the big omissions are one camera lens versus two, no Camera Control, no Dynamic Island, and Qi instead of MagSafe. For a lot of people, those features will not be worth an extra $200.
A different modem that might be better
Another big difference is that the iPhone 16e is the first iPhone to use a modem designed and built by Apple instead of Qualcomm. Apple calls this the C1. It is more power-efficient than a Qualcomm modem, and Apple says that this translates into better battery life. For example, Apple says that you get up to 26 hours of video playback, compared to 22 hours on the iPhone 16.
What remains to be seen is how the C1 modem performs as a modem. There is a reason that Qualcomm has been the leader in the cellular modem business for so long. Its modems are really good. I hope that we soon see reports that the C1 modem is as good (or better?) than a Qualcomm modem. But we could see just the opposite since this is Apple’s first effort. When we start to see Apple-built modems in the high-end iPhones, then we will know that Apple is confident that its modems are better. For now, the jury is out.
A more modern budget iPhone
In the past, when Apple has introduced a new generation of the iPhone SE, it has included many (although not all) of the features from the high-end iPhones. Each generation of the iPhone SE would remain on sale for several years, so near the end of the product cycle, the device would be noticeably behind the latest-and-greatest iPhones, but it would remain a good model. Both my wife and my daughter use the iPhone SE (third generation), and it remains a good, functional iPhone for them.
But the new iPhone 16e is much closer to the top-of-the-line iPhone models. If you just plan to use the “regular” iPhone camera lens, now you have a really good one. USB-C support means that your iPhone will now have the same connector as your other devices (and if that is not yet true for you right now, it will be soon because Apple done with using the Lightning port in its products). It supports Apple Intelligence, and to enable that support, it starts at 128GB of capacity, which is a perfect size for most people. And while some people may miss the button on the front, Apple decided long ago—and I certainly agree—that it is better to have more usable space on the screen.
At $599, the iPhone 16e is more expensive than the $429 iPhone SE, but it is still the cheapest iPhone in the lineup, and yet you get a lot of modern features for $599. Will the iPhone 16e remain for sale for two, three, or four years as was the norm for the iPhone SE? Or does the fact that “16” is in the name mean that we will see a new model every year: iPhone 17e, iPhone 18e, etc.? Time will tell.
Conclusion
There is nothing exciting about the iPhone 16e, unless you have been on the edge of your seat waiting to use a modem made by Apple. But that’s not the point. This is a very good iPhone and it is cheaper than the alternatives. If you compare the iPhone 16e to an iPhone 16 and decide that the missing features are important to you, then Apple would be delighted for you to spend an extra $200. But if those few missing features don’t matter, it is good news for you that you can now get a modern iPhone for $200 less.