iPhone 16e overview: What's your acceptable compromise?

I’ve been touring via time this week. Reviewing the iPhone 16e feels directly like I’m visiting my youthful self and likewise pressured to reside in olden instances, particularly since I’ve been utilizing an iPhone 16 Professional for months. Irrespective of the system you’re presently utilizing, getting the iPhone 16e necessitates embracing change. Positive, that’s half and parcel of getting any new telephone (and any transition in life), however with regards to the iPhone 16e, not all change is nice. And when you think about the $599 beginning worth, lots of the omissions, ostensibly made in an effort to squeeze Apple Intelligence into essentially the most reasonably priced iPhone, turn out to be tougher to swallow.

It isn’t shocking that Apple needed to make compromises with the iPhone 16e to supply a extra reasonably priced entry-level system; what’s sudden is the choice to not add a second digital camera or MagSafe. Simply the truth that it insists on calling the iPhone 16e’s 48-megapixel digital camera a “2-in-1 digital camera system,” makes it clear the corporate is aware of two sensors is one thing individuals need.

As a substitute, the iPhone 16e comes with an A18 chip that powers Apple Intelligence, in addition to the C1 modem, which is the primary designed by the corporate. You’ll have to be extraordinarily meticulous when poring over the record of similarities and variations between all of the presently out there iPhones, since there are a lot of tiny components to think about. What wi-fi charging pace or commonplace of Wi-Fi would you want? Do you care about cameras?

Positive, you possibly can evaluate these specs your self, however I’m right here to inform you precisely what these variations imply in the true world. In my week or so with the iPhone 16e, I felt the drawbacks of the digital camera essentially the most — I can reside with out MagSafe and the Dynamic Island. However what the iPhone 16e does provide is quick efficiency, a clear design, lengthy battery life and, most crucially, cheaper entry to Apple’s ecosystem.

Design and show

Let’s be actual: Apple was by no means going to launch one other iPhone SE in 2025 with a dated design and no AI assist. The iPhone 16e, like its title suggests, is visually similar to the remainder of the iPhone 16 lineup. That’s, till you flip the display on. As soon as you possibly can see the bezels and the notch up prime, the system has a stronger resemblance to an iPhone 14. I used to be solely briefly distracted by the comparatively thick borders, although. Anybody coming to the iPhone 16e from an older iPhone is unlikely to be bothered by this. Extra importantly, the show is protected by the Ceramic Protect materials that was launched on the iPhone 12. The earlier iPhone SE didn’t have this identical safety.

On its again, the iPhone 16e has a plain white (or black) matte floor with a single digital camera on the prime left nook. It was arduous to distinguish between the three iPhone 16 fashions I carried round for testing until I checked out their rears — that’s how comparable they’re. In actual fact, their dimensions are nearly similar, with lower than a millimeter and three grams separating the iPhone 16e and the iPhone 16.

In actual life, the one factor I actually seen was the burden. All these telephones slot in my pockets and purses, and for as soon as Apple’s least expensive telephone doesn’t instantly seem drastically misplaced. The iPhone 16e even has the Motion Button that debuted on the iPhone 15 Professional Max, which I’ll discuss extra about later.

Even essentially the most discerning reviewer could have a tough time complaining concerning the iPhone 16e’s 6.1-inch show. Not solely does it lastly really feel like one thing you should utilize in 2025 due to its dimension (in comparison with the 4.7-inch anachronism that’s the iPhone SE’s display), the truth that it’s an OLED panel means it’s brighter and extra vibrant. All the higher to observe Instagram and TikTok movies on, proper? 

It’s price noting, although, that the iPhone 16 will get considerably brighter. Even the iPhone 15, which prices $100 greater than the 16e, hits the identical numbers because the iPhone 16, although solely the latter can get all the way down to 1 nit of brightness. I will additionally level out that many Android telephones at this worth provide quicker refresh charges, which might make doomscrolling lots smoother. The iPhone 16e is caught on the identical sluggish 60Hz because the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus, whereas the Professional fashions get ProMotion speeds of as much as 120Hz. Neither the iPhone 16 nor the 16e assist Apple’s At all times On Show, both.

One remaining distinction on the iPhone 16e is that it’s the final remaining handset throughout Apple’s lineup to have a notch on its show. The iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 each have the corporate’s pill-shaped Dynamic Island, which has purposeful advantages in addition to wanting higher. It allows you to control reside actions, like a timer, sports activities occasion ticker, ongoing media playback and extra. It’s humorous how dependent I’ve turn out to be on this function within the years because it was launched. On the iPhone 16e, I used to be barely confused and aggravated that I couldn’t entry fast controls for Spotify within the notch, for instance, or that voice recordings wouldn’t seem within the notch as animated waveforms.

Nonetheless, individuals contemplating the iPhone 16e usually tend to have by no means encountered Dynamic Island of their every day lives, so it received’t be a jarring change. It’s unlikely to issue into your consideration when shopping for a brand new telephone, however this expertise definitely make clear my emotions for a latest function I’d grown to take as a right.

Digital camera expertise and efficiency

Since reviewing the iPhone 16e has felt like touring again in time, I took it to the Met museum to {photograph} some historical artifacts, with the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Professional as testing companions.

For essentially the most half, the iPhone 16e and iPhone 16 delivered about the identical degree of element, saturation and vibrancy. It was even arduous to inform which of the 2 gadgets did higher with my low-light photographs of a stupendous chandelier suspended above a room from an 18th-century Parisian resort. Though they’ve comparable 48MP sensors, the iPhone 16’s is bigger, which makes the closeness in efficiency right here barely shocking.

The identical goes for selfies, which largely regarded nearly similar whether or not I shot them on the iPhone 16 or the 16e. Although each gadgets pack 12MP TrueDepth cameras up entrance, every packs a customized sensor and lens that combine with the software program and Apple Silicon. It’s unclear what precisely the variations lie, however suffice it to say that regardless, they took photographs of comparable high quality.

It’d be good if I may say the iPhone 16e delivered mainly the identical digital camera expertise because the iPhone 16 for $200 much less. However the lack of a second lens on the rear is limiting in just a few key methods.

First, there’s the truth that an ultrawide digital camera is simply extra versatile. Not having one introduced challenges fairly rapidly, like after I entered a small room within the British artwork corridor and wished to seize everything of a pair of tall show instances containing dozens of ornate plates. With the iPhone 16e, I needed to again up a lot that I nearly needed to depart the house to get the 2 instances to slot in the body. On the iPhone 16 and 16 Professional, switching over to the 0.5x zoom choice enabled me to take the shot with out transferring a lot in any respect.

You’ll additionally discover an older model of Portrait mode on the iPhone 16e, and that is the place the vast majority of my grievances with the digital camera lie. If you happen to don’t care about footage with blurred backgrounds and a pretend depth of discipline impact, you’ll be lots much less bothered. However for these like me, it could be irritating to study that the iPhone 16e’s Portrait mode solely works when it detects a face within the scene. This harkens again to the times of the iPhone 7 Plus, when Portrait Digital camera was first rolled out. Even then, Apple was in a position to apply the impact to non-human faces and objects like crops because the dual-camera system enabled the iPhone to calculate depth and add blur primarily based on that.

Setting apart the annoyance I felt at not with the ability to use Portrait mode on meals, animals or different topics, the truth that the iPhone 16e is utilizing knowledge from one digital camera for this impact additionally impacts its outcomes. This was noticeable in my portraits taken of a bust within the museum’s European Sculpture Court docket. With the pricier telephone and its two cameras, Apple delivered extra correct blur, protecting the visage, hair and neck wanting crisp. On the iPhone 16e, the sculpture’s neck and chest had been blurry upon nearer inspection.

Cherlynn Low for Engadget

I ended up enjoying a sport of “Will it Portrait or Will it Not Portrait” within the museum, pointing the iPhone 16e at random faces in pale tapestries, softly outlined sculptures and oh so many busts. Often, even when a face was clearly seen to me, the iPhone 16e wouldn’t acknowledge that one was in body and didn’t enable me to snap a Portrait.

Once more, that is irritating provided that you are taking a number of footage in that mode. You may be capable to reside with a single digital camera for those who don’t thoughts inferior Portraits in comparison with higher-end iPhones. Nevertheless, keep in mind that the solo sensor setup additionally means you received’t get issues like the most recent technology of Photographic Kinds, the corporate’s subtle coloration and tone filters which I raved about after I first examined it for my iPhone 16 Professional overview. Whereas that’s a newer function, it’s arduous to disregard that anybody coming from an iPhone 11 or later already has a dual-camera setup and must surrender an ultrawide digital camera and a faceless Portrait mode.

The iPhone 16e can also be lacking digital camera options like Spatial, Motion and Cinematic modes, that are omissions that really matter much less at this worth. Although I feel having Macro assist could be good, I can perceive its absence because it’s for extra area of interest use instances than portraits.

It’s additionally cheap that the iPhone 16e doesn’t have Digital camera Management, which is the devoted facet button that debuted on the remainder of the iPhone 16 household final yr. I’ve grown to understand it as a fast, tactile option to launch the digital camera app (although I don’t care as a lot for the touch-sensitive slider controls).

I assumed I’d miss it when having to check the iPhone 16e, since I used to be going to be repeatedly opening its digital camera all day. However I managed to largely substitute that by configuring the Motion button to launch the digital camera. The Motion button’s location close to the highest of the suitable edge isn’t ultimate, because it’s extra of a attain, however it’s higher than having to drag out the iPhone, faucet its display and lengthy press or swipe the digital camera shortcut.

Brian Oh for Engadget

The Motion Button as a gateway to Apple Intelligence

You too can set the Motion button to modify between audio profiles or focus modes, activate the Flashlight and even begin any app or collection of actions you possibly can customise through Apple’s Shortcuts. Crucially, you possibly can set the button to launch Visible Intelligence, as properly. This represents the primary time Visible Intelligence has been accessible through one thing apart from Digital camera Management since its introduction with the iPhone 16 collection final yr. The potential can also be coming to iPhone 15 Professional fashions through an iOS 18.4 replace. In the intervening time, with out long-pressing a bodily button, you possibly can’t use your iPhone’s digital camera to lookup issues round you.

After I set the iPhone 16e’s Motion button to launch Visible Intelligence, I acquired mainly the identical expertise as I did on the iPhone 16 Professional. I pointed it at close by crops and the very modern and hip sneakers I had on. Although Siri (with ChatGPT’s assist) didn’t accurately establish the model of my sneakers, it did counsel some comparable types. Google’s picture search, which is the opposite of the 2 built-in choices to get solutions out of your iPhone’s digital camera, delivered barely extra useful outcomes for the picket desk I used to be taking a look at and the place I may purchase one thing comparable.

Apple Intelligence

Visible Intelligence is only one a part of the complete Apple Intelligence package deal, which permeates the iPhone 16 lineup. I received’t dwell too lengthy on the person options right here, since we’ve already coated them pretty extensively because the firm began rolling them out final yr. I’ll simply say that I used to be in a position to pretty easily use Picture Playground to create a background for an occasion I used to be coordinating in Apple Invitations, get my haphazardly written notes proofread and summarize a Wikipedia entry on Zero Day TV collection through Writing Instruments. The iPhone 16e is a succesful Apple Intelligence machine, if AI is your factor.

Efficiency, the Apple C1 modem and battery life

All of that’s powered by the A18 chip sitting contained in the iPhone 16e, and the truth that it’s in a telephone that doesn’t price $700 to start out is shocking. It could have one much less GPU core than the iPhone 16, however that didn’t hinder my escape from the hordes of ghouls chasing me down in Vampire Survivor. That’s a reasonably easy sport to run, computationally talking, and I’ve but to actually push the iPhone 16e with extra demanding choices. However for those who’re in search of a telephone that may deal with titles like Name of Responsibility: Warzone Cell or League of Legends: Wild Rift with out hiccups, you’ll must spend a whole bunch extra.

In every day use, the iPhone 16e was easy and zippy, and the one slowdowns I encountered had been in conditions that additionally challenged powerhouses just like the iPhone 16 Professional. That included ready for Apple Intelligence to make a Genmoji of a “video shoot,” for instance, or for Picture Playground to return outcomes primarily based on the identical immediate. Typically Cleanup within the Images app wouldn’t reply regardless of my repeated drawing on issues I wished to erase from a picture, however that feels extra like an Apple Intelligence concern than a sluggish processor. I seen the slightest delay in comparison with the iPhone 16 when ready for Night time mode to finish capturing a photograph in low mild, with the iPhone 16e taking a second or so longer.

With its larger battery and new C1 modem, the iPhone 16e is meant to final just a few hours longer than the iPhone 16 when enjoying video. Although I used to be unable to run a full-on battery take a look at, basically the iPhone 16e had no downside lasting properly longer than 24 hours. I pulled it off the charger on Sunday at about 10am and on Tuesday morning I nonetheless had 60 % left after a day of digital camera testing. Granted, that is nonetheless a really new system that I’ve been utilizing as a secondary telephone, so runtimes will probably drop a bit with larger use. However in comparison with my expertise with a model new overview unit of the iPhone 16 Professional, the iPhone 16e definitely gave me far much less battery anxiousness.

As for that customized modem, it is arduous to inform after only one week of use whether or not individuals will run into any vital points or interference. However throughout my time with the iPhone 16e on an AT&T eSIM, I’ve discovered little issues with the community. I am a T-Cell consumer, and infrequently lose sign after I’m at locations like underground practice stations or Moynihan Prepare Corridor in Penn Station. After I could not ship a message on my iPhone 16 Professional with T-Cell, I used to be in a position to join over AT&T with the iPhone 16e. This has much less to do with Apple’s {hardware} and extra to do with every provider’s protection, in fact. 

The identical goes for the modem’s basic efficiency — I persistently noticed the iPhone 16e (with C1) considerably outperform my iPhone 16 Professional on Speedtest and Quick.com exams, however a lot of that has to do with particular person community speeds. It additionally will depend on whether or not you are utilizing a telephone that helps ultrawideband 5G, which might see enormous boosts to efficiency. The C1 modem does not assist that, so for those who’ve been counting on mmWave 5G (largely through Verizon within the US), you will must sacrifice it for those who purchase the iPhone 16e.

Brian Oh for Engadget

How does the iPhone 16e evaluate to the iPhone 16 and the iPhone SE?

There are quite a few different little variations between the iPhone 16e and the iPhone 16, and I’ll record a number of the extra vital ones right here. Most likely essentially the most noteworthy is that it doesn’t assist Apple’s MagSafe, which might let it magnetically connect to stands, grips and different equipment. As somebody who plops her iPhone on a MagSafe charging stand solely when there isn’t any different USB cable out there, the dearth of MagSafe didn’t really meaningfully impression my expertise. However for those who depend on such an adjunct, the iPhone 16e isn’t for you.

When you may add MagSafe compatibility to the 16e with instances or adapters, you’ll nonetheless be caught with pokey, last-generation 7.5W wi-fi charging speeds (per the Qi commonplace). Different iPhones assist quicker speeds — the iPhone 15 goes as much as 15W whereas the iPhone 16 can hit 25W.

If we’re going to get all the way down to the nitty gritty, I also needs to level out that the iPhone 16e helps Wi-Fi 6, not Wi-Fi 7 just like the iPhone 16. The iPhone 16e can also be missing compatibility with the Thread sensible house networking commonplace and whereas its digital camera does provide optical picture stabilization, it’s not the “Sensor-shift” OIS that the iPhone 16 (and the iPhone 15) present. Lastly, and that is removed from the final omission from the iPhone 16e, the system does not assist ultra-wideband, which means for those who’re finding your gadgets through Discover My, you’ll depend on Bluetooth and will not get the extra exact monitoring on AirTags and telephones which have UWB.

All this spec-sheet scrutiny is getting at is that as an funding, the iPhone 16e is more likely to get outdated once more before the iPhone 16. Nonetheless, it’s a pleasant improve from the iPhone SE (2022), due to the addition of USB-C charging, a sharper digital camera, an precise zoom choice, a beefier processor, satellite tv for pc communications for emergencies and an even bigger, higher display. No matter the way you (or I) really feel about Apple Intelligence, there’s no denying that its inclusion makes for a telephone that’s extra fashionable, too. Additionally, Genmoji is simply enjoyable.

Contemplating how far behind the iPhone SE was in comparison with the iPhone 13, the truth that the iPhone 16e is so near the remainder of the iPhone 16 portfolio is spectacular. I assume I might have most popular a less expensive entry-level iPhone with just a few different compromises, moderately than one which’s so comparable (in each specs and worth) to the following model up.

And as a lot as I’d like to match the iPhone 16e to its friends on the Android facet of the smartphone market, I’ve to acknowledge that most individuals contemplating an iPhone are probably already fortunately caught within the Apple walled backyard. They in all probability don’t need an Android telephone, regardless of what number of cameras it has, how rapidly its display refreshes or how briskly it may well cost. Once you is usually a blue bubble texter, who cares about how a lot smoother a sport performs or how quickly Instagram posts zoom previous my eyes, proper? (Sarcasm, in case it wasn’t apparent.) If you happen to did wish to study extra although, try our put up on how the iPhone 16e compares to the competitors.

Wrap-up

It’s straightforward for me to get caught up in outrage, ranting at Apple’s choices to exclude MagSafe or elevate costs. However for individuals who don’t use magnetic equipment or who finance their smartphones over a two-year interval, these could be non-issues. What bothered me most as I used to be reviewing the iPhone 16e wasn’t its sluggish wi-fi charging pace or the notch atop the show — it was in the end the solo digital camera sensor. Anybody coming from the iPhone 11 and up will probably miss the ultrawide choice, even when the iPhone 16e’s 48MP sensor is a real enchancment.

Whether or not the iPhone 16e is an effective buy for you in the end will depend on how a lot these limitations hassle you. If you happen to don’t care about MagSafe, taking photographs or the precept that you possibly can save a whole bunch of {dollars} on a greater Android telephone, the iPhone 16e is smart.

In actual fact, for individuals who wish to purchase their first iPhone or somebody who’s much less tech-enthusiastic, the iPhone 16e is a succesful, handsome handset. Those that, like me, can’t do with out a second digital camera, can think about the iPhone 15, which prices simply $100 extra. You received’t get Apple Intelligence or the Motion button, however I doubt many will miss these options.

Finally, although, until you actually can’t fork over the $200 distinction (which works out to some {dollars} a month over two years), the iPhone 16 is a greater purchase for most individuals.

This text initially appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cell/smartphones/iphone-16e-review-whats-your-acceptable-compromise-020016288.html?src=rss



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