IPhone 16E is Apple’s most affordable model in the iPhone set -up. It replaces both iPhone 14 and iPhone SE and is a departure from the “classic” design of these older SE -Phones. Here’s all you need to know about the new phone.
iPhone 16E release date
New iPhone 16E Price: How much does iPhone 16E cost?
- IPhone 16E starts at $ 599/£ 599
IPhone 16E replaces iPhone SE and iPhone 14 in the line. Like iPhone 14, iPhone Seller 16E for $ 599/£ 599. IPhone SE started at $ 429/£ 429, but it was for a 64 GB model, 128 GB iPhone SE cost $ 479/£ 479.
| Capacity | US | Uk | Canada | Australia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone 16E 128GB | $ 599 | £ 599.00 | About $ 899.00 | A $ 999.00 |
| iPhone 16E 256GB | $ 699 | £ 699.00 | About $ 1,499.00 | A $ 1,199.00 |
| iPhone 16E 512GB | $ 899 | £ 899.00 | About $ 1,399.00 | A $ 1,549.00 |
This means that the cost of owning an iPhone is much higher that it is used to be, especially compared to the price of iPhone SE back in 2016 when it started at $ 399. But with higher component prices and the effect of higher import duties, higher prices are not really a big surprise.
Fortunately, you don’t have to pay the full price. You can get a bargain on a new iPhone 16E, read: where you can get the best iPhone 16, Plus, Pro and Pro Max offers in the US and where you can get the best iPhone 16, Plus, Pro Max offering in the UK
The price of iPhone 16E actually looks good compared to iPhone 16 and iPhone 15. IPhone 16 is $ 200 more starting at $ 799, while the less powerful, non-Apple Intelligence Compatible, iPhone 15 is $ 100 more at $ 699. See: Why we don’t recommend iPhone 15.
It raises the question, why not remove iPhone 15 and sell iPhone 16E for $ 599? Last October, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman claimed the iPhone 16E is intended to help Apple compete with low-end Android phones in China, so a cheap iPhone capable of Apple Intelligence is needed and iPhone 16E fits the bill.
To get advice on which iPhone to buy, look at our iPhone comparison diagram where we compare each iPhone, or read our iPhone -purchasing guide. We also compare iPhone 16E VS iPhone 16 and iPhone 16E with iPhone 15 to see if it’s worth saving money or spending more, and iPhone 14 and iPhone 16E to see if it’s worth upgrading.
iPhone 16E Design: How’s the new iPhone different than SE?
From the back, the iPhone 16E shares a feature with iPhone SE – each camera lens. But this is where the similarities end. IPhone 16E is an important design change from iPhone SE. It moves away from the iPhone 8 chassis to something more like modern iPhones, with facial ID and a full screen display.
In fact, iPhone is more like iPhone 14 to look at the front, so in many ways this is a substitute for iPhone 14 and iPhone SE in both looks and features.
Apple
Facial -id instead of Touch -id
Touch ID, which has been a staple for the SE line since its debut, is gone. This is bad news for those who prefer a home button with a fingerprint sensor – Apple no longer has a phone like the one in his lineup.
Instead, it uses Face ID to secure your iPhone so that only your face (or password) unlocks it. Face ID is a feature that was introduced with iPhone X back in 2017. It’s long ago now: It’s time for Touch ID to retire.
A notch but no dynamic island
The Face ID technology is hidden behind the notch at the top of the screen, just as the minced on the iPhone 14. It does not have the dynamic island on the other iPhone 16 models, which are essentially a smaller notch that incorporates software elements. So while you get a much larger screen than before, you can’t see alarms and current activities on the dynamic island.
The action button is the new mute switch
The iPhone 16E has an action button instead of a mute switch that was standard on all previous iPhone SE models as well as the iPhone 14. The action button can be customized in different ways, including as a mute switch.
Apple
iPhone 16E Specifications: Apple Intelligence Support and More More
Like the other iPhones in Apple’s current iPhone 16 setup, iPhone 16E APPLY APPLY INTERNATIONS. One of the biggest new features, a massive expansion of SIRI capacities, will be released in iOS 18.4 in March or April.
Processor & Ram
Like the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus, the iPhone 16E has an A18 chip with 8GB of RAM, a massive upgrade over the A15 chip with 4 GB of RAM in SE. However, the A18 chip is slightly less capable than the one on the iPhone 16 with 4 GPU kernels against 5 GPU kernels on the iPhone 16.
Battery
A great advantage of the iPhone 16E is pretty impressive battery life. Apple claims 26 hours for iPhone 16E, while the iPhone 16 only gets 22 hours. (IPhone 14 offered 20 hours and iPhone SE was 15 hours).
It turns out that the iPhone 16E has a surprisingly large battery with a capacity of 3961mAh, almost twice the iPhone SE’s 2018 mAh battery. We compare each iPhone battery separately.
5G modem
IPhone 16E is the first iPhone to have Apple’s own 5G modem, called C1. It supports the SUB-6 GHz 5G and 4G LTE with 4 × 4 MIMO, and Apple calls it “the most effective modem ever on an iPhone.” As previously expected, it does not support the faster MMWAVE 5G connection, but not the previous one.
USB-C
The iPhone 16E has a USB-C port for charging and data transfers. With its introduction and discontinuation of iPhone SE, Apple no longer has an iPhone with lightning in its current lineup.
Apple
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
IPhone 16E supports Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3. This is a bit of a downgrade – Apple has supported iPhone 6E since the iPhone 15 Pro and all the other iPhone 16 models have WiFi 6E. However, you need to connect to a newer WiFi 6E or 7 router to enjoy faster speeds.
Storage
The new iPhone 16E is the last iPhone to move to 128 GB of storage that doubles 64 GB base storage in iPhone SE 3. IPhone 16E is also available with 256 GB or 512 GB storage for $ 699 and $ 899 respectively.
iPhone 16E Camera: Good enough
IPhone 16E has a single 48MP lens on the back. It is a 48MP camera that can record video in 4K with Dolby Vision up to 60 FPS and also supports the spatial sound. Apple calls it a “2-in-1 camera system”, which is described as having an integrated 2x telecom function.
The front-facing camera is a 12MP-Trueptepth camera, like the other iPhone 16 models. We got our first look at a “dummy model” for the new iPhone 16E in January from Leaker Sonny Dickson, and it showed an iPhone 14-like smartphone with a single rear camera.
When does the Apple iPhone are updating 16E to 17E?
IPhone 16E, which will be introduced months after the September release of the Standard iPhone and iPhone Pro models, shares a similar release time line with iPhone SE. Does that mean we will wait a year (or more) for Apple to introduce the iPhone 17E or will it update iPhone 16E in September with the other iPhones? See: iPhone 17 Release Date.
It may make more sense for Apple to keep the iPhone 16E in line up and drop the price while replacing the iPhone 15 with iPhone 17E in September. Alternatively, we could wait a few years for an update if Apple follows a similar schedule as iPhone SE. We will have to wait to see.
Here’s when the three previous iPhone SE models debuted:
iPhone History
The iPhone 16 Series and iPhone 15 are the current generation models available from Apple. We also expect the iPhone 17 to be launched by the end of 2025. Below you will find links to our reviews of all iPhone models, including the latest generation. Learn more about all the new Apple products that are coming this year and when is the next Apple event. You may also want to check out our advice on when is the best time to buy a new iPhone, our iPhone -purchasing guide and our comparison of each iPhone that can be purchased today.
- Original iPhone (2007) Review
- iPhone 3G (2008) Review
- iPhone 3GS (2009) Review
- iPhone 4 (2010) Review
- iPhone 4S (2011) Review
- iPhone 5 (2012) Review
- iPhone 5c (2013) Review
- iPhone 5S (2013) Review
- iPhone 6 (2014) Review
- iPhone 6 Plus (2014) Review
- iPhone 6s (2015) Review
- iPhone 6s Plus (2015) Review
- iPhone SE (1. Generation; 2016) Review
- iPhone 7 (2016) Review
- iPhone 7 Plus (2016) Review
- iPhone 8 (2017) Review
- iPhone 8 Plus (2017) Review
- iPhone X (2017) Review
- iPhone XR (2018) Review
- iPhone XS (2018) Review
- iPhone Xs Max (2018) Review
- iPhone 11 (2019) Review
- iPhone 11 Pro (2019) Review
- iPhone 11 Pro Max (2019) Review
- iPhone SE (2nd Generation; 2020) Review
- iPhone 12 (2020) Review
- iPhone 12 Mini (2020) Review
- iPhone 12 Pro (2020) Review
- iPhone 12 Pro Max (2020) Review
- iPhone 13 (2021) Review
- iPhone 13 Mini (2021) Review
- iPhone 13 Pro (2021) Review
- iPhone 13 Pro Max (2021) Review
- iPhone SE (3rd Generation; 2022) Review
- iPhone 14 (2022) Review
- iPhone 14 Plus (2022) Review
- iPhone 14 Pro (2022) Review
- iPhone 14 Pro Max (2022) Review
- iPhone 15 (2023) Review
- iPhone 15 Plus (2023) Review
- iPhone 15 Pro (2023) Review
- iPhone 15 Pro Max (2023) Review
- iPhone 16 & 16 Plus Review
- iPhone 16 Pro & Pro Max Review