Now that there’s a $400-cheaper model on the market, should you buy the iPhone 16e instead of the standard iPhone 16? It’s a fair question to ask, considering the price difference. Let’s compare the main iPhone 16e and iPhone 16 features to find out what’s what.
On the surface, Apple’s newly announced sub-$1,000 phone doesn’t look like a major compromise compared to last year’s range. It’s like Samsung’s approach with the Galaxy S24 FE or Google’s Pixel 8a, phones that take the essentials from their pricier counterparts while making some small compromises.
When you look a little closer, there are quite a few differences when you compare the iPhone 16e and iPhone 16. Some of the changes might seem superfluous, while others are more substantial, impacting daily use.
Read on for a forensic look at the two phones.
iPhone 16e and iPhone 16 comparison
iPhone 16e vs iPhone 16: what’s the same?
A big appeal of the iPhone 16e is that it includes most of the core features of the standard 16 range. For one, it comes with Apple’s highly touted Apple Intelligence AI features, which comes courtesy of a similar-spec A18 processor.
Although limited to one rear camera, it’s the same 48MP Fusion camera that functions as a two-in-one shooter. By that, Apple means the camera can take standard wide photos in addition to punching in with a 2x optical zoom. On the front, the iPhone 16e shares the same 12MP selfie camera.
From a daily use perspective, the two phones are fairly similar, running the same iOS 18 software and set of features. But, as you’d expect with a sizable price difference, not everything is the same. There aren’t many drastic changes between the iPhone 16e and iPhone 16, but several little things add up.
iPhone 16e vs iPhone 16: what’s different?
As similar as the two phones are, $400 worth of difference has to come from somewhere. In reality, the main sacrifices come in the form of convenience and cameras. Otherwise, there’s not a lot that separates the two in terms of daily use.
Camera
Arguably the biggest difference is that the iPhone 16e only has one rear camera compared to two on the standard 16. In addition to the 48MP Fusion camera and 12MP selfie lens, the iPhone 16 also has a 12MP Ultra Wide camera. This supports a 0.5x zoom option the 16e lacks, so the pricier phone makes it easier to fit more in the frame.
Apple’s Ultra Wide camera also doubles as a macro photography lens, letting you get up close to snap photos of flower petals, for example. Spatial photography is also exclusive to Apple’s multi-lens phones, although it’s a niche feature for use with Apple Vision Pro headsets. They’re a couple of situational features the iPhone 16e misses out on with its single-camera design.
For taking videos, the standard iPhone 16 also supports ‘Cinematic’ mode, while the 16e doesn’t. As the name suggests, it produces a shallow depth of field effect designed to imitate the look of videos filmed on Hollywood cameras.
Finally, Camera Control, the touch-sensitive button introduced with the iPhone 16 last year, isn’t on the 16e. There could be a few reasons why, like the 16e only having one rear camera, or perhaps the button hasn’t resonated with users. Either way, you can open the camera app or access Visual Intelligence via the programmable Action button instead.
Battery and charging
Apple spent much of its announcement highlighting the iPhone 16e’s extensive battery life. According to the company’s figures, it lasts up to 26 hours when playing video, while the iPhone 16 lasts up to 22 hours. That’s not quite as lofty as Apple’s 33-hour claim on the 16 Pro Max, but it’s still a notable increase.
Apple attributes some of this battery efficiency to its new C1 networking chip. To quote the official announcement, the C1 is the “most power-efficient modem” in an iPhone. For the average user, it doesn’t matter where the battery gains come from, all that matters is that the phone gets through the day.
It’s not all positive news for the iPhone 16e because of a glaring omission. It doesn’t support MagSafe, Apple’s wireless charging technology that magnetically aligns for faster and more reliable charging. It’s one prominent edge the standard iPhone 16 holds over the 16e; the latter can charge wirelessly, albeit at a slower 7.5W rate and without the convenient magnetic alignment.
Design, networking, and power
Not all differences between the iPhone 16e and iPhone 16 are glaringly obvious. Apple’s cheaper phone is three grams lighter, which you’d barely notice when holding it.
And despite using the same display technology, the vanilla iPhone 16 has a much brighter screen, reaching as high as 2,000 nits when outdoors. Meanwhile, the 16e caps out at 1,200 nits when viewing HDR content. The Dynamic Island portion at the top of the screen doesn’t come to the 16e either.
While the A18 chip makes its way to the 16e, it’s not the exact same processor from last year. If you look closely at the specs, you’ll notice the 16e’s chip has a four-core GPU compared to five cores on the original 16. It might have a slight impact on graphical performance but probably not anything substantial.
Apple may have celebrated its C1 modem chip with plenty of fanfare but the iPhone 16e doesn’t have the same Wi-Fi tech as its more expensive sibling. Wi-Fi 7 technology is a standard feature of the 16, while the 16e uses the older Wi-Fi 6 standard. Interestingly, it’s not even the bridging Wi-Fi 6E technology, although that’s likely because plenty of people still use Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6 routers.
iPhone 16e vs iPhone 16 specs
| Spec | iPhone 16e | iPhone 16 |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display 2,532 x 1,170 resolution 60Hz refresh rate 800 nits max brightness (typical) 1,200 nits peak brightness (HDR) |
6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display 2,556 x 1,179 resolution 60Hz refresh rate 1,000 nits max brightness (typical) 1,600 nits peak brightness (HDR) 2,000 nits peak brightness (outdoor) Dynamic Island |
| Size | 146.7 mm x 71.5 mm x 7.80 mm 167 grams |
147.6 mm x 71.6 mm x 7.80 mm 170 grams |
| Processor | A18 chip 6-core CPU 4-core GPU 16-core Neural Engine |
A18 chip 6-core CPU 5-core GPU 16-core Neural Engine |
| Storage | 128GB 256GB 512GB |
128GB 256GB 512GB |
| Camera | 48MP Fusion camera 1-2x optical zoom 12MP TrueDepth front camera |
48MP Fusion camera 12MP Ultra Wide 0.5-2x optical zoom Macro photography Spatial photos 12MP TrueDepth front camera Camera Control button |
| Battery and charging | Up to 26 hours of video playback 7.5W Qi wireless charging |
Up to 22 hours of video playback 25W MagSafe Wireless charging |
| Connectivity | USB-C (USB 2 format) 5G (sub-6GHz) Wi-Fi 6 Bluetooth 5.3 |
USB-C (USB 2 format) 5G (sub-6GHz) Wi-Fi 7 Bluetooth 5.3 Ultra Wideband Thread networking |
iPhone 16e vs iPhone 16: price
A cheaper price is naturally the main point of difference between Apple’s phones. In Australia, there’s a $400 gap between the iPhone 16e and iPhone 16. It’s not quite as cheap as the now-obsolete SE range, but it’s still a reasonable saving. The 16e also starts with 128GB of storage, more than the 64GB included with the 2022 iPhone SE.
Here’s how much you’re paying in Australia:
iPhone 16e
- 128GB: $999
- 256GB: $1,199
- 512GB: $1,599
iPhone 16
- 128GB: $1,399
- 256GB: $1,599
- 512GB: $1,949
So, more expensive than the SE, but still cheaper than the standard handsets. After comparing the two, do you think the iPhone 16e is a good-value alternative to the 16?
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