iPhone 16e review
The iPhone 16e marks a turning point in how Apple presents its phone hierarchies. Where the SE series previously was the most affordable way to invest in an iPhone, the 16e has taken on that mantle. How does it stack up though against not just the SE, but the rest of the 16 series? We’re here with our expert review to take you through step-by-step.
If the iPhone 16e interests you, pick it up in Black or White colour schemes and with storage space up to 512GB.
Specifications
• Dimensions – 71.5 x 146.7 x 7.8
• Weight – 167g
• OS – iOS 18
• Display – 6.1” Super Retina XDR
• Resolution – 2532 x 1170
• Processor – A18
• RAM – 8GB
• Storage – 128GB/256GB/512GB
• Rear cameras – 48MP Fusion
• Front camera – 12MP
• Battery – 3,961mAh
• Water and dust resistance – IP68
• Connectivity – Wi-Fi 6; Bluetooth 5.3; 5G
Release date
The iPhone 16e was released on the 28th February 2025.
Reasons to buy
• A fantastic and affordable way to get into the iPhone 16 series
• Lightweight and incredibly pocket-friendly
• Largest battery of the 16 series
Things to consider
• Doesn’t come with the Camera Control button found on other 16-series phones
• No macro photography support
Design
Diving straight into the iPhone 16e’s design, it follows in the footsteps of its 16-series siblings with a strong focus on round corners and sleek edges. Fundamentally, there’s very little difference between the 16e and other handsets like the base iPhone 16 when it comes to core design, so it’s great to see that corners weren’t cut when creating this entry-level option. It comes with the same durable aluminium frame and is equipped with a USB-C port, which is great news if you have that type of cable lying around.
Where the 16e has a slight edge on other 16-series phones is on the back. Apple opted to remove the camera bump on the 16e and instead go for an all-natural look, which does a lot to emphasise the phone’s sleek design. You do lose that handy shelf to put your finger under when holding it, but the visual impact more than outweighs this.
On the front of the iPhone 16e, you’ll find a small camera notch near the top of the screen that houses the selfie camera. This notch is slightly bigger than the one found on the other 16-series phones, which is for one key reason: the 16e doesn’t come with the Dynamic Island feature. Designed to seamlessly present information that’s important to the user, the lack of the Dynamic Island might disappoint some, but for those that don’t need these regular updates, it won’t be a great loss. The absence of the Camera Control button feels more profound, but again, it’s unlikely to be missed if you don’t use your camera very often.
Display
On the display front, the iPhone 16e has the most in common with the base iPhone 16. It comes with a 6.1” Super Retina XDR screen and is capable of producing fantastic visuals when gaming, watching videos or simply browsing the internet.
The 16e’s excellent display experience is largely due to two key features: OLED and the resolution. The inclusion of OLED technology gives the screen its beautiful colours, which really stand out when cranking the graphical settings up in games. Then there’s the resolution that we mentioned - coming in at 2532 x 1170 – that echoes the base iPhone 16 very closely pixel-for-pixel. Combined with OLED and HDR for realistic contrasts, the 16e’s display is comparable to some of the best phones on the market.
Even though it has a relatively low peak brightness compared to other 16 handsets – measuring at 1,200 nits – it’s still incredibly easy to view the 16e in bright environments. If you’re an iPhone SE 3rd Gen owner or have used that phone previously, you’ll see the biggest difference; the iPhone 16e is lightyears ahead of that handset’s 625 nits peak brightness.
Performance
The reason we brought up the iPhone SE 3rd Gen is not just because the gulf in brightness is incredibly significant. The iPhone 16e is very much a spiritual successor to the SE as an entry-level option, and we see another large jump when looking at performance that makes it the king in the entry category.
Powering the 16e is the A18 processor, supported by six CPU cores and four GPU cores. These give the 16e a significant amount of processing power to work with, ensuring that it consistently runs well whether you’re gaming or browsing. If you’re buying for someone younger that enjoys playing games, the 16e comes highly recommended.
The A18 processor also plays its part when taking photos. Capturing shots and recording videos is a consistently smooth experience, lacking any major slowdown or lag. The A18 Pro chip on the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max has the 16e beat, yet those handsets are designed with enthusiasts in mind; the A18 is perfectly suited to the 16e as an entry-level handset.
Software & features
The running theme of the iPhone 16e is how it distils the core iPhone 16 experience into a single, budget-friendly option. This doesn’t mean the 16e contains every feature, rather it prioritises key pillars and omits those that the 16e’s audience might not need. One example is MagSafe charging, which the iPhone 16e doesn’t come equipped with.
The underlying operating system on the iPhone 16e is iOS 18, which we were impressed with in previous highlights. Alongside the updates it introduced such as a Home page revamp and easier sorting of your Photo gallery, iOS 18 just runs brilliantly with little in the way of slowdown.
It’s vital that we also talk about Apple Intelligence here, as the iPhone 16e is undoubtedly the best way to experiment with Apple’s AI tools without needing to buy one of the more expensive models. Apple Intelligence’s leading features are included such as smart writing tools, the Image Wand and Genmojis, putting it on par with the other 16-series devices.
Camera
There’s one rear camera on the iPhone 16e – a 48MP Fusion lens – that produced beautiful photos in a range of scenarios. Distant shots maintain most of their detail, as do close-ups even when zoomed in thanks to features like Smart HDR 5 and the image-enhancing Photonic Engine.
Whilst only having one camera is a far cry from what the base iPhone 16, 16 Pro and Pro Max models offer, it’s important to remember that the iPhone 16e is intended as a gateway into the 16 series. If you want to get the most out of smartphone photography, those other handsets have the tools available; if the camera isn’t as important in your choice of phone, the 16e is still extremely capable.
Video recording on the iPhone 16e is remarkably impressive for its price range, with support for 4K Dolby Vision footage up to 60fps. Other useful features are also included such as wind noise reduction, HD slow-mo video recording and spatial audio support, the latter of which gives sound mixes a three-dimensional quality.
Battery
In most cases, the iPhone 16e is either on par or just shy of its sibling handsets. In the battery department, however, the 16e actually surpasses them all for sheer battery capacity. With its 3,961mAh unit, the 16e can last most of the day (sometimes longer depending on usage) before needing a recharge.
Speaking of which, the iPhone 16e can be charged up to 50% in about 30 minutes. As we said earlier, there’s no MagSafe support here should you have one, but you can still use a Qi charging pad.
Summary
The smartphone market has many entry-level options to choose from, but for Apple, the iPhone 16e represents something of a shift. The SE series did a great job of serving as a gateway device into Apple’s world, yet the 16e surpasses it as the best way to enjoy the 16 series without breaking the bank.
Need a hand setting up your new iPhone? We’ve got you covered with our expert guide.