iPhone 16e (left) costs £200 less than the iPhone 16 (right). (Image: Apple)
has announced the , its new cheaper iPhone that’s the spiritual successor to the now-defunct iPhone SE line. The device takes some of the best parts of the that came out in September 2024 but cuts back in other areas to deliver an iOS option that’s comfortably the cheapest iPhone you can currently buy new from Apple.
The iPhone 16e costs from £599 for the model with 128GB storage, a £200 saving on the equivalent iPhone 16, which starts at £799. If you’re thinking of investing in a new iPhone, you’ll want to know exactly what you miss out on by opting for the iPhone 16e or whether you’d prefer to pay a little more and get the extras the iPhone 16 offers.
We’ve scoured the spec sheets and information Apple has sent out about the new iPhone 16e and have rounded up all the important similarities it has with the iPhone 16 as well as the main differences for you to check out. While most buyers may find the 16e fits their needs perfectly, we reckon some of you will appreciate the additional hardware gains of the iPhone 16.
Notch with Face ID
One of the biggest visual and feature differences is the iPhone 16e has the older style notch at the top of its screen instead of the floating Dynamic Island found on the 16. This means the 16e, unlike any older iPhone SE, has Face ID for unlocking and biometric verification for apps and payments.
The Dynamic Island offers a software upgrade where certain apps such as Spotify, Uber and Clock all appear as widgets when playing music, waiting for a ride or running a timer respectively. It’s a fun and sometimes-useful addition, but not a dealbreaker.
Only one camera
The iPhone 16e, like the three iPhone SE models before it, has just one rear camera. It’s a 48MP Fusion lens, as Apple calls it, and appears to be the same main lens used on the iPhone 16, which is good to see. The cheaper phone lacks the iPhone 16’s 12MP ultrawide lens though, so you won’t be able to use the 0.5x option in the camera app.
The main lens will be able to zoom to 2x without losing quality, but after that it’s all digital zoom, though this is the same on the iPhone 16, which also lacks a dedicated telephoto lens (that can be found on the iPhone 16 Pro). Although, the 16e only has optical image stabilisation (OIS) on its main camera, whereas the 16 has a newer sensor-shift OIS.
The iPhone 16e only comes in white or black options. (Image: Apple)
Fewer photo features
Apple has also elected to leave out some (admittedly niche) camera features on the iPhone 16e. There’s no macro photography mode, but that’s because it requires an ultrawide to work best, but you also can’t take Spatial photos and videos like you can on the iPhone 16. Then again, these 3D results can only be viewed on Apple’s £3,499 Vision Pro headset, so it’s no big loss.
Apple says the 16e can use Photographic Styles, but not the 16’s ‘Latest-generation’ Photographic Styles. We’ll have to get our hands on the phone to check, but this likely means the 16e has Apple’s older photo filters such as Rich Contrast and Warm that you can opt to use to change how photos look, but can’t change to another style after the fact. The iPhone 16 has more style options and lets you edit them after you’ve taken them to another of the styles, with more granular control on the look of your snaps.
The 16e also misses out on Apple’s cinematic mode for recording videos with a shallow depth of field, and it also doesn’t have Action mode that stabilises video when you’ve been moving the phone around a lot. If you want all this, you’ll want the iPhone 16.
Same A18 processor
Rejoice! Just like every iPhone SE, the iPhone 16e uses the same processor as the latest flagship iPhone. In this case, that’s the A18 Bionic found in the iPhone 16, but not the A18 Pro in the iPhone 16 Pro. No matter, as the A18 is more than powerful enough for a phone that costs £599 and should be performant for years to come, as iPhones of the past have proven.
The only difference is the A18 in the iPhone 16e has a 4-core GPU rather than the 5-core on the iPhone 16, so its graphics performance for things like games will be a smidge less powerful.
Apple Intelligence
The use of the A18 means the iPhone 16e can run Apple Intelligence, Apple’s AI software features that also work on the iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max, 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max, 16 and 16 Plus. Not even the iPhone 15 can run Apple Intelligence, so the 16e is in esteemed company.
Whether or not you actually care about Apple Intelligence is another thing entirely, but you won’t miss out if you go for the iPhone 16e, which runs the latest version of iOS 18.
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Similar display
The iPhone 16e and the iPhone 16 both have 6.1-inch OLED displays. Apple says they are both Super Retina XDR displays, so aside from the notch on the 16e and Dynamic Island on the 16, the screen size and quality should be identical. It means the 16e and the 16 both are stuck at 60Hz, a refresh rate that is sub-par for 2025 and this price point. For a smoother scrolling 120Hz screen on an iPhone, you have to go for a Pro model.
One thing to note is Apple claims the iPhone 16e’s peak brightness is 1,200 nits, whereas the 16 is a little brighter at 1,600 nits.
The iPhone 16e charges via USB-C, meaning no iPhone Apple sells uses the older Lightning port now. (Image: Apple)
Same Action button
The iPhone 16e has the Action button, a button on the left edge above the volume buttons that replaces the classic mute switch on older iPhones. This button defaults to switching between Ring and Silent modes but can be programmed to do any manner of different things. The same button is on the iPhone 16.
No Camera Control button
What the 16e lacks is the Camera Control button found on the iPhone 16 (and 16 Pro). Apple introduced this on the 16 as a camera shutter button that opens the camera app and snaps shots, but it’s also touch sensitive for zooming and changing other settings. If that sounds like something you want, the 16e doesn’t have it.
More battery life
Notably, Apple claims the battery life on the iPhone 16e can handle up to 26 hours of video playback, which is four hours more than the 22 hours of the iPhone 16. This is how Apple quantifies its battery life, but does suggest the firm believes the iPhone 16e will last longer away from the plug than the 16. Of course, it depends how you use your phone, but it’s good to see on the cheaper model.
Wireless charging but no MagSafe
Here’s an odd one. The iPhone 16e lacks MagSafe, the magnetic charging standard Apple introduced on the iPhone 12 back in 2020 that lets you charge your phone with a MagSafe charger that clips into place easily and also works with magnetic accessories such as cases and wallets.
The iPhone 16 has MagSafe and supports wireless charging at up to 25W speeds with the right charger. The iPhone 16e on the other hand can only charge wirelessly at a sluggish 7.5W speed, and can’t use any MagSafe accessories. Apple left MagSafe out of the iPhone SE models too, but it’s strange not to see it in the 16e.
The iPhone 16e runs iOS 18 with all of Apple’s new customisation options. (Image: Apple)
No Ultra Wideband chip
The iPhone 16e does not have an Ultra Wideband chip, so it can;t be used to more accurately locate your lost Find My items when you’re close to them. On the iPhone 16, which has the chip, you can locate the AirPods you’ve dropped down the back of the sofa with a handy onscreen radar.
It also means you won’t be able to tap the iPhone 16e on another iPhone with a UW chip to share files via AirDrop. That’s not the end of the world as AirDrop in general will still work on the 16e, but the tapping to send files or share your contact details won’t work on the 16e.
No Wi-Fi 7
Finally, if you’re into your Wi-Fi standards, the iPhone 16e maxes out at Wi-Fi 6 connectivity. This is still plenty fast and will be for years to come, but Wi-Fi 7 is the latest standard and is found on the iPhone 16. If you have a Wi-Fi 7 router, the iPhone 16e will only connect at Wi-Fi 6 standards and speeds. To be honest, it’s not a dealbreaker, but it is another difference between the 16e and the more expensive iPhone 16.
The iPhone 16e does however, along with the 16, support emergency satellite communications, a different technology.
We’ll have a full review of the iPhone 16e coming soon so stay tuned to Express Tech to find out our final verdict on Apple’s new cheapest phone.