Highlights
- The iPhone 16e comes with a 6.1-inch OLED display, Face ID, the A18 chip and a 48MP camera.
- It also supports Apple Intelligence, making it the most affordable iPhone with these features.
- Apple introduced their first wireless modem the C1 chip offering fast and reliable 5G connectivity and extraordinary battery life.
- The iPhone 16e also includes USB-C and an Action Button.
- Pre-orders begin on February 21 with delivery starting February 28.
- The U.S. price is $599 for the 128GB variant, while in India it starts at Rs 59,900.
Apple has officially launched what many expected to be called the iPhone SE 4. Instead, it’s named the iPhone 16e proving some of the initial reports right. This new model brings some major upgrades, which also explain the price bump. The small 4.7-inch LCD from the previous SE model is gone, replaced by a larger 6.1-inch OLED. The physical Touch ID button has also been ditched in favour of Face ID. It’s powered by the latest A18 chip and the camera has been bumped up to 48 megapixels. As expected, it’s the most affordable iPhone with Apple Intelligence support.
“iPhone 16e packs in the features our users love about the iPhone 16 lineup, including breakthrough battery life, fast performance powered by the latest-generation A18 chip, an innovative 2-in-1 camera system, and Apple Intelligence,” said Kaiann Drance, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide iPhone Product Marketing. “We’re so excited for iPhone 16e to complete the lineup as a powerful, more affordable option to bring the iPhone experience to even more people.”
Here’s everything you need to know about the new affordable iPhone.
Apple Introduces iPhone 16e in A 13-minute video
Apple announced the iPhone 16e with a press release and later shared a detailed 13-minute video featuring CEO Tim Cook and VP of iPhone Marketing Kaiann Drance. The video follows Apple’s usual product launch style, similar to recent announcements for the M4 Macs and the iPad Pro.
Highlighting Apple’s first wireless modem the C1 chip in the video, Apple explains, “Expanding the benefits of Apple silicon, C1 is the first modem designed by Apple and the most power-efficient modem ever on an iPhone, delivering fast and reliable 5G cellular connectivity. Apple silicon — including C1 — the all-new internal design, and the advanced power management of iOS 18 all contribute to extraordinary battery life.”
Notably, the iPhone 16e is the first to use Apple’s C1 modem, its in-house cellular modem.
Check out the video –
iPhone 16e – Key Specs
Caption – Newly launched iPhone 16e key features. (Image credit – Apple)
The iPhone 16e packs a 6.1-inch OLED display with a notch bringing Face ID support. Apple has also switched from the Lightning port to USB-C and the Action Button replaces the classic mute switch.
Under the hood, it’s powered by the A18 chip, making it 80% faster than the iPhone 11. It also features a 6-core CPU, a 4-core GPU and a 16-core Neural Engine. Apple claims the Neural Engine is optimised for large generative AI models, running machine learning tasks up to 6x faster than the iPhone 11’s A13 Bionic.
Is Apple Using Binned A18 Chip in iPhone 16e?
Trusted tech publishers 9to5Mac in one of their recent reports on iPhone 16e suggested that “Apple is using a binned chip in the less expensive model.” The report explains, “Before the iPhone 16e, there were already two different versions of the A18 chip. One of them, called A18 Pro, has a 6-core CPU and a 6-core GPU. As the name suggests, this chip is used in the iPhone 16 Pro models. For the non-Pro models, Apple uses the A18 chip which also has a 6-core CPU, but a 5-core GPU. Both have 8GB of RAM.”
“So what about the A18 chip inside the iPhone 16e? According to Apple, it has a 4-core GPU – two less than the A18 Pro and one less than the A18 in the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus. Potentially, the A18 chip in the iPhone 16e is a binned chip (just as the A18 chip in the iPhone 16 is probably a binned version of the A18 Pro),” the report further adds.
Will this impact iPhone 16e performance making it slower? Well, not according to experts. According to reports, the CPU is still the same as in the iPhone 16 series base variant. The only difference a binned chip makes is in the graphics processing. The GPU in the iPhone 16 Pro is almost 15% faster than the base A18 GPU. So, only those users can actually notice a difference who are indulging in playing 3D games or editing videos on their iPhones.
Since it supports Apple Intelligence, the iPhone 16e gets features like Genmoji, Writing Tools, AI-powered Clean Up in Photos and ChatGPT integration. The company mentions, “iPhone 16e is built for Apple Intelligence, unlocking exciting new capabilities that make iPhone even more helpful and powerful.”
Apple’s Visual Intelligence can be accessed via the Action Button or through a new toggle in the Control Center. “With a press, you can use visual intelligence, call your best friend, launch your favourite app, and more,” reads the description of the feature on Apple’s website.
ADD VIDEO –
Apple explains, “The Action button allows users to quickly access their favourite features. By default, it switches between Ring and Silent, or users can choose from a wide set of actions for even more convenience and versatility.”
Camera Upgrades
On the back, the iPhone 16e has a 48MP Fusion camera with a 2x Telephoto option. By default, it captures 24MP photos, but users can also shoot in full 48MP resolution. The 2x zoom retains high image quality without needing a second physical lens. Other features include HDR, Portrait Mode, and Night Mode.
The 12MP True Depth front camera supports autofocus for sharper selfies and video calls.
For video recording, the iPhone 16e shoots in 4K with Dolby Vision at up to 60fps. It also supports Spatial Audio and Audio Mix, allowing users to adjust sound levels.
Explaining the video feature, Apple says, “iPhone 16e takes stunning videos with the ability to record in 4K with Dolby Vision up to 60 fps, and users can stop and restart a recording for more flexibility when capturing the moment. iPhone 16e also records video in Spatial Audio for immersive listening with AirPods, Apple Vision Pro, or a surround sound system, and enables more ways to edit video sound with Audio Mix. Users can adjust their sound after capture to focus on the voice of the person on camera, make it sound like the video was recorded inside a professional studio, or position vocal tracks in the front and environmental noises in surround sound. With wind noise reduction, powerful ML algorithms automatically reduce unwanted noise for better audio quality.”
Battery and Connectivity
Apple claims the iPhone 16e has “the best battery life ever on a 6.1-inch iPhone”, lasting six hours longer than the iPhone 11 and 12 hours longer than any iPhone SE.
Caption – iPhone 16e comes with Visual Intelligence support through the Action button or the Control Center. (Image credit – Apple)
Other key features:
- Up to 26 hours of video playback
- Wireless charging support
- Satellite connectivity: Emergency SOS, Messages via Satellite, and Find My support
- Crash Detection support
iPhone 16e – No MagSafe Support
But it is not only upgrades, the iPhone 16e comes with its share of downgrades as well. One of the most prominent shortcomings of the newly launched affordable iPhone is that it doesn’t support Apple’s MagSafe technology.
The iPhone 16e’s no MagSafe support doesn’t sit well since Apple has now almost become synonymous with the feature. Introduced back in 2020 with the iPhone 12 series, the feature has been on every new iPhone model ever since.
However, it might not be a surprise for many since the previous 2022 model of iPhone SE also lacked MagSafe support to be fair.
iPhone 16e – Price and Availability
iPhone 16e will be available in two elegant black and white matte finishes with colourful cases available to accessorise. The Silicone Cases will be available for INR 3900 in five colours including winter blue, fuchsia, lake green, black and white.
Pre-orders for the iPhone 16e start on February 21 with deliveries beginning February 28.
U.S. pricing starts at $599 for the 128GB variant.
Meanwhile, India pricing is as follows –
- 128GB: Rs 59,900
- 256GB: Rs 69,900
- 512GB: Rs 89,900
For comparison, the iPhone 16 (128GB) costs Rs 79,900, meaning there’s a Rs 20,000 difference between the base models of the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16e.
Apple Discontinues iPhone SE
With the launch of the iPhone 16e, Apple has discontinued the iPhone SE, which previously started at $429. The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus have also been removed from Apple’s website. While the iPhone 14 will still be available through retail partners, the iPhone 14 Plus has been discontinued entirely.
FAQs
Q1. What are the key upgrades in the iPhone 16e compared to the previous SE model?
Answer. The iPhone 16e features a larger 6.1-inch OLED display, Face ID instead of the Touch ID button, the latest A18 chip and a 48MP camera.
Q2. What is the C1 chip in the iPhone 16e?
Answer. The C1 chip is Apple’s first wireless modem, offering fast and reliable 5G cellular connectivity. It is the most power-efficient modem ever on an iPhone and contributes to extraordinary battery life.
Q3. When will the iPhone 16e be available for pre-order and delivery?
Answer. Pre-orders for the iPhone 16e start on February 21, with deliveries beginning on February 28.
Q4. How much does the iPhone 16e cost in the United States and India?
Answer. In the U.S., the iPhone 16e starts at $599 for the 128GB variant. In India, the pricing starts at Rs 59,900 for the 128GB variant.
Q5. Which iPhone models has Apple discontinued with the launch of the iPhone 16e?
Answer. Apple has discontinued the iPhone SE and the iPhone 14 Plus with the launch of the iPhone 16e. The iPhone 14 is still available through retail partners.
Also Read: Apple’s M4 MacBook Air May Launch by March 2025 – Here’s What to Expect
Also Read: iPhone 16e Leak Reveals Increased Display Size, Apple A18 Chip, and More