Apple Announces Its Latest Budget Phone, the iPhone 16e

On Wednesday, Apple unveiled the iPhone 16e, its newest budget-friendly model. Replacing the 2022 iPhone SE, the iPhone 16e starts at $599, significantly narrowing the price gap with the $799 iPhone 16. Available for pre-order starting Friday, February 21st, and in stores February 28th, it marks a shift from the substantial discounts offered by previous SE models.

The iPhone 16e is also the debut device for Apple's C1 cellular modem. Following the success of its in-house M-series and A-series chips, Apple's foray into cellular modems is crucial. The performance of the C1 will be closely watched, as connectivity issues could significantly impact user experience. Hopefully, Apple has learned from past antenna-related controversies.

iPhone 16e

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From the front, the iPhone 16e closely resembles the iPhone 14, boasting an identical 6.1-inch OLED display with a 2532x1170 resolution and 1200-nit peak brightness. While this is a good display, it falls short of the iPhone 16's sharper and brighter screen. However, it does include the Action button and a USB-C port, although the Camera Control feature is absent.

The rear design is more distinct, featuring a single 48MP camera—similar to the previous iPhone SE. While sharing similarities with the iPhone 16's main camera, it lacks sensor-shift stabilization, the latest Photographic Styles, and adjustable portrait mode focus. The selfie camera, however, appears identical, retaining Face ID functionality.

The phone features an aluminum frame, glass back, and Apple's Ceramic Shield front glass. While Apple continues to promote its toughness, it's worth noting this is an older generation of Ceramic Shield, potentially less durable than the newer, "two times tougher" variant found in other models. This raises concerns, particularly given observed wear on the iPhone 16's display.

Internally, the iPhone 16e showcases a strategic approach to component selection. While it uses an "A18" chip like the iPhone 16, it's a less powerful version. It maintains the same number of CPU cores but features a 4-core GPU compared to the iPhone 16's 5-core GPU. This suggests a performance difference compared to the iPhone 16, and a greater difference when compared to the iPhone 16 Pro. However, the inclusion of the Neural Engine allows for Apple Intelligence features.

The iPhone 16e's lower price point inevitably involves compromises. While not overly compromised, the discount isn't as significant as previous iPhone SE models. The $599 price tag makes it Apple's cheapest phone, but contrasts sharply with the 2022 iPhone SE's $429 launch price, which featured the same chip as the $799 iPhone 13. While the iPhone 16e's design is more current, the substantial price difference is noteworthy.

The iPhone 16e's performance remains to be seen. With compelling Android alternatives around $600, such as the OnePlus 13R, Apple may face challenges attracting buyers outside its existing ecosystem.