If you were anticipating the launch of the next generation iPhone SE, then we have good and bad news for you. The good news is that it is finally here, nearly three years after the launch of the third generation model. The bad news is that you need to get used to another name with the entry-level iPhone now being called the iPhone 16e.
The question is how is the iPhone 16e different to the standard iPhone 16 models, and what do you need to know about it? Let me tell you.
Apple iPhone 16e vs iPhone 16: What’s the difference?
I’m going to start here because I always get asked by friends which iPhone they should buy. Choosing between the various models in the now-extensive range is tricky (I’ve compared them all in a best iPhone piece in The Telegraph), and in my scan of the iPhone 16e press release, it is immediately clear that the question of how it differs to the more expensive iPhone 16 will be a hot topic.
Like the iPhone 16, the iPhone 16e runs on the Apple A18 Bionic chip, which means it supports Apple Intelligence and offers the same power and performance as the standard iPhone 16. There are some differences however, which include the modem, design and camera.
The iPhone 16e is the first device to switch from Qualcomm’s 5G modem to Apple’s own, which is being called the Apple C1. The entry-level iPhone comes in just white and black finishes, rather than the extra colours available for the iPhone 16, and it retains the notch at the top of the display rather than switching to Dynamic Island. It has IP68 water and dust resistance, just like the iPhone 16.
IMAGE CREDIT: APPLE
The biggest difference, then, is the camera. The iPhone 16e has a single camera lens on the rear rather than opting for the dual-rear camera that you’ll find on the iPhone 16. That single camera has a 48-megapixel main sensor and like the iPhone 16 it allows for 2x optical zoom so it’s the ultra-wide capabilities you miss out on rather than the zoom. You also miss out on macro photography, Cinematic Mode and Action Mode, all of which the iPhone 16 offers.
Elsewhere, the iPhone 16e doesn’t have the Camera Control button that launched on the iPhone 16 models, but it does have the Action Button that was introduced on the iPhone 15 Pro models. That Action Button replaces the silent toggle, and while it can continue to be used to switch between silent and loud, it can also be customised to launch whatever you choose, whether that’s a specific app, the camera or the torch, for example.
The Action Button on the iPhone 16e can also be programmed to launch the visual intelligence experience, something you get by pressing and holding the Camera Control button on the rest of the iPhone 16 series.
IMAGE CREDIT: APPLE
When it comes to the display, the iPhone 16e has a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display like the iPhone 16, and it’s a big improvement over the older iPhone SE, finally ditching the Touch ID home button. There’s a notch at the top rather than the iPhone 16’s Dynamic Island, but that notch incorporates Face ID, which is new for the entry-level iPhone. It doesn’t have quite the same brightness as the iPhone 16, with 800 nits typical and 1,200 nits HDR compared to 1,000 nits typical, 1,600 nits HDR and 2,000 nits peak on the iPhone 16, and the iPhone 16e’s brightness doesn’t drop as low as 1 nit either.
Both the iPhone 16e and the iPhone 16 run on iOS 18 so all the features introduced with that software update, such as the ability to customise your Lock Screen and the redesigned Control Centre, are available here, along with Apple Intelligence.
What else do you need to know about the iPhone 16e?
I’ve covered off most of what the iPhone 16e offers, but there are a couple of other things to note. Like the iPhone 16 series, it offers safety features like Emergency SOS, Roadside Assistance via Satellite and Crash Detection.
On the camera front, the iPhone 16e can record in 4K with Dolby Vision up to 60fps, and it can also record video in spatial audio for a more immersive listening experience when using AirPods, a surround system, or Apple Vision Pro. It can’t however, record spatial photos and videos so keep that in mind.
IMAGE CREDIT: APPLE
I won’t go into all the Apple Intelligence details here – I’ve covered that in a separate feature you can read if you want to know all the details – but it supports all the features you’ll find on the other iPhone 16 models. That includes photo editing with Clean Up – something that is particularly useful – as well as Writing Tools and Notification Summaries.
Last thing I will mention is battery. The iPhone 16e is charged via USB-C – no surprises there. But Apple is also saying the “iPhone 16e has the best battery life ever on a 6.1-inch iPhone”, claiming 26 hours of video playback compared to the iPhone 16’s 22 hours. It also claims it offers 12 hours more than all generations of the iPhone SE, which if true, is quite the feat.
Apple iPhone 16e price and availability
Now for the bit you’ve been waiting for, right? How much will this thing cost? The Apple iPhone 16e will be available to pre-order from 21 February, with availability starting a week later on 28 February. It will come in 128GB, 256GB and 512GB storage options and it will start at £599.
For reference, the iPhone 16 starts at £799, with the iPhone 16 Plus starting at £899. The iPhone 16 Pro models meanwhile, start at £999.
