Header: Courtesy of Apple
Apple has announced the iPhone 16e, a new addition to the iPhone 16 lineup that offers many of the same core features at a much lower price. The device is powered by the A18 chip and Apple’s first in-house cellular modem, the C1, contributing to efficient performance and extended battery life. Furthermore, designed with Apple Intelligence in mind, the iPhone 16e brings AI-powered features while maintaining a strong focus on privacy.
The 48MP Fusion camera includes a 2x Telephoto option, providing optical zoom without requiring an additional lens. For connectivity beyond cellular and Wi-Fi coverage, the iPhone 16e supports Apple’s satellite-based services, including Emergency SOS, Roadside Assistance, Messages, and Find My via satellite. The iPhone 16e will be available in black and white with optional colourful cases. Pre-orders begin on February 21, with availability starting February 28.
“iPhone 16e delivers the battery life, performance, and camera features that users love about the iPhone 16 lineup, now at a more affordable price.”
Kaiann Drance, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide iPhone Product Marketing
Design and display
The iPhone 16e is built with durability in mind, featuring an IP68 rating for resistance to water and dust, a front protected by a Ceramic Shield, and the back using strengthened glass. The 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display with OLED technology offers an edge-to-edge design suitable for video playback, gaming, and reading. Battery life is considerably improved compared to previous models, lasting up to six hours longer than the iPhone 11 and up to 12 hours longer than all generations of iPhone SE.
Performance and connectivity
The A18 chip powers the iPhone 16e, delivering improved speed and efficiency. Its 6-core CPU performs up to 80% faster than the A13 Bionic in the iPhone 11, handling everyday tasks as well as Apple Intelligence features. The 4-core GPU supports advanced graphics for mobile gaming, including hardware-accelerated ray tracing, and a 16-core Neural Engine enhances machine learning tasks, processing models up to six times faster than previous generations. The Apple-designed C1 modem provides power-efficient 5G connectivity, which, combined with iOS 18’s power management features, contributes to the iPhone 16e’s extended battery life.
Apple Intelligence and AI-powered features
The iPhone 16e is designed to integrate with Apple Intelligence, offering features that enhance photography, writing, and everyday tasks. The Clean Up tool removes unwanted elements from images, while natural language search in the Photos app allows users to find pictures by describing them. Additional features include Image Playground for creating visuals, Genmoji for custom emoji, and Writing Tools for text enhancement. Siri has also been improved with better context awareness and the ability to maintain conversation history.
Users can also access ChatGPT directly from Siri or Writing Tools without needing to switch apps, but the new model also holds privacy protections to ensure that user data is not stored by OpenAI—in the end, ChatGPT integration remains optional. Apple Intelligence processes many tasks on-device, and for more complex requests, Private Cloud Compute handles them securely without storing user data.
Action button and visual intelligence
The iPhone 16e features an Action button which can be customised to trigger functions such as opening the camera, activating the flashlight, or launching specific apps. The button also enables new visual intelligence capabilities, allowing users to identify objects, translate text, and extract contact details from images. Integration with third-party tools like Google Search and ChatGPT is available but remains under user control.
Camera system
The iPhone 16e includes a 48MP Fusion camera that captures high-resolution photos using computational photography. With an integrated 2x Telephoto lens, users can zoom in while maintaining optical quality, and with the front-facing TrueDepth camera, the model supports autofocus for clearer selfies and group photos. Furthermore, improved HDR technology ensures balanced exposure in various lighting conditions.
For video recording, the iPhone 16e supports 4K Dolby Vision at up to 60 fps, along with Spatial Audio for immersive playback. Audio Mix allows users to adjust sound elements in post-production, including isolating voices or enhancing ambient audio. Wind noise reduction automatically filters out unwanted background noise.
Safety and communication features
The iPhone 16e includes Apple’s satellite-based communication services for use when cellular and Wi-Fi networks are unavailable, which include Messages via satellite, Emergency SOS, and Roadside Assistance. The Find My app also allows users to share their location via satellite, and Crash Detection can automatically contact emergency services in the event of a severe car accident.
Environmental considerations
Apple has designed the iPhone 16e with sustainability in mind, since, as part of its Apple 2030 initiative, the company is working toward carbon neutrality across its supply chain and product lifecycle. The iPhone 16e uses over 30% recycled materials, including 100% recycled cobalt and 95% recycled lithium in the battery, as well as 85% recycled aluminium in the enclosure. The packaging is fully fibre-based, moving closer to Apple’s goal of eliminating plastic from its packaging by the end of the year.
