The rumors were true – the iPhone SE is gone. The latest version of the clan is no longer being referred to by that name to avoid being labeled a junior (BMW 1 Series, anyone?). So a new clan member was introduced to the iPhone 16 clan – meet the iPhone 16e.
“e” for “economical.” Possibly, although again the EU is getting the short end of the pricing deal. We will discuss that later. For the time being, let us spell out all the marvelous innovations that Apple managed to include within its latest budget iPhone. And all of this is made possible by – you’ve got it! – support for Apple Intelligence.
It’s there, the iPhone 14 isn’t, so that is all the excuse you need to go with this copy of the iPhone 14 instead of the real deal iPhone 14. At the price of a rear camera you do miss out though, as the budget version needs to remain easily identifiable at a distance as the budget version.
The iPhone 16e is powered by the A18 processor, featuring a 48 MP “2-in-1 camera system,” Apple claims. It is a sole camera, of course, no avoiding that. However, it can do lossless 2x zoom by Apple’s reckoning.
There’s a 6.1-inch “Super Retina XDR” OLED screen with a topcoat of Ceramic Shield, “the toughest back glass on a smartphone”, and Apple is “offering the best battery life ever on a 6.1-inch iPhone”, a very specific boast indeed. It lasts “six hours longer” than the 2019 iPhone 11 (hello 2019) and “up to 12 hours longer than all models of iPhone SE”, I suppose that must mean something.
There’s Face ID, USB-C, and naturally iOS 18 built-in with the complete suite of Apple Intelligence capabilities that the other models of the iPhone 16 family also benefit from. The iPhone 16e also comes with the personalized Action Button, but without the Camera Control.
The phone is equipped with Apple’s highly anticipated first internal modem dubbed the C1. It also includes satellite capabilities with the presence of Emergency SOS, Roadside Assistance, Messages, and Find My with Satellite.
The iPhone 16e will either have a color of either white or black. It will go on pre-order on the 21st of February and will then go on sale on the 28th of February. It will have the following versions of the capacities with their corresponding price rates: 128GB at $599 / €699 / £599 / INR 59,900, 256GB at $699 / €829 / £699 / INR 69,900, and 512GB at $899 / €1,079 / £899 / INR 89,900.