Apple iPhone 16e Review
Pros
- A welcome update to the entry-level iPhone
- All the Apple Intelligence features
- Nice design for the price
- Great battery life
Cons
- A large selection of missing features, like MagSafe
- Single rear camera is a bit limiting in 2025
- The iPhone 16 isn’t that much more expensive
Key Features
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Review Price: £599
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Apple Intelligence The most affordable new iPhone to run the AI software
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USB-C Now all new iPhones have USB-C, rather than Lightning
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Single rear camera The one 48MP camera can crop in to 2x
Introduction
The iPhone 16e is the spiritual successor to the iPhone SE 3 and the most affordable entry in Apple’s current phone range.
There’s nothing here that’ll get the attention of iPhone 16 owners. But the combination of new and old features mean this a tempting prospect for anyone who’s not fussed about having the very best and just wants a fresh new iPhone.
For £599/$599, the iPhone 16e represents good value – even if I wouldn’t go as far as saying it’s a ‘budget’ iPhone.
Compared to the £799/$799 iPhone 16, there are a few missing features, including MagSafe, the Dynamic Island, an ultrawide camera, various videography modes and Camera Control. Are these sacrifices worth it?
Design
- A combination of recent Apple iPhone designs
- Two colours: black and white
- One single size option
The iPhone 16e is an amalgamation of a bunch of recent iPhones. The overall look is similar to the iPhone 16, with the Action Button and USB-C port for charging. However, it has the same screen as the iPhone 14, with the notch instead of the Dynamic Island and the older Ceramic Shield coating.
It only comes in black or white – rather than the rainbow of the hues available on the 16 – and there’s no Camera Control for quickly jumping into the camera from anywhere. Apple says there is 85% recycled aluminium in the enclosure and 30% of the whole phone is recycled content.
It’s nice to see the Action Button here. This can be customised to perform various activities, from starting a voice recording to opening the camera. Apple has also allowed it to kick Visiual Intelligence into gear, something previously reserved for phones with the Camera Control button.
I do wish the Action Button could perform more than a single task – why can’t a double press enact something different to a single press? But it is more versatile than just being able to switch the phone from loud to silent.
Having spent the last six months switching between the iPhone 16 Plus and iPhone 16 Pro, I do sort of miss Camera Control. That might come as a shock to some, as I dismissed it slightly in my iPhone 16 Pro Max review, but being able to quickly jump into the camera from anywhere has become more handy than I expected. Yes, I could assign opening the camera to the Action Button, however this then makes getting to Visual Intelligence a slog.
The removal of Camera Control is one of the notable design differences between the 16 and 16e. Another is the older style notch, rather than the Dynamic Island. While I don’t mind the look of the notch – although it does age the iPhone 16e quite drastically – I prefer the benefits the Dynamic Island brings, like having quick access to now playing songs and timers.
The lack of the Dynamic Island and Camera Control makes the 16e feel notably less productive for me than the regular iPhone 16. Whether you feel the same will completely depend on what you want from a phone. If you’re coming from an iPhone SE – something I would assume Apple expects a lot of people to do – then the iPhone 16e is a lot more modern. It has thinner display bezels, modern controls and Face ID rather than a physical Touch ID button.
One thing that could potentially stop SE 2 or 3 owners from upgrading is the size of the 16e. Even though this is now Apple’s smallest phone, it is a lot bigger than the SE 3. The screen, for instance, is 6.1 inches rather than 4.7. It weighs 167g, as opposed to 144g, and has a height of 146.7mm. For comparison, the SE 3 is just 138.4mm tall.
With the discontinuation of the SE 3 and the Mini range, Apple no longer sells a phone with a screen smaller than 6.1 inches. Keep that in mind when upgrading.
For me, this size is great. I can use it in one hand, reaching all areas of the screen, and it’s very light. There’s no plus-sized 16e, so those looking for a screen with more room for gaming and media should go for an iPhone 16 Plus. Or maybe a used iPhone 15 Plus.
Screen
- Good OLED panel
- No Dynamic Island
- Nice and bright, still 60Hz
The screen on the iPhone 16e has more in common with the panel on the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 than the iPhone 16. In fact, there’s every chance it’s the exact same display.
It’s an OLED screen with nice, vivid colours and perfectly represented blacks. Compared to the iPhone SE 3, which had an LCD, the iPhone 16e is brighter, sharper and richer. It’s a welcome upgrade.
Compared to the rest of the market and Apple’s other iPhone 16 models, the iPhone 16e is the weakest. Considering the price, that shouldn’t come as a surprise.
For instance, the iPhone 16 gets brighter than the 16e outdoors and is much easier to use on sunnier days. The 16 also gets much dimmer – Apple claims it can go as low as 1 nit – and this is especially noticeable at night, when in a dark room.
Taken on its own merit, I still like the screen on the iPhone 16e. Apple’s OLEDs are much better than those on most of the best mid-range Android phones, even those with faster 120Hz refresh rates. Apple’s colour profiles are more natural and the auto-brightness is far more reliable.
Camera
- Single 48MP camera
- 2x zoom
It’s rare to see a phone, even one aiming to be among the best cheap phones, in 2025 with a single camera on the rear. But that’s what we have with the iPhone 16e.
Apple’s entry-level iPhone has a single 48MP rear camera, with an f1/.6 lens, flash and series stalwarts like the Photonic Engine, Deep Fusion and Smart HDR 5. Thanks to the high megapixel count, you can punch in to 2x, and then there’s digital zoom up to 10x.
There’s no ultrawide camera, and no macro mode to get really close to a subject. There’s also a 12MP selfie camera on the front.
While it’s not packed with features, in the simplest terms the iPhone 16e takes good photos. In daylight, there’s plenty of details captured – see the shots of the dog’s fur – and colours are vivid and rich on the default mode.
The reds in the Camden Town poster pop, and there’s a richness to the sky that’s quite inviting. I had fun shooting with the iPhone 16e, knowing that I only really had one focal length to play with.
Compared to the 12MP shots from the iPhone SE 3, the results are great and it can be hard to distinguish landscape shots from those taken from an iPhone 16 or 16 Pro. The 16 Pro is better at night, but the 16e still captures nice shots in low light.
That’s great to see. However, the 16e is a much more limited camera phone than the other two iPhone 16 alternatives.
It lacks the newer, smarter portrait mode, has optical image stabilisation rather than the sensor-shift stabilisation and the older Photographic Styles rather than the much nicer ‘latest-gen ones’. The single lens can also be restrictive and it takes away some of the versatility of the system.
It’s a similar story with the videography skills. The iPhone 16e has the hardware to capture nice 4K video at 60fps in Dolby Vision and slo-mo 1080p at 240fps but many of the extra software features have been ditched. There’s no Cinematic mode, no Action mode and no spatial or macro video recording due to the lack of a secondary lens.
The iPhone 16e can take great photos and capture good video, but the experience is certainly limited compared to the iPhone 16. The single lens can be limiting and the lack of a vast array of features is a bit of a shame. The iPhone 13 had Cinematic mode and sensor-shift stabilisation, while the iPhone 14 had Action mode.
Performance
- Mostly the same A18 chip as the iPhone 16
- One less GPU core hampers graphical performance slightly
- 128GB starting storage option
Inside the iPhone 16e there’s an A18 chipset, similar to the one nestled inside the iPhone 16. It’s the same in most respects, packing just as many cores for AI performance and CPU tasks – however it’s not exactly the same.
The 16e has a 4-core GPU, one less than the GPU inside the 16. This change is reflected in the benchmark scores, where the 16e isn’t quite as impressive. In real-world tests though, I didn’t notice much difference when running through a bunch of test titles. The 16e is still a strong performer and it stays cool under load.
Interestingly, Apple has debuted its C1 chip with the 16e. This is the first time it has used an in-house modem inside an iPhone. Most, if not all, modems inside iPhones have been built by Qualcomm, so Apple is clearly looking to move away from that into an internal solution. Whether that comes with the iPhone 17 or 18 remains to be seen.
I don’t think anyone would notice whether or not the C1 modem makes much difference. I’ve been comparing it directly with an iPhone 16 and there’s no conclusive result. Sometimes the 16e gets better reception, sometimes it’s the 16. In my London flat, where I typically get poor mobile reception from iPhones, I still get poor reception with the 16e. In the Trusted Reviews office – where I would expect an excellent signal – I still get excellent signal.
This is all to say that the C1 chip isn’t a disaster nor a revelation. You probably won’t even know it’s different to any other phone.
The iPhone 16e starts with 128GB storage, which is great – and there are 256GB and 512GB models available, too. It’s welcome to see all 64GB models gone from the iPhone lineup. There is no Wi-Fi 7 though, just the older 6 standard, and there’s no UWB chip for precise tracking. They’re odd omissions.
Software and Apple Intelligence
- VIsual Intelligence integrated into Action Button
- All the same Apple intelligence features as other models
- Years of updates
The A18 chipset inside the iPhone 16e enables Apple Intelligence. This is a collection of AI skills, from text aids to image creation, and it’s a big deal. Well, it’s a big deal for Apple – I am not yet convinced it’s a reason to buy a phone.
The good thing here is that the iPhone 16e is launching with the same Apple intelligence features as those available on the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro. This isn’t a trimmed-down or truncated experience, and you don’t have to wait for a software update.
Of course, limitations still apply. Apple Intelligence isn’t available everywhere yet and not all the features announced at WWDC 2024 are available. The smarter Siri, for instance, has been delayed.
In its current form, Apple Intelligence is more of a nice extra than a complete rethinking of iOS. It’s clearly a first-gen product, one that hopefully will improve over time.
There are a multiude of features sitting under the Apple Intelligence umbrella. There are features that can rewrite your text messages to sound more professional, condense emails down into easy-to-digest chunks and summarise notifications. All these work fine, most of the time, however their usefulness will depend on your personal needs.
There’s a Clean Up feature in the Photos app that can remove unwanted aspects of a snap, like an errant stranger in the background. This works well if the object is super obvious and large. But it’s nowhere near as capable as the same feature on the Samsung Galaxy S25.
You can create your own emoji with the Genmoji tool – this is actually great and a lot of fun – while Image Playground is an app that can create cartoon-style images based on your prompts. Want a playful cartoon of your partner wearing a scarf in a fantasy land? Great, you’re sorted.
My favorite piece of the Apple Intelligence pie is Visual Intelligence. This is accessed via the Action Button or a shortcut in the Control Center and turns your camera into a search engine, with the help of ChatGPT. Point your iPhone at a food, plant or item you want to buy and it’ll find it. It can do tougher tasks too, like find out which film an actor is in just by looking at an image. You can ask follow-up questions too, and throughout my testing, it’s mostly been accurate.
As I said, Apple Intelligence isn’t reason enough to upgrade – yet. However, it’s great to have it available in its full form on the entry-level iPhone 16.
Apple is great at ensuring phones are supported for extended periods of time, and with 8GB of RAM there’s hope the 16e will pick up updates for a good while.
Battery Life
- Better endurance than iPhone 16
- No charger included
- No Magsafe
The iPhone 16e is the best iPhone in one area. It’s the longest-lasting 6.1-inch iPhone you can buy, and that might be enough reason to stop reading this and just buy it.
You’ll get a few more hours on a single charge compared to an iPhone 16. In real terms, this equates to finishing the day with 25-30% rather than 15-20%. The endurance here is more comparable, though not quite as good, to the bigger iPhone 16 Plus, which is great.
The jump will be even bigger coming from an older iPhone SE 3, which didn’t have the best battery life to begin with.
There’s a USB-C port for charging. Getting rid of any existing iPhone with a Lightning port seems like an important task and now that’s been achieved. You get a nicely braided USB-C to USB-C in the box, but no plug.
The 16e supports 20w charging – not the 30w of the iPhone 16 – and you’ll get about 55% charge in 30 minutes. That’s standard for an iPhone. There’s wireless charging at 7.5w, but that’s best used for overnight juicing up, as I find it a little too slow for use during the day.
Perhaps the strangest omission on the iPhone 16e is the lack of MagSafe. This is the magnetic charging tech that enables faster 15w wireless charging and adds a magnet inside the phone for snapping it to accessories.
iPhones as far back as the iPhone 12 have all supported MagSafe, and if you’re upgrading from that phone, then you could have a load of supported accessories that aren’t of use here.
Should you buy it?
You just want a basic iPhone
The iPhone 16e is missing features like a secondary camera, MagSafe, Camera Control and more. If none of these sound like they’re important and just want an iPhone for the camera, iMessage and apps then this is great choice.
You want a big phone for gaming or media
The iPhone 16e only comes in one size – there’s no plus model. Go for the iPhone 16 Plus if you need a bigger screen.
Final Thoughts
The iPhone 16e isn’t an exciting iPhone. Does that matter? Not really. For those who want the best iPhone, the iPhone 16 Pro offers flagship features, and the iPhone 16 is a stellar mid-range option.
If you’re bemoaning the lack of an ultrawide camera, MagSafe or the Dynamic Island then the iPhone 16e wasn’t ever going to be for you. Spend the extra £200/$200 on the iPhone 16 – you won’t regret it.
But for someone coming from the banged-up SE 3 or an iPhone 12 or 13 that feels antiquated with a Lightning port and 12MP camera, then this is a great pick. Apple Intelligence has some handy features, the design is sturdy and the camera is seriously capable – if you can do without the versatility of extra lenses.
Trusted Score
How we test
We test every mobile phone we review thoroughly. We use industry-standard tests to compare features properly and we use the phone as our main device over the review period. We’ll always tell you what we find and we never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Find out more about how we test in our ethics policy.
- Tested for a week
- Took over 200 photos
- Tested and benchmarked using respected industry tests and real-world data
FAQs
Depending on the region, the iPhone’s SIM slot will differ. In the US, it’s eSIM only with no slot. In the UK, there is a SIM slot.
The iPhone 16e supports wireless charging up to speeds of 7.5w.
Does the iPhone 16e have MagSafe?
No, there is no MagSafe or Qi 2 support here.
Test Data
| Apple iPhone 16e Review | |
|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 single core | 3311 |
| Geekbench 6 multi core | 7973 |
| Max brightness | 700 nits |
| 1 hour video playback (Netflix, HDR) | 4 % |
| Battery drain 60-min (music streaming online) | 1 % |
| Battery drain 60-min (music streaming offline) | 1 % |
| 30 minute gaming (intensive) | 4 % |
| 30 minute gaming (light) | 3 % |
| 1 hour music streaming (online) | 1 % |
| 1 hour music streaming (offline) | 1 % |
| Time from 0-100% charge | 105 min |
| Time from 0-50% charge | 27 Min |
| 30-min recharge (no charger included) | 55 % |
| 15-min recharge (no charger included) | 29 % |
| 3D Mark – Wild Life | 2939 |
| GFXBench – Aztec Ruins | 60 fps |
| GFXBench – Car Chase | 60 fps |
Full Specs
| Apple iPhone 16e Review | |
|---|---|
| UK RRP | £599 |
| USA RRP | $599 |
| Manufacturer | Apple |
| Screen Size | 6.1 inches |
| Storage Capacity | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB |
| Rear Camera | 48MP |
| Front Camera | 12MP |
| Video Recording | No |
| IP rating | IP68 |
| Wireless charging | No |
| Fast Charging | No |
| Size (Dimensions) | 71.5 x 7.8 x 146.7 MM |
| Weight | 167 G |
| Operating System | iOS 18 |
| Release Date | 2025 |
| First Reviewed Date | 11/03/2025 |
| Resolution | 2537 x 1170 |
| HDR | No |
| Refresh Rate | 60 Hz |
| Ports | USB-C |
| Chipset | A18 |
| RAM | 8GB |
| Colours | Black or White |
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