The Gateway Cellphone to the Apple Ecosystem

iPhone 16e Assessment: Design

Look, it’s an iPhone 16

The third-generation iPhone SE was the final “finances” iPhone. That cellphone seemed prefer it existed for fan service; it had Contact ID, which harkened again to an iPhone era that Apple had since left when the SE 3 was introduced. It had a measly 64GB of space for storing and a digital camera that couldn’t even shoot at nighttime. The 4.7-inch display screen was cute, particularly in 2022 once we had been all clamoring for smaller telephones, however in 2025, it’s a display screen for ants. The Google Pixel A-series shortly surpassed the iPhone SE. Apple’s “finances” cellphone stayed dated.

The iPhone 16e has a renewed sense of self. It’s not a “finances” Apple cellphone, however the entrance into the ecosystem that the corporate wish to invite you to take a seat in, though it is rather brilliant and barely chilly. It has all of the necessities to take pleasure in tending within the walled backyard. The design is a pared-down, lighter model of the iPhone 16. There have been complaints that the iPhone 16e isn’t colourful sufficient as a result of it solely is available in black and white, however you’ll most likely find yourself protecting this factor in a case, anyway.

The iPhone 16e doesn’t have the Dynamic Island, nevertheless it does have Face ID, which works simply as shortly because the iPhone 16 and 16 Professional. Don’t neglect to scan your self with sun shades and a masks as a result of typing in a six-digit passcode continues to be annoying when attempting to do one thing quick. The 6.1-inch display screen is a Tremendous Retina XDR show, although it tops at 1,200 nits of brightness. The charging port is now USB-C, and there’s Qi wi-fi charging however no MagSafe, which is ok as a result of you possibly can simply spoof the magnet anyway (I’ve been doing it on Android for years).

The Motion Button additionally makes an look right here. I can see this being the primary promoting level of this particular iPhone mannequin. It’s useful for folks shopping for this cellphone to assist support somebody in the event that they’re alone. Think about organising a Shortcut for a routine that dims the lights or organising a FaceTime bookmark to simplify the duty of video calling the grandkids.

My favourite half in regards to the iPhone 16e is its lightness relative to the remainder of the iPhone lineup—I’m not even speaking in regards to the Plus or the Professional Max. I’m speaking about this cellphone weighing just below six ounces. The iPhone 16 is correct at six ounces on the chart, nevertheless it has protruding glass, which provides a smidge extra heft. Apple figures a few of us shall be shopping for this as a secondary cellphone. I preferred that I might carry it round in my purse with the Pixel 9 Professional, which weighs seven ounces, and I barely felt it in there. That was with Apple’s magenta silicone case on it.

Not like the iPhone 16 household, just one digital camera sensor is on the iPhone 16e. Nevertheless, it’s a 48-MP Fusion digital camera, a two-in-one digital camera system that may shoot in 24-MP and 48-MP resolutions like the remainder of the iPhone 16 household. The iPhone 16e’s major digital camera gives some wiggle room with options like Portrait Mode with depth management. However there is no such thing as a focus management. There’s no ultrawide digital camera to zoom out into or macro images, both. If you wish to get near one thing, you’ll need to stroll as much as it.

The iPhone 16e helps Dolby Imaginative and prescient video as much as 4K at 60 frames-per-second, which is ample sufficient for anybody simply recording for the sake of logging it. Photographic Types are on the iPhone 16e, which feeds the interior emo in me. I even took a nighttime panorama picture by protecting the shutter open for a couple of seconds. All the essential digital camera requirements are on the iPhone 16e, and I used to be fairly happy regardless of the “mounted” lens expertise.

The perks of being an iPhone person

The iPhone 16e exists to assist deliver new customers into the fold with its ecosystem perks, notably those that Apple has been in a position to market as important utilities. Issues like Emergency SOS, Roadside Assistance, and messaging over satellite tv for pc will do wonders at extolling the concept the iPhone is a useful support to life. Options like Discover My and Crash Detection may even make it simpler for folks to default to the iPhone 16e as their youngsters’ digital leash.

Apple Intelligence is one other massive get, and the iPhone 16e is on this timeline to deliver even outliers on top of things with what it’s doing with AI. I’m nonetheless scratching my head at whether or not folks becoming a member of the platform gravitate towards utilizing the built-in options, however I can see typing to Siri getting probably the most play on this manner issue. I’m not so certain in regards to the generative skills of Image Playground. It’s quick on the iPhone 16e, identical to on the opposite iPhone 16s, however I’m nonetheless not getting the specified outcomes I need, which discourages me from utilizing it. On the very least, you’ll have issues like Apple Intelligence within the Mail app that will help you sift by threads and generative writing assist for these days you hate folks an excessive amount of to assemble a sentence. Once more, Apple’s level is that the gadget offers you entry to the necessities, even the AI stuff.

iPhone 16e Assessment: Efficiency

Apple’s homegrown chips

Considered one of Apple’s newest priorities is getting a deal with on its provide chain so it has whole management over what it produces with out counting on third-party distributors. It’s getting there with the appearance of the C1 modem. The one downside of the modem is that it solely works with sub-6GHz 5G networks, so that you’ll have a tough time connecting inside stadiums and different overwhelmed, crowded locations. However that’s additionally why Apple could make such regular battery claims since most individuals don’t want entry to that stuff continuously. Apple says that is the “longest battery life even in a 6.1-inch iPhone.” I’m nonetheless engaged on our official battery check to come back in an replace this week, however I can already inform you I’ve hardly charged the iPhone 16e since getting it arrange 5 days in the past.

The opposite homegrown a part of the iPhone 16e is its processor. The A18 featured right here isn’t a copy-paste chip; the GPU is a four-core chip quite than a five-core like within the common iPhone 16. Nonetheless, that’s not going to gradual you down. The Geekbench numbers for GPU efficiency had been solely 2,000 factors aside between the 2 sibling units. Apple Arcade video games like Whats up Kitty Journey Island and Sonic Dream Workforce ran easily with out hiccups on the iPhone 16e. Pokémon Go was tremendous. Realistically, that’s the caliber of cellular video games folks will play at this value level, and it’s good to know the first-tier iPhone can deal with a subscription to Apple Arcade, although it might deal with stuff like Resident Evil 4 and Roblox, too. (The child caught with this iPhone shall be very pleased about that final half.)

iPhone 16e Assessment: Verdict

Must you purchase the iPhone 16e?

I wasn’t anticipating to adore this cellphone or choose it over the iPhone 16 Professional I usually use to check software program. The sunshine construct alone makes the iPhone 16e a pleasure to deal with. There’s additionally nearly no distinction in software program expertise between the iPhone 16e and the iPhone 16, so carrying round the entire equipment and caboodle doesn’t really feel mandatory. It’s good and releasing. Apple plans to push out Apple Intelligence options to the iPhone 16e concurrently with the remainder of the iPhone 16 household.

The iPhone 16e is probably not able to capturing objects from far-off or are available in a spectrum of neat colours. Nor does it sync up with the huge providing of MagSafe equipment and units. In any other case, it’s every little thing you have to lock into the ecosystem and begin shopping for different Apple equipment and subscribing to companies. The iPhone 16e is the gateway drug.

I do know there shall be a debate over the truth that there are cheaper Android units that provide the identical high quality of options because the iPhone 16e. I say the iPhone 16e isn’t for you. It’s for the already-dedicated Apple customers who don’t need to fuss about what cellphone to purchase to tether relations. With trade-ins and gross sales, the iPhone 16e might assist herald individuals who have wished the gadget however had been usually restricted by the excessive beginning value. It’s additionally going to be a great deal for anybody upgrading from a a lot older iPhone 11 or earlier, and it’s $200 cheaper than going outright for the iPhone 16 with 128GB of storage.