Apple iPhone 16e vs iPhone 16: what’s different?

There’s a new iPhone in town: the iPhone 16e. It’s a lower-cost model designed to give you everything you need, and nothing you don’t. Let’s take a look at the iPhone 16e vs iPhone 16 to see what’s different.

Luke Hopewell is a gadget veteran of over 10 years (and has attended multiple Apple launches to boot. If it goes beep in the night, Luke has tested it. Got a question for the author? Head to the comments, or email the author at [email protected].

Apple iPhone 16e: what is it?

Apple has a range of devices in its line-up designed to cater for a few different price points. The pricier the device, the more it does. The diminutive yet mighty 4.7-inch iPhone SE – last updated in 2022 – sits at the bottom of the line-up, and the current superhero – the iPhone 16 Pro Max – sits at the top. The iPhone SE now has some company at the lower end of the price scale with the introduction of the iPhone 16e in February 2025.

The iPhone 16e is designed to be the Swiss army knife of iPhones: all the tools you need, nothing you don’t. But just because it’s a little more stripped back than the pricier iPhone 16, 16 Plus and 16 Pro/Pro Max devices doesn’t mean you’ll miss out on a whole lot.

Let’s get into what’s different, and what’s the same when you stack both models up.

iPhone 16e vs iPhone 16: what’s the same?

Design: fraternal twins

Is that an iPhone 16 I see before me? Nope: iPhone 16e. Put the two devices face-up and side-by-side and you’d struggle to tell the difference.

Whereas the iPhone SE from 2022 still had thick bezels and a home button to boot, the iPhone 16e is all-grown up. It’s the same design language from top to bottom. There are a few grams of difference in the weight between the two. And there are a few measurements that aren’t identical, but your hands or your eyes won’t be able to tell.

Display: near identical

The similarities continue when you switch the device on. The iPhone 16e feature the same Super Retina XDR display with gorgeous OLED colour and black depth. 

The iPhone 16e won’t pump up the brightness as high as the iPhone 16 can, though. It’s capable of a maximum of 1200 nits of peak brightness compared to the 2000 nits of peak brightness you get on the iPhone 16. That just means it’s not as bright when you’re using it in direct sunlight, for example. 

But that doesn’t mean it’s worse. 1200 nits of peak brightness is pretty wild for a lower-end device. It’s literally double the peak brightness of the 2022 iPhone SE that’s still on the market, for example.

Durability: still built tough

Don’t fret: just because it’s a lower-end iPhone doesn’t mean it’s more fragile. 

Apple has equipped the 16e with the same Ceramic Shield glass you’ll find on the more-expensive iPhone 16. 

Apple says it’s “2x tougher” than any other smartphone glass. Which is good considering both the front and back of the device are draped in it.

It also features the same dust- and water-resistance spec that the iPhone 16 has: IP68. That basically means you can dunk it in up to six metres of water for up to 30 minutes. Of course, Apple are always at pains to remind us that this doesn’t mean it’s a “waterproof” or “underwater” iPhone. It’s more designed to be “life-proof”. Think accidentally spilling your cup of coffee rather than plumbing the depths with it.

Power and battery: enter the C1 modem

This is where we can get really excited. Even if you’re not a nerd. Spoiler: battery battery ahead (probably!).

Apple always boasts about its battery performance. But people are always quick to complain about how their iPhones don’t last as long as they need them to.

A bright LCD display will always deplete your battery the quickest. OLED – like the tech on the iPhone 16 and the new iPhone 16e – is far more efficient but it’s still a big user. But look closer: the biggest power suckers on your phone are under the hood. Specifically, the cellular modem – the one that powers everything from 5G to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth – draws huge power. You’ll notice that if your phone is being used as a Personal Hotspot, for example, it’s only a matter of time before you’re scrambling for a charger.

With the new iPhone 16e, Apple has quietly debuted a modem of its very own design for the first time. It’s called the C1. 

Apple has typically sourced its modem gear from Qualcomm – a huge chip manufacturer that powers most of the smartphone industry. You’ll find Qualcomm gear even still in the iPhone 16 models right up to the 16 Pro Max which were only just released in late-2024. But with the debut of 16e, Apple has launched its C1 modem, which is designed to sip power like nothing before it.

It’s significant, because when Apple designs its own chips, it does so with an insane attention to detail. Specifically, attention to the amount of power it can produce compared to the amount of battery it uses. When we saw Apple launch its M-series CPU chips to power the MacBook and iPad family, we saw a phenomenal jump in processing power and an even more incredible increase in battery life. You could finally do so much more with so much less. That’s why the C1 modem in the iPhone 16e is so exciting.

Apple says that the combination of its battery-efficient A18 processor, the C1 modem and the smart features of iOS 18 should produce “extraordinary” battery life.

Safety: Emergency SOS and Satellite-enabled

With the new modem still comes support for Apple’s emergency gear that is a literal life-saver. Emergency SOS and even direct-to-satellite tech are still in the iPhone 16e. That means if you get into a spot of bother, lost in the woods or even stranded at sea or in a flood, you’ve got a hope of getting a signal out to your rescuers.

Apple Intelligence

Somewhat surprisingly, there’s support in the iPhone 16e for Apple Intelligence. It’s Apple’s AI gear that allows you to clean up your photos, write your notes and emails better and more. 

That’s thanks to the inclusion of the A18 processor – the same one that’s in the iPhone 16. Typically, lower-end models get the processor from a few generations ago, but not this time. This time, Apple has thrown the whole enchilada at the new lower-end 16e model. That means you don’t miss out on anything that its higher-end siblings have when it comes to AI.

Storage

Finally, you’ll notice literally zero difference between the storage variants available. The iPhone 16 and the iPhone 16e both come in 128GB, 256GB and 512GB storage variants.

iPhone 16e vs iPhone 16: what’s different?

A cheaper price does mean you’re going to have to forgo a few things on the new iPhone 16e. Here’s what’s different between the iPhone 16 and 16e.

Design

Sure, they look exactly the same when you have them face up. But the two devices split a little when you flip them over. 

First and foremost, you’ll notice that it’s a monochromatic experience on the iPhone 16e. It’s only available in black and white. That’s compared to the technicolour experience of the iPhone 16, which comes in everything from Ultramarine to the best Pink I’ve ever seen on a phone.

Camera: one lens, no more, no less

Beyond just the colours, you’ll notice there’s a camera missing on the iPhone 16e.

Instead of the two-camera setup on the iPhone 16, you’re only sporting a single camera on the iPhone 16e. But it’s no slouch.

Apple dubs it a 2-in-1 camera. This means you still get a 48-megapixel sensor – the same that’s in the iPhone 16. You also get a 2x zoom. But instead of being a true telephoto lens, it’s managed through digital zoom and cleaned up thanks to Apple’s clever internal camera tech.

And because there’s only one lens and not two, you can’t record “Spatial” video. Spatial video is designed to work best on the face-mounted Apple Vision Pro.

Battery: better (probably?)

As mentioned above, the iPhone 16e features the new C1 modem. It’s entirely designed and built in-house by Apple, which now has an incredible track-record with their own chips. But what does that have to do with the battery?

Well, if we see the same sort of battery improvements in the iPhone 16e with the C1 modem that we saw in the iPads and MacBooks that got M-series chips? We’re in for a big bump to battery life.

I’ll be getting my hands on this one soon to put it to the test.

Price: it’s cheaper

Of course, there’s a difference in price. It’s one of the main selling points.

You’ll be able to pick up an iPhone 16e in Australia for $999 (128GB variant). That’s a $400 saving over an iPhone 16 for what is ostensibly the same device.

The 256GB variant will run you $1199, while the 512GB variant comes in at a cool $1549. All of the models are a flat $400 saving over the iPhone 16 range.

Release date

Apple announced the iPhone 16e on 20 February 2025. Eager fans won’t have to wait long for it though. 

Pre-orders kick off at midnight on 22 February 2025. They’ll be in-stores and online for sale from 28 February 2025.