iPhone 16e vs. iPhone 16: Key features and differences for Apple's latest smartphones
- Apple announced the release of its iPhone 16e on Wednesday, following the release of the iPhone 16 in September 2024.
- The iPhone 16 is priced at $799, while the iPhone 16e is priced at $599.
- The iPhone 16 features two rear cameras, while the iPhone 16e features one rear camera.
After much waiting and online speculation, Apple announced its new budget-friendly smartphone on Wednesday: the iPhone 16e.
The fourth-generation edition of the cheaper smartphone line is larger in size, utilizes face ID, features a USB-C charging point and includes a 48-megapixel camera lens. The iPhone 16e also debuts Apple's first cellular modem.
The smartphone will be available for pre-order on Friday and in stores on Friday, Feb. 28.
The iPhone 16e comes after Apple released the iPhone 16 in September 2024. Here's a look comparing the key features of the two devices.
iPhone 16 and iPhone 16e price difference
- iPhone 16: $799
- iPhone 16e: $599
Design and display
Both the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16e feature 6.1-inch Super Retina OLED displays.
The iPhone 16 features Apple's dynamic island, a small black rectangle at the top of the screen that allows users to check in on alerts and activity progress, such as a voice memo recording in progress.
Instead of the dynamic island, the iPhone 16e features Apple's notch, a small black area at the top of the screen that houses the front camera, top speaker and face ID technology.
Older iPhone models featured bezels, a frame around the screen that the iPhone was formerly known for.
Colors
- iPhone 16: Black, white, pink, teal and ultramarine
- iPhone 16e: Matte black and matte white
Camera
- iPhone 16: Two rear camera lenses, 48-megapixel (wide) and 12-megapixel (ultrawide) with 2x telephoto zoom and 12-megapixel front-facing camera.
- iPhone 16e: One rear camera lens, 48-megapixel (wide) with 2x telephoto zoom and 12-megapixel front-facing camera.
Apple Intelligence
Both iPhones support Apple Intelligence. Popular Apple Intelligence features include:
- Cleanup tool: Remove elements from images in the Photos app.
- Natural language search: Search for photos and videos in the Photos app with a description.
- Image Playground: Create photos from descriptions, concepts or people from Photos app.
- Genmoji: Create custom emojis.
- Updated Siri: Type messages to Siri, which is also able to understand users when they stumble over words.
Battery life
Apple boasts that both iPhones feature improved battery lives.
- iPhone 16: Up to 22 hours of video playback, up to two more hours of video playback than the iPhone 15.
- iPhone 16e: Up to 26 hours of video playback, up to 11 more hours of video playback than iPhone SE (third generation).
What's on the inside?
Both iPhones feature Apple's A18 chip, which allows Apple Intelligence to iOS 18 to operate.
- iPhone 16: 5-core GPU
- iPhone 16e: 4-core GPU
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at Paste BN. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretalcross. Story idea? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.