iPhone 16e available for purchase today: Price, key features, what to know
- Apple's new iPhone 16e is available for online and in-person purchasing on Friday.
- The iPhone 16e starts at $599.
Apple's new, budget-friendly smartphone is now available for online and in-store purchases.
Apple's new iPhone 16e is the fourth edition of the company's less expensive smartphone series. The iPhone 16e features a larger screen, utilizes Face ID, features a USB-C charging port and includes a 48-megapixel rear camera. The smartphone also features Apple's first cellular modem, Apple C1.
Here's what to know about the new iPhone 16e.
iPhone 16e release date
Pre-orders for the iPhone 16e opened last week. Online and in-store purchases can be made starting Friday.
iPhone 16e pricing
Here is the price breakdown for the iPhone 16e, based on storage space:
- $599 for 128 gigabytes
- $699 for 256 gigabytes
- $899 for 512 gigabytes
iPhone 16e colors
The iPhone 16e comes in matte black and matte white. Apple iPhone 16e silicone cases come in winter blue, fuchsia, lake green, black and white.
iPhone 16e versus iPhone 16
The iPhone 16e is the budget-friendly option of the iPhone 16, which was released in September 2024. Some key differences include the price, cameras and battery life. Both smartphones feature 6.1-inch Super Retina OLED displays, Face ID and USB-C charging ports. See a more detailed comparison of iPhone 16e and iPhone 16 here.
iPhone 16e features
Larger, OLED display
The iPhone 16 features a 6.1-inch Super Retina OLED display and notch, a small black area at the top of the screen that houses the front camera, top speaker and Face ID technology.
Hello Face ID. Goodbye Touch ID.
The iPhone 16e is the first of the budget-friendly smartphone series to feature Apple's face ID, allowing users to unlock their phones with facial recognition. Previously, Apple utilized touch ID, which allowed users to unlock their phones with a fingerprint.
Improved rear- and front-facing cameras
The iPhone 16e features one 48-megapixel rear camera and a 12-megapixel front-facing camera. The rear-facing camera includes a 2x telephoto lens. Both the rear- and front-facing cameras feature night and portrait modes.
The iPhone 16e is capable of capturing videos in 4K up to 60 frames per second and uses spatial audio.
iPhone 16e's updated emergency capabilities
New safety features include:
- Emergency SOS via satellite: Place an emergency service call without phone service.
- Crash Detection: Apple automatically places an emergency service call when the device detects that the owner had been involved in a serious collision.
- Roadside Assistance via satellite: Contact a roadside service provider via satellite, even when off the grid.
- Messages via satellite: Send text messages when not near phone service.
- Find My via satellite: Utilize the Find My apps without phone service.
iPhone 16e includes Apple Intelligence
The iPhone 16e runs with Apple's A18 chip, which allows for Apple Intelligence. Here are some popular Apple Intelligence features that will be available on the new smartphone:
- 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.
- Chat GPT: Artificial intelligence software is integrated into the phone's Writing Tools and Siri for free.
iPhone 16e has exterior action button
The iPhone 16e features an exterior action button, which allows users to access several tools with a click. The button is customizable in the settings app, allowing users to use features like the camera or flashlight. The action button also allows users to switch between ring and silent notification modes and activate Voice Memos, Focus, Translate, Magnifier and Shazam.
iPhone 16e's universal charging port
The iPhone 16e features a USB-C charging port, in comparison to Apple's older Lightning port. This is legally required by European Union legislation.
iPhone 16e battery life
The iPhone 16e supports up to 26 hours of video playback and up to 90 hours of audio playback − 11 more hours of video playback supported by the iPhone SE, the third generation of the budget-friendly smartphone.
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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.