Apple is a stickler for not telling people how big iPhone batteries are, and the iPhone 16e was no exception. Apple promised the “best-ever battery life” on a 6.1-inch phone, but didn’t say where these power gains would be coming from. Now that the phone is in the hands of reviewers we’re able to see just how much more power is held in reserve.
According to YouTuber Dave Lee, the iPhone 16e has a 3,961 mAh battery. That’s significantly bigger than the iPhone 14 battery, with pre-release rumors claiming both it and the 16e would have the same 3,279 mAh battery. This battery is also bigger than the ones found in iPhone 16 (3,561 mAh) and iPhone 16 Pro (3,582 mAh).
There are a lot of factors that affect battery life, but physically having a larger battery does make the job of offering long battery life significantly easier.
What is iPhone 16e's battery life?
You also have to consider the fact both the A18 chip and C1 modem have been built to offer better energy efficiency than previous models. The fact that the iPhone 16e is the only iPhone with a C1 modem right now does put it in a unique situation compared to other A18-powered phones like iPhone 16.
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Screen size | Battery size | Battery life (Hrs:Mins) |
iPhone 16e | 6.1 inches | 3,961 | 12:41 |
iPhone 16 | 6.1 inches | 3,561 mAh | 12:13 |
iPhone 16 Pro | 6.3 inches | 3,582 mAh | 14:07 |
iPhone 15 | 6.1 inches | 3,349 mAh | 11:05 |
iPhone SE (2022) | 4.7 inches | 2,018 mAh | 9:05 |
So how much of a difference does this make on battery life? According to our battery testing the iPhone 16e does last longer than the iPhone 16 on average. The iPhone 16 averaged out at 12 hours and 13 minutes, while the iPhone 16e lasted almost half an hour longer at 12 hours 41 minutes.
However it is worth pointing out that these aren’t the best battery life times recorded on both phones. The longest battery life we recorded on iPhone 16e was 12 hours and 49 minutes, while iPhone 16 beat that by half an hour — with a time of 13 hours and 19 minutes.
The iPhone 16e is set to be released later this week on February 28, for the not-so-low price of $599. You can read our thoughts on the phone, and its battery life, in our iPhone 16e review. The short version? The phone is good, but flawed on account of the various compromises Apple has made to the design.
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