iPhone 16e vs iPhone 16 — 7 things to know before you buy

(Image credit: Apple / Future)

It’s totally fair to think that Apple is nuts to charge $170 more for the iPhone 16e than the iPhone SE 2022. This is not a cheap phone.

But there’s something pretty big worth keeping in mind when shopping for the best iPhone for your needs.

Apple’s “new member of the family” isn’t a direct descendent of the iPhone SE 3. It’s more like a cheaper kid brother to the regular iPhone 16.

That’s why Apple is calling this "budget" $599 iPhone the iPhone 16e and not the iPhone SE 4.

And this is a very different phone than the iPhone SE 3. There’s no more Touch ID or Home button, and we’re talking about a full-screen 6.1-inch OLED display, compared to the tiny 4.7-inch LCD on the iPhone SE 3.

If you’re on the fence, we have a complete iPhone 16e vs iPhone 16 comparison that breaks down all the similarities and differences. But for me, it comes down to these seven things you need to know.

Same A18 performance (well, almost) and Apple Intelligence

The iPhone 16e is powered by Apple’s A18 chip, the same processor that drives the regular iPhone 16.

That means you get the same 6-core CPU and 16-core Neural Engine, but you get one less GPU core versus the iPhone 16 (5 vs 6). So you shouldn’t expect the same frame rates when playing demanding games.

The good news is that the iPhone 16e and iPhone 16 share all the same Apple Intelligence features. So you can take advantage of everything from Writing Tools and Photo Cleanup to the new Siri and ChatGPT integration.

Powerful 48MP camera, but there's no ultra wide or macro

Closeup of iPhone 16e main camera. — (Image credit: Apple)

The iPhone 16e and iPhone 16 both feature a 48MP main wide camera, but there are some notable differences.

On the plus side, the iPhone 16e gives you the equivalent of a 2x optical zoom, just like the regular iPhone 16. But while the iPhone 16e has a portrait mode, you can’t tweak the focus as you can with the iPhone 16.

The iPhone 16e also doesn’t have as many Photographic Styles options as the iPhone 16, for those who want more creative control over their images.

But I can live without most of these features. The biggest deal is that the iPhone 16e lacks an ultrawide camera for fitting in more of the scene. And there’s no macro mode, either, for great close-up shots.

Action Button, but no Camera Control (and I'm okay with that)

Action Button on iPhone 16e — (Image credit: Apple)

I’ll be honest. I don’t use the Action Button on my iPhone 15 Pro Max for anything but silencing the phone. But both the iPhone 16e and iPhone 16 have this button for letting you set all sorts of shortcuts.

You can use the Action Button to turn on the flashlight, fire up the camera, make a voice memo, recognize music and more. Plus, you can use the Action Button for Visual Intelligence, which lets you quickly identify what’s in your camera’s live view.

The Visual Intelligence feature on the iPhone 16 requires a separate Camera Control button that’s absent on the iPhone 16e. While Camera Control does other things like adjust various camera settings, you can get by with touchscreen controls just fine on the iPhone 16e.

No MagSafe, but there's a way around that

Spigen iPhone 16e case with MagSafe — (Image credit: Spigen)

One of the biggest omissions for me on the iPhone 16e is MagSafe charging. This is a feature that’s been available from Apple since the iPhone 12 way back in 2020.

MagSafe makes it easy for you to attach supported iPhones to compatible docks and chargers using magnets. And it also makes using your phone as an alarm clock easier with the Standby mode feature.

But for some reason Apple decided to ditch MagSafe for the iPhone 16e.

The wireless charging speed is slower, too. The iPhone 16e maxes out at 7.5W, compared to 25W on the iPhone 16.

Fortunately, there are iPhone 16e cases that promise to add MagSafe functionality — like the Spigen Liquid Crystal MagFit case ($24.99), which we haven't tested yet. So best case scenario is that you’ll get the magnets but still slower speeds.

I care a lot more about display brightness than no Dynamic Island

iPhone 16E gaming — (Image credit: Apple)

Almost as soon as the iPhone 16e was announced, people were complaining that Apple didn’t include a Dynamic Island at the top of the display.

And I get the frustration, as this is a handy tool for keeping tabs on live updates. For example, you can quickly dive back into your music or that timer you started, or see your DoorDash or Uber status.

But the bigger iPhone 16e vs iPhone 16 difference for me is the display brightness. The iPhone 16 is rated for 1,000 nits of typical brightness and 1,600 nits when viewing HDR content. And that goes up to 2,000 nits of peak brightness outdoors.

Meanwhile, the iPhone 16e’s display goes up to 800 nits of max brightness under typical conditions and 1,200 nits with HDR content. That’s a pretty big drop-off.

If you use your iPhone outside a lot, I’d go with the regular iPhone 16.

Apple C1 modem promises longer battery life, but I'm worried about speed

Apple C1 modem for iPhone 16e — (Image credit: Apple)

The iPhone 16e is the first iPhone to feature Apple’s own C1 modem, and the company promises that it’s the most efficient modem ever put in an iPhone.

We’ll have to see how that shakes out in our battery testing, but the iPhone 16e is rated for 21 hours for streamed video playback versus 18 hours for the iPhone 16.

The only problem is that the iPhone 16e’s C1 modem doesn’t support mmWave 5G networks. It’s only sub 6-GHz for this handset. So you’ll get the fastest possible speeds on the iPhone 16.

The iPhone 16e vs iPhone 16 pricing difference isn't that great

Images of the iPhone 16e. — (Image credit: Apple)

With a starting price of $599, the iPhone 16e is $200 less than the iPhone 16 unlocked and $230 less when you go through a carrier.

But since most people will go through a wireless provider, that total will be broken out over several months.

For example, through T-Mobile you’ll pay $25 a month for 24 months to get the iPhone 16e, compared to $35 for the iPhone 16. A $10 monthly difference isn’t nothing, but it’s not a huge sum when you consider everything you don’t get through the iPhone 16e.

For the best discounts check out our iPhone 16e pre-order deals guide and our iPhone 16 deals page.

iPhone 16 vs iPhone 16e bottom line: What should you buy?

A split image of an iPhone 16e render and the iPhone 16 — (Image credit: Apple / Future)

I’m personally torn about the iPhone 16e. Even when you add up all of the concessions you need to make to get the cheapest new iPhone at $599, I don’t think they’re earth-shattering to the average buyer.

I think most people can live without iPhone 16 perks like the Dynamic Island, mmWave 5G, Camera Control, extra GPU core and an ultrawide camera.

But I personally wouldn’t want to give up having MagSafe built in and especially the brighter display on the regular iPhone 16.

So for my money I’d invest in the iPhone 16 because to me it feels more future proof, but the iPhone 16e still seems like a pretty good value.

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Mark Spoonauer is the global editor in chief of Tom's Guide and has covered technology for over 20 years. In addition to overseeing the direction of Tom's Guide, Mark specializes in covering all things mobile, having reviewed dozens of smartphones and other gadgets. He has spoken at key industry events and appears regularly on TV to discuss the latest trends, including Cheddar, Fox Business and other outlets. Mark was previously editor in chief of Laptop Mag, and his work has appeared in Wired, Popular Science and Inc. Follow him on Twitter at @mspoonauer.