The iPhone 16e is finally here, and with it comes some pretty major differences compared to the older iPhone SE 2022 (often referred to as the iPhone SE 3).
The iPhone SE 2022 originally launched with a price of $429 which, considering the cheapest mainline iPhone is around $699, was a pretty great deal. The iPhone 16e is considerably more expensive, with the base model costing $599 and the highest reaching $899.
However, for that cost, you're getting a bunch of upgrades. Firstly, the iPhone 16e comes with a much larger 6.1-inch OLED display and the same A18 chip found in the iPhone 16. That is a major improvement compared to the A15 Bionic found in the iPhone SE 2022. Not only that, the iPhone 16e comes with Apple's first C1 modem built in-house and full access to iOS 18.
In terms of battery life, we don't have a number yet, but Apple has stated that the iPhone 16e will last up to 12 hours longer than the iPhone SE 2022. Here's all the bigest iPhone 16e vs iPhone SE differences.
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | iPhone 16E | iPhone SE 3 |
Starting price | $599 | $429 |
Display | 6.1-inch OLED | 4.7-inch LCD (1344 x 750) |
CPU | A18 | A15 Bionic |
RAM | 8GB (rumored) | 4GB |
Storage | 128GB/256GB/512GB | 64GB, 128GB, 256GB |
Rear camera | 48MP (f/1.6), 2x optical zoom equivalent | 12MP (f/1.8) |
Front camera | 12MP (f/1.9) | 7MP (f/2.2) |
Size | 5.78 x 2.82 x 0.31 inches | 5.45 x 2.65 x 0.29 inches |
Weight | 5.88 ounces | 5 ounces |
Battery | 3,279mAh (rumored) | 2,018 mAh |
Colors | Black, White | Midnight, Starlight, Red |
iPhone 16e vs iPhone SE 3: Price
This is a very big iPhone 16e vs iPhone SE 3 difference. The iPhone 16e starts at $599, while the iPhone SE 3 has a starting price of $429. That's $170 more for the new iPhone.
To be fair, the iPhone 16e comes with double the storage at 128GB vs 64GB for the iPhone SE 3. You also get a much larger display, Face ID and the latest A18 chip with the iPhone 16E. But this is still a pretty premium price for what is supposed to be Apple's most affordable iPhone.
iPhone 16e vs iPhone SE 3: Design and display
The iPhone 16e packs a 6.1-inch OLED display, which is a major upgrade over the 4.7-inch LCD on the iPhone SE 3. It also offers 800 nits of max brightness and 1,200 nits of peak HDR brightness, compared to just 625 nits for the iPhone SE 3.
The resolution on the iPhone 16e is considerably higher too, as you get 2532 x 1170 pixels, compared to 1134 x 750 on the iPhone SE. So overall you get a bigger, brighter and sharper display on the iPhone 16e.
As you might expect, the iPhone 16e is larger at 5.78 x 2.82 x 0.31 inches, compared to 5.45 x 2.65 x 0.29 inches for the iPhone SE 3. But the iPhone 16e is not much heavier at 5.88 vs 5.09 ounces.
iPhone 16e vs iPhone SE 3: Cameras
One of the biggest complaints about the iPhone SE 2022 was that it only had one 12MP main camera. That's still the case with the iPhone 16e, but Apple claims that it has a 2-in-1 camera system.
The new iPhone 16e features a 48MP Fusion camera that can offer 2x zoom with optical-like quality, meaning that you kind of get two cameras in one. But you don't get an ultrawide lens.
The front camera is a major upgrade, with the iPhone 16e packing a 12MP selfie camera compared to just 7MP on the iPhone SE 3.
iPhone 16e vs iPhone SE 3: Apple Intelligence
Apple has pressed that the iPhone 16e is designed with Apple Intelligence in mind, making it one of the few phones with access to the robust suite of AI features. You're getting access to features like Genmoji, Writing Tools, ChatGPT integration, Photo Clean Up and Image Playground.
On top of that, you'll also get access to the improved Siri, which you can access with ease thanks to the Action Button that has been included with the device. Furthermore, the iPhone 16e gets access to Visual Intelligence despite the lack of a Camera Control button because it can be accessed instead with the Action Button.
iPhone 16e vs iPhone SE 3: Performance and 5G
The A18 chip in the iPhone 16e is a lot more advanced than the A15 Bionic in iPhone SE 3. So you should expect faster performance for everyday apps, as well as gaming and machine learning tasks.
The iPhone 16e also sports Apple's new C1 modem, which was designed form the ground up for better efficiency. Just keep in mind that it doesn't support mmWave technology. It's sub-6 GHz.
iPhone 16e vs iPhone SE: Battery and charging
The iPhone 16e has a larger battery than the iPhone SE 3, and it promises much longer battery life. You should expect up to 21 hours of streaming video playback, compared to just 10 hours for the iPhone SE 3.
In addition, the iPhone 16e supports USB-C charging with a 50% charge in 30 minutes with a 20W adapter. So no more Lightning cables to deal with. The iPhone 16e supports Qi wireless charging but not MagSafe charging, which is a bummer.
iPhone 16e vs iPhone SE: Outlook
In truth, comparing the iPhone SE 2022 with the iPhone 16e feels unfair, as the older phone is simply outclassed. However, the surprisingly high price hike does mean that we would be hard-pressed to class the new phone as one of the best cheap phones. For the time being, we'll need to wait to test the phone to see if it is everything that is promised.
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