I replaced my iPhone 16 Pro with the 16e for a week – here’s my buying advice now

Apple has finally launched a new entry-level phone, the iPhone 16e. The three-year gap from the previous model release gave the company time to implement a major refresh, including Apple Intelligence, an A18 chipset, a new cellular modem, a larger battery capacity, Face ID, and much more. 

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The best part — it is all packaged into a $599 handset, sold for hundreds of dollars less than the base iPhone 16 model. If you’re shopping for a modern-day iPhone for less money, your time may well be now.

To find out how the iPhone 16e compares to the rest of the lineup, I switched out my iPhone 16 Pro, which I have been using since its September release, for the iPhone 16e. My findings: I am equally impressed as I am surprised. Read on.

1. The software (featuring Apple Intelligence)

From the software standpoint, the iPhone 16e delivers everything it promises. The transition from the iPhone 16 Pro to the iPhone 16e was mostly seamless because both run on the same silicon, which allows them to support the latest iOS 18 features to their full capacity, including all of the Apple Intelligence features. 

This means that despite the lower price tag and not having as many GPU cores as other A18 variants in the iPhone 16 lineup, the iPhone 16e still enabled me to access all of the same Apple Intelligence features, including Writing Tools, Notification Summaries, Image Playground, Visual Intelligence, Clean Up, and my favorite, Genmoji. 

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Most importantly, when the full suite of Apple Intelligence features rolls out, iPhone 16e users will have access to it in its entirety. Users with an iPhone 15 model or lower cannot access it. 

Apple Intelligence is meant to be a “personal intelligence” system grounded in your personal information and context. It can retrieve data from across your apps and reference the content on your screen. iPhone 16e users will have access to this advanced assistance while saving a couple of hundred dollars on the initial device. However, don’t center your buying decision on this factor alone, as it may be a while until Siri 2.0 rolls out. A recent Bloomberg report suggests a release date as late as 2027.

2. A new camera that gets the job done for most people 

The front camera of the iPhone 16e is the same as the other iPhone 16 lineup: a 12MP front-facing camera, meaning that your selfies will be exactly the same. However, a quick glance at the back of the iPhone 16e reveals that the camera system is significantly more primitive than that of the iPhone 16 Pro. 

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The iPhone 16e features a 48MP wide camera on the back with an integrated 2x Telephoto, which, although an upgrade from the previous model, might be a deal-breaker for photo enthusiasts. As expected, I found that the iPhone 16 Pro’s dual‑camera system produces more polished photos than the 16e’s dual-functioning camera. My biggest struggle has been not having the 12MP Ultra Wide camera, which I constantly use on the iPhone 16 Pro to take .5x photos.

Because of the lower-grade camera, some of the more advanced features found on iPhone 16 Pro, such as shooting ProRaw or cinematic video, are unavailable. You also can’t shoot spatial videos, though you’re probably not considering that if you’re eye an iPhone 16e. Still, the smartphone can still take beautiful photos, so if the absence of an ultrawide or telephoto lens is not a dealbreaker for you, this is still a solid camera system. 

3. Missing Dynamic Island/Camera Control

The biggest difference in the form factor of the iPhone 16e, other than the slightly smaller 6.1-inch size, is the lack of a Dynamic Island and Camera Control button. Even though the lack of these two elements makes it look more like the iPhone 14 and, therefore, a bit dated, their absence didn’t impact my day. In fact, it made me think about when I use either of the features, and the answer is rarely. 

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On the iPhone 16 Pro, I do enjoy using the Camera Control button to open the camera and snap photos more conveniently without having to click the shutter button in the middle of the screen. However, because the iPhone 16e includes a Control Button, all I did was map the camera to it and was able to use it the same way I rely on Camera Control. 

A much less notable but more impactful difference was the absence of MagSafe. This is the best-case scenario for users who have never used Apple’s magnet-based accessories but torture for everyone else. It’s unfortunate that Apple offered MagSafe for almost every other iPhone in recent years, from the iPhone 12 to the iPhone 13 Mini. On the bright side, there are workarounds, such as attachable magnets or a MagSafe-compatible case. 

4. A display that’s adequate, but nothing more

I am chronically online, so my week with the iPhone 16e included watching YouTube videos and scrolling on TikTok for hours. My viewing experience on the iPhone 16e was not noticeably different from that on the iPhone 16 Pro, which is great for the price point. 

The Super Retina XDR display isn’t much smaller, coming in at 6.1-inch compared to the 6.3-inch of the iPhone 16 Pro. The visuals featured rich, vibrant colors and deep contrast. The iPhone 16e also has a peak brightness of 1,028 nits, which, although less than the iPhone 16 Pro, allows for a pleasant viewing experience, even when in direct sunlight. 

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The nit to pick here is the 60Hz refresh rate, which is the same as the iPhone 16 but half that of the iPhone 16 Pro. I would be lying if I said the more stuttery animations weren’t noticeable, especially after coming from the smoother 120Hz refresh rate of the iPhone 16 Pro. This shouldn’t be a deal breaker for most users, especially if you’re not accustomed to higher refresh rate displays. But it also shouldn’t be a talking point when Android phones costing as little as $200 have 120Hz refresh rate displays nowdays.

All things considered, the display is one of the biggest improvements from the iPhone SE 2022, which had a Retina HD 4.7-inch display with a peak brightness output of 625 nits.

Honorable Mentions

The iPhone 16e has some other compelling features not mentioned above, including: 

It’s lightweight: Having a phone in my back pocket as light as the iPhone 16e is so refreshing after carrying around much heavier models for years. The iPhone 16e weighs 5.88 ounces (167 grams), and the iPhone 16 Pro Max weighs 7.03 ounces (199 grams). Of course, the compromise of a lightweight, less expensive model is that it has a glass back instead of the Pro’s titanium.
Apple C1 modem: The iPhone 16e also features Apple’s first in-house 5G modem, the Apple C1. This modem is a step away from the traditional Qualcomm processor and is meant to grant users a fast and reliable 5G connection. In the long run, it should optimize battery life. In my experience, my service has been exactly the same, which is the intended goal. 
Battery life: The iPhone 16e offers up to 26 hours of video playback, which is the metric Apple uses to measure battery life. This means that older model users will see a massive improvement. For example, iPhone 11 users will get six more hours of battery life with the upgrade. The iPhone 16 offers up to 26 hours of video playback, only a bit more. 

ZDNET’s buying advice

Overall, it is a solid phone for people willing to forgo some of the bells and whistles of the rest of the iPhone 16 lineup. From my testing, the biggest sacrifice coming from the iPhone 16 Pro was the loss of the ultra-wide and telephoto lenses and advanced photography and videography features. For mostly everything else, the iPhone 16e can hold its own for a $599 handset.