On Wednesday morning, Apple unveiled the iPhone 16e, marking it as the most budget-friendly option in its current lineup. This new model replaces the now outdated 2022 iPhone SE as the "affordable" choice, though it does not offer the deep discounts the SE line was known for. Priced at $599, the iPhone 16e narrows the price gap with the $799 iPhone 16, which was released last fall. Pre-orders for the iPhone 16e begin on Friday, Feb. 21, with the official release date set for the following week on Friday, Feb. 28.

The iPhone 16e introduces Apple's new C1 cellular modem, the company's first in-house modem for its phones. Apple has a successful track record with its custom chips, including the M-series in computers and the A-series in mobile devices. The modem's performance is crucial, and any missteps with the C1 could lead to connectivity issues. Hopefully, Apple has taken lessons from the past, particularly the "Antennagate" incident with the iPhone 4, to ensure the iPhone 16e's connectivity is robust.

iPhone 16e

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From the front, the iPhone 16e closely resembles the iPhone 14, with the same 6.1-inch OLED display featuring a 2532x1170 resolution and a peak brightness of 1,200 nits. Although it doesn't match the sharpness or brightness of the iPhone 16, the iPhone 16e includes the Action button and a USB-C port, though it lacks the Camera Control feature. On the back, it stands out with a single 48MP camera, similar to the iPhone SE's design. While it shares many traits with the iPhone 16's main camera, it misses out on advanced features like sensor-shift stabilization, the latest Photographic styles, and adjustable focus in portrait mode. The front-facing camera, however, is identical to the iPhone 16's and supports Face ID.

The iPhone 16e's build features an aluminum frame, a glass back, and Apple's Ceramic Shield on the front. Despite Apple's claim that Ceramic Shield is "tougher than any smartphone glass," it's worth noting that newer versions of Ceramic Shield are touted as "two times tougher." This raises questions about the durability of the older Ceramic Shield used in the iPhone 16e, especially considering the wear and tear observed on the iPhone 16 during reviews.

Internally, the iPhone 16e demonstrates Apple's strategy of product differentiation. While it shares the "A18" chip with the iPhone 16, it comes with a 4-core GPU instead of the 5-core GPU found in the iPhone 16, indicating a slight performance step down. Despite this, the Neural Engine remains intact, enabling the iPhone 16e to access Apple Intelligence features.

The iPhone 16e, priced at $599, represents a compromise to achieve a lower price point compared to other models in Apple's lineup. Although it doesn't offer as significant a discount as the earlier iPhone SE models, the design is relatively current, being just a couple of years old with minor yearly tweaks since 2018. The 2022 iPhone SE, in contrast, launched at $429 with the same chip as the $799 iPhone 13, offering a nearly 50% discount despite its dated design.

The true performance of the iPhone 16e remains to be seen. With compelling alternatives like the OnePlus 13R available around the $600 price point, Apple faces a challenge in attracting buyers outside its ecosystem.