The iPhone 16e is the proper cellphone to your dad and mom

That headline is not a slight at Apple.

With the iPhone 16e, Apple has pared down the iPhone 16’s key options in a sensible approach. It appears to be like like a mixture of the iPhone XR and the iPhone 14, solely with a much more fashionable chip, a greater show, and a stable digital camera. However it’s not an ideal cellphone bundle and nonetheless lacks key options provided by comparably priced Android gadgets just like the Pixel 8a (and shortly, the Pixel 9a), together with the next refresh fee show.

Nonetheless, the iPhone 16e is greater than adequate for iPhone customers that do not want the most recent and best from Apple. That is the cellphone for folks like my dad and mom that stroll into their native Apple Retailer or wi-fi provider and ask for “the most cost effective iPhone that is nonetheless good.” Nonetheless, regardless of doing a whole lot of issues proper, the iPhone 16e is roughly $100 too costly within the US at $599, and it is much more dear in different areas (in Canada, the iPhone 16e prices an astounding $999).

This makes the iPhone 16e really feel far much less of an entry gadget than its specs would counsel. Which is a disgrace, because it’s in any other case a stable addition to the iPhone household.

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Apple iPhone 16e

Apple’s new iPhone 16e is geared toward customers on a finances, sporting many standard iPhone options whereas being priced a lot decrease than its flagship counterpart, the iPhone 16.

Professionals & Cons

• Feels premium
• Digicam snaps nice photographs
• A18 chip gives snappy efficiency

• Roughly $100 too costly
• Sizable bezels
• No ultra-wide lens

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Worth, availability, and specs

Apple’s iPhone 16e begins at $599 from Apple’s web site and different retailers. First off, it is vital to notice that the gadget options practically the identical A18 chip because the iPhone 16 (simply with one much less GPU core). The cellphone’s Tremendous Retina XDR OLED show measures in at 6.1-inches, with a decision of 2532 x 1170 pixels at 460ppi. The iPhone 16e’s display helps HDR, True Tone, Broad shade (P3), and options 800 nits of brightness and 1200 nits at peak brightness (HDR).

Concerning its digital camera, the iPhone 16e’s f/1.6 48-megapixel digital camera gives 2x telephoto zoom by means of sensor cropping all the way down to 12-megapixels, alongside picture stabilization. On the digital aspect, the cellphone can hit 10x digital zoom. On the entrance, the iPhone 16e options an f/1.9 12-megapixel TrueDepth digital camera system that is Face ID appropriate in its show notch (there is no Dynamic Island, nonetheless). Video help maxes out at 4K Dolby Imaginative and prescient video recording at 60fps, although most individuals will in all probability go for 1080p 30fps.

The iPhone 16e is obtainable with 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB of storage. Colours embrace white and black (that are sort of boring and make me miss the colourful iPhone XR). Different notable specs embrace IP68 water and dirt resistance (a most depth of roughly 19ft for as much as half-hour). And at last, it is price mentioning that the iPhone 16e is the primary Apple cellphone to characteristic its personal C1 modem. I have not executed intensive testing, however I did not encounter any connection or velocity points tied to Apple’s first modem (we’ll possible see the C1 within the iPhone 17 sequence).

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What I favored in regards to the iPhone 16e

A solid-feeling gadget with spectacular digital camera efficiency

The iPhone 16e feels wonderful if you’re holding it in your hand. Its matte rear has a premium feel and look to it (although it’s a smudge magnet), and its aluminum sides really feel sturdy and clean. I am additionally keen on the lone rear digital camera bump. The iPhone 16 sequence digital camera array is sizable and, particularly in terms of the iPhone 16 Pro, it’s kind of of an eyesore. In distinction, the iPhone 16’s lone lens is inconspicuous and smooth, which I admire. I hope we see one thing comparable with the iPhone 17 sequence’ rear digital camera array regardless of it that includes a number of lenses.

Shifting to the show, it is nice that Apple opted for an OLED display with the iPhone 16e’s 6.1-inch display. When evaluating the iPhone 16e’s and iPhone 16’s screens side-by-side, each telephones characteristic great-looking shows, although the previous gadget features a notch, whereas the latter incorporates a extra modern-looking Dynamic Island. Content material is vibrant, whether or not I am doom-scrolling on Threads or watching YouTube movies, however I can not assist however miss the iPhone 16 Professional’s greater refresh fee show (extra on this later).

On the digital camera entrance, I have been very impressed with the iPhone 16e’s 48-megapixel shooter. It is a very comparable lens to the iPhone 16, solely with a barely smaller sensor, and its efficiency has been practically an identical in my expertise. Underneath respectable lighting situations, the iPhone 16e snaps nice photographs that rival the iPhone 16’s, providing wonderful distinction, shiny colours which might be nonetheless true-to-life, and the flexibility to snap clear photographs, even of transferring objects and other people. Low-light taking pictures is a bit worse than the iPhone 16, however the distinction is not notable, and the digital camera appears to deal with white steadiness poorly underneath difficult lighting situations. The 2x zoom sensor crop is spectacular, too, and rivals the iPhone 16’s in my expertise.

Due to the A18 chip, efficiency is stable throughout the board, and in my roughly one week with the iPhone 16e, I have not encountered a single occasion of lag. For people who care about benchmarks, the iPhone 16e hits 1,927 for single-core and 4,974 for multi-core on Geekbench 6.

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What I did not like in regards to the iPhone 16e

Huge bezels and a large notch may flip some folks off

My two most vital points with the iPhone 16e are its sizable bezels, which I seen the primary time I picked up the smartphone, and its show notch. Each iPhone XR/iPhone 14 period design options make the iPhone 16e look far older than it really is, just like how the iPhone SE’s bodily Dwelling Button made the 2022-released smartphone appear like 2017’s iPhone 8.

It is also disappointing that Apple opted for a 60Hz display, similar to it was with the iPhone 16. That is much more forgivable than it was with the iPhone 16, given the iPhone 16e goals to be Apple’s entry-level providing. Different downsides embrace the dearth of the Cellphone 16 sequence’ Photographic Kinds that occur earlier within the images pipeline. There additionally is not an ultra-wide or zoom lens both, which implies you possibly can’t shoot macro pictures (although I’ve discovered I have been capable of get very near topics when taking pictures photographs).

I additionally assume anybody upgrading from the iPhone SE line would possibly take concern with the iPhone 16e’s lack of a Dwelling Button since, anecdotally, I do know a number of older individuals who caught with the positively ancient-looking smartphone solely for the bodily button. On the similar time, I might say that these folks want to surrender the bodily Dwelling Button, as a result of at this level, swipe navigation has been round for a number of years (it is fairly intuitive, too). Talking of buttons, whereas the iPhone 16e options an Motion Button, there is no Digicam Management button. Whereas I used to be initially very into the Digicam Management button and its refined changes on my iPhone 16 Professional, I discover that I hardly ever use it now, so so far as I am involved, this is not an enormous loss and is sensible within the context of a lower-end gadget.

Will the iPhone 16e’s audience care about these lacking options and points, notably the much less succesful digital camera specs? Most likely not, however they’re nonetheless price noting, particularly for those who’re deciding between shopping for the iPhone 16e and the iPhone 16. The one exception to this rule is MagSafe. I actually do not perceive why Apple did not decide to incorporate magnets within the iPhone 16e, particularly given how standard MagSafe equipment are. You should purchase a third-party MagSafe case to add compatibility to the iPhone 16e, however the magnets possible will not be sturdy sufficient for equipment like my beloved MagSafe PopSocket.

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Do you have to purchase the iPhone 16e?

That is an entry-level gadget for a really particular iPhone person

Would I purchase the iPhone 16e? Undoubtedly not. I do not essentially want the most effective of the most effective on a regular basis, however I might miss the Dynamic Island and I am not keen on the sizable bezels. There are different components, too, like the dearth of a better refresh fee show, and I’ve grown very keen on taking part in round with Photographic Kinds.

I am clearly not the iPhone 16e’s viewers, although. This cellphone is for those that want a brand new iPhone and are at present on the iPhone 13, iPhone 14, or perhaps the iPhone SE, who do not wish to shell out the cash for the dear iPhone 16. The truth is, I might argue that the iPhone 16e will really cannibalize the iPhone 16’s gross sales. It gives all of the options that matter to the common individual, alongside a less expensive price ticket. The iPhone 16e will possible make extra sense from a worth and have perspective when the iPhone 17 inevitably launches later this 12 months with a rumored refined redesign and sought-after upgrades like a 120Hz ProMotion display.

This gadget was offered to Pocket-lint by Apple.

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iPhone 16e

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