00:00Hey guys, we gotta talk about the iPhone 16e. This is a 599 addition to the iPhone 16 family
00:08that's meant to make some of the most attractive things about owning an iPhone just a little bit
00:13more accessible, even if it is $107 more than the previous generation iPhone SE. That's only one of
00:18the reasons this phone right here has created a lot of controversy online since it was announced.
00:23But I've actually spent time with the iPhone 16e, testing it out, so in this video I'll take you
00:29through my reasons whether it's a buy or skip based on the upgrades. Right off the bat, if you're
00:35comparing this to the iPhone SE from 2022, the design is night and day, but Apple calling it the iPhone 16e
00:41is meant to reflect that it looks more like an iPhone you'd want to buy in the year 2025. The
00:46biggest difference clearly is no more home button with Touch ID. This is a 6.1 inch full-screen OLED
00:52display. No dynamic island is kind of a bummer, but at least there is now Face ID. The iPhone 16e
00:58also gets the action button, which I like for the fact that I can map it to just about anything.
01:05Another way Apple has made this a compelling phone is that it's packed by the same A18
01:09silicon, the same chip you get in the iPhone 16. The Geekbench score shows that it's basically the
01:14same, both with the single and multi-core tests. However, the GPU underperforms by little. I noticed
01:20scrolling isn't as fluid. It's not terrible, but that's just one of the small differences I notice.
01:25But it's worth pointing out that the 16e has one less GPU core than the iPhone 16. But more importantly,
01:31this phone gets Apple intelligence, and it's now officially the most affordable entry point to Apple
01:36intelligence on iPhone. Some of my favorite Apple intelligence features include writing tools,
01:40photo cleanup, and Siri with ChatGPT integration. We actually have a full video dedicated to the new
01:46Siri experience on this channel, so be sure to check that out if you haven't already.
01:51We can't talk about performance without talking about battery life. I just want to remind you that
01:57the 16e has the same size display and A18 chip as a standard iPhone 16, but it seems to benefit from
02:03the new Apple C1 modem, and as a result, gets a little bit better battery life. Actually, it averaged
02:0912 hours and 41 minutes versus the iPhone 16's mark of 12 hours and 13 minutes. And it's also better
02:15than the Pixel 8a and iPhone SE 2022 by a wide margin.
02:19So I gotta say, I'm pretty impressed. So far, the iPhone 16e sounds pretty good, right? Now, for those who have been to this channel before, welcome back.
02:27You already know that the cons are coming up next. If this happens to be your first time here, I'm John V.
02:32I review phones for a living and often here on this channel, so if you're liking this video so far, consider hitting that subscribe button.
02:39Back to the iPhone 16e, and here's where I'm going to express a lot of disappointment. You guys know I love doing photo faceoffs, and you guys always say I'm biased towards iPhone, but that's not the case with the iPhone 16e.
02:51Although we do get an upgraded 48 megapixel camera, when I compare it to a phone like the Google Pixel 8a, I think for $600, a single camera is hard to convince people it's as versatile as other phones.
03:03However, the performance is really good. I was surprised. I'm going to throw an example up on the screen I shot of with the iPhone 16e at the beach.
03:13So in these first shots, I do notice that the iPhone 16e does a better job of boosting the shadows. You can see that on the wooden railing here.
03:21And as far as details concerned, I'd give it to the iPhone for being a little bit sharper.
03:25And here's another with their main cameras. I like the iPhone 16e more because, again, it boosts the shadows, so it's a lot brighter image overall.
03:33At the same time, too, there's more detail, especially around the rocks near the gazebo.
03:38For a phone that technically doesn't offer a dedicated macro mode like the iPhone 16, the 16e takes outstanding images.
03:45You got to go a little bit further. I don't get quite as close compared to the 16, but check out the details of this image here.
03:51When you zoom in, you could see more definition with the iPhone 16e.
03:56And now let's take a look at night mode. It's much improved over the iPhone SE 2022, in my opinion.
04:02And it's also better than the Pixel 8a and iPhone 16. That's a big deal.
04:07So against the iPhone 16, I got to say, the 16e does a great job of brightening the scene.
04:11I want that the exposure is the same. It's a little bit different to color temperature. You get slightly warmer tones with the 16e.
04:17But the big difference here is when I zoom in, check out the details of the tree and the branches.
04:22There's more definition with the 16e.
04:24And against the Pixel 8a, when it comes to night mode, I got to say, it's a big jump over the iPhone SE 2022
04:31because I shot the same photos and the iPhone SE 2022 was dark, but look at this.
04:36The iPhone 16e is just as bright as the Pixel 8a, if not brighter, but it has a lot more detail, too.
04:42Of course, that's just my opinion, but you be the judge.
04:45Check the link in the description to read my full written review that's packed with a ton of side-by-side comparisons.
04:51Besides the camera limitations, what are some of the ways that Apple has decided this phone is $200 less than the iPhone 16?
04:58No MagSafe, no Dynamic Island, no camera control, no spatial video, and fewer video modes.
05:05But it does get Apple's new C1 modem.
05:07And while I'm happy about all this, I was just hoping to get a little bit more battery life.
05:14What's the deal with the 599 price?
05:16It's $170 more than the previous iPhone SE 2022 and $100 more than the Pixel 8a.
05:22You need to pay a lot more now to get the cheapest iPhone, and I think that's tough,
05:26but it really forces you to think more about what features matter most.
05:29You could pay $200 more to get the missing features I've mentioned with the iPhone 16.
05:34And even though it's $50 more than the iPhone 16e, Samsung's Galaxy S24 FE has extra features that I love for the extra cost,
05:42like Samsung Dex for that PC-like experience and a more versatile triple camera system.
05:47Look, you guys know that I'm furthest thing from being a flagship snob.
05:50I'm always the first person to tell you to get the standard iPhone instead of the iPhone Pro Max, considering the price difference.
05:57I genuinely love the value phones, but the iPhone 16e isn't a value phone.
06:02Don't get me wrong, it's a well-rounded phone, not a bad phone at all in fact, but it's not a value phone.
06:09Our best cheap phones guide that I linked in description only considers phones under $500, so the iPhone 16e is priced out,
06:17leaving a lot of confusion as to who this device is actually for.
06:20But that's not to say you shouldn't get it.
06:22If you're itching to pay as little as possible, the iPhone 16e is still an excellent choice, just as long as you're willing to make those compromises.
06:31I personally like the extra utility that the iPhone 16 offers with its dual cameras and dynamic island,
06:37but you're saving yourself $200 by sticking with the iPhone 16e.
06:41So, what do you guys think? Is there enough to convince you that the iPhone 16e is worth it?
06:45Let me know in the comments, and if you feel that paying $200 more for the iPhone 16e is better.
06:50Don't forget to follow us on social, at Tom's Guide, and I'll see you in my next video.
06:54You know, there are some magnets up in there, but not the correct ones.
07:09Oh!
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