The new iPhone 16e is now the cheapest new iPhone you can get among the best iPhone options, with the latest A18 processor, Apple Intelligence features, and Apple's new C1 modem. However, it gets a higher $599 starting cost and comparing the iPhone 16e vs. iPhone 16, it doesn't come with features like MagSafe wireless charging and Dynamic Island. In this video, John V. will take you through the key reasons to buy or skip based on his full iPhone 16e review.
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.
