Apple’s latest budget phone, the iPhone 16E has many of the same features as the iPhone 16. But at a starting price that’s $200 lower, just how many features will you be sacrificing?
The $599 iPhone 16E is powered by the same A18 chip as the $799 iPhone 16. It also comes with iOS 18 and Apple Intelligence. Preorders on the 16E start Friday, with availability beginning Feb. 28.
Here’s how else the iPhone 16E compares to the baseline iPhone 16, from battery life to cameras to AI, and everything in between.
Watch this: The iPhone 16E Has Arrived
Display and build
The iPhone 16E is rated IP68 for water and dust resistance, just like the iPhone 16.
The iPhone 16E and iPhone 16 both have a 6.1-inch OLED display with a 60Hz refresh rate. The 16E has a peak brightness of 1,200 nits, while the 16 reaches 2,000 nits. A ceramic shield front and glass back are featured on each phone.
The devices have an aluminum design and are about as heavy as each other, with the iPhone 16E weighing in at 167 grams and the iPhone 16 at 170 grams.
Both phones also have an Action button, but only the iPhone 16 has a Camera Control button. The Dynamic Island feature is also limited to the pricier model. The devices each have an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance.
Apple drops the home button on its new budget phone in favor of Face ID, just like the iPhone 16. Both devices also have a USB-C port, and neither has a headphone jack.
The iPhone 16E comes in black and white, while the iPhone 16 comes in black, white, pink, teal and ultramarine.
Battery and storage
The iPhone 16E has Apple’s C1 modem, which Apple says is the most efficient modem in an iPhone, and this should help lengthen battery life.
Both the iPhone 16E and 16 come in 128GB, 256GB and 512GB options. Apple boasts that the 16E can get up to 26 hours of video playback and 21 hours of streamed video playback, while the 16 will last for up to 22 hours of video playback and 18 hours of streamed video playback.
One of the reasons behind the cheaper iPhone’s longer battery life is because it runs on Apple’s very first 5G modem, called C1. The company says its C1 modem is the “most power-efficient modem ever in an iPhone” and as a result helps increase the phone’s battery life.
They each support 20-watt wired charging. The iPhone 16E supports 7.5W Qi wireless charging, while the iPhone 16 is capable of 15W Qi2 charging, as well as MagSafe wireless charging up to 25W with a 30W adapter or higher.
Cameras at a glance
The iPhone 16E is the only phone Apple sells with a single rear camera.
You’ll find a 48-megapixel wide camera on both the iPhone 16E and iPhone 16, as well as a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera on the 16. To make up for its lower camera count, the 16E uses sensor cropping to get a 2x magnification for better zoomed-in shots (as does the iPhone 16). Both phones have a 12-megapixel front-facing camera.
You can shoot 4K video at 60 frames per second on each device. On the iPhone 16, you can shoot 1080p spatial video, but only at 30 frames per second.
Apple Intelligence for all
The iPhone 16E has the same Apple Intelligence features as the iPhone 16.
One of the biggest upgrades to Apple’s lower-priced iPhone is the inclusion of Apple Intelligence, which was previously confined to iPhone 15 Pro models and the iPhone 16 lineup. Now you can spend less and still get access to features like a smarter Siri, writing tools and the Clean Up tool in photos.
This move signals Apple’s eagerness to get its AI suite into more people’s hands, and indicates that AI is now a core component of any iPhone, from the cheapest option to the most premium.
Check out the spec chart below for more details on each phone.
Apple iPhone 16E vs iPhone 16
| Apple iPhone 16E | Apple iPhone 16 | |
| Display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate | 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display; 2,532×1,170 pixels; 60Hz refresh rate | 6.1-inch OLED Super Retina XDR display; 2,556×1,179 pixels; 60Hz refresh rate |
| Pixel density | 460ppi | 460ppi |
| Dimensions (inches) | 5.78×2.82×0.31 | 5.81×2.82×0.31 |
| Dimensions (millimeters) | 146.7×71.5×7.8 | 147.6×71.6×7.8 |
| Weight | 167 grams (5.88 ounces) | 170 grams (6 ounces) |
| Mobile software | iOS 18 | iOS 18 |
| Camera | 48 megapixel (wide) | 48 megapixel (wide), 12 megapixel (ultrawide) |
| Front-facing camera | 12 megapixel | 12 megapixel |
| Video capture | 4K at 60fps | 4K at 60fps; spatial video at 1080p at 30fps |
| Processor | A18 | A18 |
| RAM/storage | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB |
| Expandable storage | No | No |
| Battery | Up to 26 hours video playback, 21 hours streamed video playback, 90 hours of audio playback. 20-watt wired charging, 7.5-watt Qi wireless charging | Up to 22 hours video playback; up to 18 hours video playback (streamed). 20-watt wired charging. MagSafe wireless charging up to 25 watts with 30-watt adapter or higher; Qi2 up to 15 watts |
| Fingerprint sensor | None (Face ID) | None (Face ID) |
| Connector | USB-C | USB-C |
| Headphone jack | No | No |
| Special features | Action button, Apple C1 5G modem, Apple Intelligence, Ceramic Shield, Emergency SOS, satellite connectivity, IP68 resistance. Colors: black and white. | Apple Intelligence, Action button, Camera Control button, Dynamic Island, 1 to 2,000 nits display brightness range, IP68 resistance, Ceramic Shield. Colors: black, white, pink, teal, ultramarine. |
| US price starts at | $599 (128GB), $699 (256GB), $899 (512GB) | $799 (128GB), $899 (256GB), $1,099 (512GB) |
| UK price starts at | £599 (128GB), £699 (256GB), £899 (512GB) | £799 (128GB), £899 (256GB), £1,099 (512GB) |
| Australia price starts at | AU$999 (128GB), AU$1,199 (256GB), AU$1,549 (512GB) | AU$1,399 (128GB), AU$1,599 (256GB), AU$1,949 (512GB) |
