iPhone 16e: A Review of Apple’s Most Budget-Friendly New Release

Representatives of leading Western media were given the iPhone 16e before the new model went on sale, and they used the opportunity to carry out an unbiased and as detailed as possible review. What came of it is reported by the online resource The Verge.

In short, the “budget” nature of the iPhone 16e can be questioned if you take into account the price of the model in its minimum configuration ($599). After all, its predecessor, the iPhone SE, cost $200 less. However, the base iPhone 16 has a price tag from $799, although it is equipped with a chip of the same power.

The new model has a 6.1-inch OLED screen, but instead of the Dynamic Island it has a notch. Another nuance that distinguishes the iPhone 16e from the base iPhone 16 is the presence of one lens on the back panel instead of two. Finally, instead of the Camera Control there is an Action Button, and MagSafe is absent, which made it possible to significantly reduce the price of the new model.

Display

The Face ID notch is not the only anachronism inherited from the iPhone 14. The brightness is worse compared with the base version of the series, but that is only if you are picky. In practice the image quality is almost the same. A drawback is the lack of automatic brightness reduction to 1 nit in the dark.

Most time-related information (for example, fresh results of sports contests) can be tracked on the lock screen, but with the Dynamic Island this data is located at the top of the screen, and you do not lose the ability to perform other actions on the smartphone. There is nothing like that here.

But if you are not used to using the Dynamic Island, you will not care about its absence.

Camera

Having only one 48 MP sensor limits shooting options. Yes, the photos will be of good quality, but the lack of a wide-angle lens and macro shooting is an obvious minus. As is the inability to change the focus after using portrait mode.

The camera’s capabilities, however, are enough to record 4K video with good quality, accurate colour reproduction and optical stabilisation. The only thing to complain about is shooting moving objects in poor lighting.

Battery life, connectivity features

The manufacturer promises up to 26 hours of continuous video playback. In practice the phone demonstrated really decent battery life: over 5 hours of active use the battery charge dropped by 59%.

For the first time, an Apple phone is equipped with the in-house C1 modem. And although no difference in performance compared with a Qualcomm modem was noticed, this will make it possible to reduce dependence on third-party suppliers’ products.

Apple Intelligence

The company from Cupertino tried in every way to emphasise the presence of features that make heavy use of artificial intelligence, but testers claim that there will not be much real benefit from this.

Conclusions

The iPhone 16e is not a bad choice for those who want to update their outdated Apple gadget and do not have high demands regarding photo and video quality. But if you have enough money to buy the base model, it is worth considering whether it makes sense to economise.