iPhone 16e Review: It's Just Enough!

When Apple launched the iPhone 16e, I had a number of questions. Who’s it for? Why not name it the SE 4? Who will spend $599 on this? And so forth. The Cupertino big’s solely response – it’s for these upgrading from an older system. So, as an iPhone 13 proprietor, I couldn’t move up the chance when the iPhone 16e arrived at my desk. After every week of utilizing it, I don’t assume I’ve I’ve some sudden ideas. So be part of me as I stroll you thru my week-long journey on this evaluate of the iPhone 16e.

iPhone 16e: Key Specs

Earlier than we get began, you may want to check out the iPhone 16e specs to get an thought of what you get proper out of the field.

Acquainted Design in All Facets However One

Switching from an iPhone 13, the design of the 16e felt acquainted because it reuses the identical chassis. The one noticeable enchancment is the smooth matte texture on the again glass and the edges. That is one thing borrowed from the brand new iPhones. It feels higher than the shiny end, which is such a fingerprint magnet that the CIA can take my prints off of it.

What is just not borrowed are the chamfered edges. The 16e options flat aluminum sides with razor-sharp edges, making the system tough to carry over lengthy durations. It’s why my iPhone 13 hasn’t seen a day with out a case. The iPhone 16e can be lighter at 167 g (5.89 oz), which could possibly be because of the removing of a MagSafe ring on the again.

Sure, for some odd cause, Apple omitted what is taken into account to be a staple of the iPhone expertise for the reason that iPhone 12. I at all times considered it as a necessary a part of the iPhone expertise, however I see what they’re making an attempt to do right here; they know in case you are spending $599 on this system, you possibly can absolutely spend extra on a case that has the magnets in it.

As somebody who has a bunch of MagSafe equipment to make use of with my iPhone 13, this was an enormous let down for me. All my equipment turned redundant after switching to the 16e, except I picked up a third-party case with magnets.

Whereas MagSafe is absent, they added the brand new Motion button and opted for a USB-C port for charging. These are the one bodily elements of the 16e which can be extra in step with the iPhone 16 collection. The cellphone additionally comes with IP68 certification to resist any unintentional drops within the pool or the throne of your pondering room.

A Show That’s a Visible Throwback

The iPhone 16e incorporates a 6.1-inch Tremendous Retina XDR OLED show. The identical one we’ve got seen in iPhone 13 and 14 collection. The identical 60Hz refresh price panel we’ve seen on the $799 iPhone 16, as a result of God forbid a poor lad can get pleasure from a smoother display. As for the show itself, it provides pretty good colours, photos look sharp, and the blacks are well-balanced. The viewing expertise was an identical to what I’m used to on the 13. I used to be as soon as watching one thing on the 16e and confused it for my older system.

Apple has additionally introduced again the long-lasting notch, as a result of who needs to see dwell scores, verify timers, and get Uber supply updates on the Dynamic Island, proper? The 16e takes us again to less complicated occasions when dwell actions weren’t a factor, and all of us liked a chunky outdated notch on the prime of our telephones.

If the 60Hz refresh price and the notch haven’t satisfied you, then how about I let you know that the brightness can be sub-par, at finest. In contrast to the iPhone 16, which might attain 2000 nits of peak brightness, the 16e solely goes as much as 1200 nits. What does all this mumbo-jumbo imply? On a brilliant summer time day, you’ll have to squint your eyes to see what’s on the display.

I Spy A New C1 Modem

Whereas a lot of the iPhone 16e is acquainted, the system is a primary for Apple’s new C1 modem. That is the debut of the model’s homegrown modem, which has been within the works for some time. For this evaluate, I loaded the cellphone with my Jio 5G SIM, used the iPhone 16e to stream, obtain content material, watch Instagram Reels, and naturally, take calls. The community dropped in Delhi Metro’s underground system, switched to LTE in crowded stations, however provided full 5G energy at my dwelling.

After working a number of velocity checks aspect by aspect with the iPhone 13, the outcomes have been toe to toe. The one noticeable change was the enhancements in add velocity, which have been continually higher on the 16e. Typically, it surpassed the obtain velocity. It isn’t an enormous bounce like Apple’s M collection processors, however it’s nonetheless commendable for a first-time effort.

Since we’re on the subject of connectivity, it’s value noting that Apple has additionally quietly omitted the UWB chip within the iPhone 16e. Had this been accessible, it might have allowed you to find your iPhone even when it’s powered off. Sadly, that’s not the case right here. As an alternative, the iPhone 16e has Satellite tv for pc SOS, which isn’t one thing many individuals will want, except they’re into climbing or adventures.

One Much less Digital camera to Shoot With

The iPhone 16e comes with a single 48MP digital camera. Apple would have you ever imagine that this single digital camera is all you want, because it additionally contains “built-in 2x telephoto”. However that’s only a cool advertising method of claiming your cellphone can zoom in on issues. It isn’t doing the job of two lenses, however simply cropping into the shot, which is totally totally different from a devoted telephoto lens. And on many cases, you’d undoubtedly at loss on the lack of a secondary sensor.

Coming to images, the only digital camera does an admirable job and clicks sharp, clear, and natural-looking images. In comparison with my iPhone 13’s measly 12MP sensor, this cellphone captures extra mild and particulars in a shot, given ample mild. The larger sensor permits for higher 2x images and a fast method for me to zoom into topics. Nevertheless it isn’t the telephoto high quality that the corporate is speaking about.

The nighttime images are first rate, too. It captures good outcomes once in a while, however noise manages to creep into darker areas, and particulars additionally look softer. The 12MP selfie digital camera is similar because the one on the iPhone 16, so the selfie pictures prove fairly clear with near-natural pores and skin tones and well-adjusted bokeh.

Whilst you can shoot 4K movies at 24/30/60 FPS with the iPhone 16e, the 25 FPS choice is lacking right here. That’s not the one factor absent. There’s no Cinematic mode, no Macro management, doesn’t have the brand new Photographic kinds, and doesn’t allow you to change the main target topic in portraits.

However, The Battery is Spoiling-ly Good

One space the place iPhone 16e stands far out from the competitors is when it comes to battery life. Apple claims it lasts for as much as 26 hours of video playback. I can’t report comparable numbers, nonetheless, I obtained greater than 8 hours of display on time with 20% nonetheless left within the tank. On common, I used to be doing 5 hours or extra of display time, with 30-40% left by the tip of the day.

This is much better battery backup than any “commonplace” iPhones you may get on the market. Nevertheless it’s nonetheless nowhere near what the Plus or Professional Max fashions supply. Given the larger capability, it takes some time to cost. Since there’s no MagSafe, it depends commonplace Qi charging at 7.5 Watts. So, it took about 2 hours to completely cost wirelessly for me. I’ve to confess that I did benefit from the presence of USB-C, in order that I didn’t must be the man within the room asking for a Lightning cable.

And {Hardware}’s No Slouch

Lastly, we come to the efficiency portion of this evaluate. Apple has outfitted this “low-cost” iPhone with the most recent A18 chipset used within the common iPhone 16. Nonetheless, it lacks one GPU core, which I suppose helps with the battery life. Now to check out its competence, we ran our typical slate of benchmarks.

As you possibly can see, it scores just about the identical outcomes because the common A18 processor. It additionally means that is probably the most reasonably priced system that runs AAA titles like Dying Stranding, Murderer’s Creed, and Resident Evil video games.

So, quite than testing the everyday slate of cell video games, I opted for the Resident Evil 4 demo. The cellphone dealt with it nicely, and there have been parts when FPS went uneven, however it was nonetheless fairly playable. There was substantial heating throughout my playthrough, however it by no means reached alarming ranges.

Nonetheless, in case you are not a gamer, then you wouldn’t discover any hiccups in day-to-day utilization. In comparison with my iPhone 13, issues felt a bit responsive on iOS 18.3.2, with apps and animations feeling barely smoother.

Not solely is the iPhone 16e the most cost effective iPhone with A18, but additionally probably the most reasonably priced choice if you would like Apple Intelligence. And this isn’t a cut-down model of it, as a substitute, you get all of the options like the brand new Writing Instruments, Picture Playground, and the brand new Siri. So if that’s one thing that you simply care about (despite the fact that Apple doesn’t!), then this could possibly be a compelling cause to choose this system.

iPhone 16e Overview: Who Is It For?

Coming to the tip of this evaluate, I’ve quite a lot of conflicting ideas on the iPhone 16e. On one hand, it delivers a price range iPhone expertise like none earlier than. So, somebody upgrading from an outdated system will respect the bump. Then again, it makes compromises in areas that depart you scratching your head.

The omission of MagSafe, a secondary digital camera sensor, a UWB chip for Discover My Machine, and slower wi-fi charging are all sacrifices you’ll must make when upgrading from a latest iPhone. Plus the $599 price ticket doesn’t do it any favors both. Had this been priced $50 or $100 much less, I’d have been inclined to advocate it to most individuals.

However, for now, I believe the fitting viewers for this cellphone could be somebody switching from a really-old iPhone just like the iPhone X, XS, XR, or iPhone 11. These could be people who haven’t skilled MagSafe and Dynamic Island and don’t look after them. It may be an incredible choice for teenage youngsters, or one thing you possibly can reward to your dad and mom who need a cellphone that’s a bit too acquainted. For the remainder of you, I might counsel wanting on the iPhone 16 and even the iPhone 15.