iPhone 16e vs. iPhone 16 Buyer’s Guide: 25+ Differences Compared

The iPhone 16e joined the lineup as a cheaper alternative to the iPhone 16 earlier this year. Despite sharing most of their features, there are still more than 25 differences between the devices to be aware of.

Following the launch of the iPhone 17 lineup and the iPhone Air, Apple discontinued the iPhone 15 and ‌iPhone‌ 15 Plus, and bumped the ‌iPhone 16‌ and ‌iPhone 16‌ Plus down in price by $100.

This means that the ‌iPhone 16e‌ and ‌iPhone 16‌ now represent the two cheapest ‌iPhone‌ options available directly from Apple, with just $100 between them. To justify this, the ‌iPhone 16e‌ misses out on features such as the Dynamic Island and MagSafe connectivity. However, it still features the A18 chip with Apple Intelligence support, the same main rear camera, and more. Here’s everything that’s different:

‌iPhone 16e‌ (2025)	‌iPhone 16‌ and ‌iPhone 16‌ Plus (2024)
“Notch”	‌Dynamic Island‌
Ceramic Shield front	Latest-generation Ceramic Shield front
6.1-inch display	6.1- or 6.7-inch display
800 nits max brightness (typical)	1,000 nits max brightness (typical)
1,200 nits peak brightness (HDR)	1,600 nits peak brightness (HDR)
	2,000 nits peak brightness (outdoor)
	1 nit minimum brightness
Glass back	Color-infused glass back
Available in White and Black	Available in White, Black, Ultramarine, Teal, and Pink
	Camera Control
	12-megapixel Ultra Wide camera
1x or 2x optical zoom options	0.5x, 1x, or 2x optical zoom options
Optical image stabilization	Sensor-shift optical image stabilization
Portrait mode with Depth Control	Next-generation portraits with Focus and Depth Control
Photographic Styles	Latest-generation Photographic Styles
	Macro photography
	Spatial photos and videos
	Cinematic mode for recording videos with shallow depth of field (up to 4K Dolby Vision at 30 fps)
	Action mode
A18 chip with 4-core GPU	A18 chip with 5-core GPU
Apple C1 modem	Qualcomm Snapdragon X75 modem
	mmWave 5G connectivity
Wi‑Fi 6 connectivity	Wi-Fi 7 connectivity
	Thread connectivity
	Ultra Wideband chip for Precision Finding
26-hour battery life	22 or 27-hour battery life
Qi wireless charging up to 7.5W	Qi 2 wireless charging up to 15W
	‌MagSafe‌ wireless charging up to 25W with 30W adapter or higher
	Compatible with ‌MagSafe‌ cases, wallets, wireless chargers, and more
128GB, 256GB, or 512GB storage	iPhone 16: 128GB iPhone 16 Plus: 128GB or 256GB
Starts at $599	Starts at $699

At a markedly more accessible price point, the ‌iPhone 16e‌ will be the go-to ‌iPhone‌ for many customers, especially those buying on a budget. Unlike the ‌iPhone‌ SE that came before it, the ‌iPhone 16e‌ has very few compromises and offers almost all of the ‌iPhone 16‌’s most important features. In fact, it has considerably better battery life, partly thanks to Apple’s custom modem technology, which is also now used in the ‌iPhone Air‌.

Some customers will not care about the lack of an Ultra Wide camera, camera control, additional color options, or Wi-Fi 7. The ‌iPhone 16e‌ is a newer device and many will not be able to justify the extra $100 to upgrade to the

However, the lack of ‌MagSafe‌, a brighter display, the ‌Dynamic Island‌, and a large array of camera capabilities may be a dealbreaker for some. Those who want a little more out of their ‌iPhone‌, especially when it comes to the rear camera, should consider the ‌iPhone 16‌ over the ‌iPhone 16e‌.

That being said, most prospective customers should likely opt for the ‌iPhone 16e‌ over the pricier ‌iPhone 16‌, unless the larger display of the ‌iPhone 16‌ Plus is essential.

Related Roundups: iPhone 16, iPhone 16e

Buyer’s Guide: iPhone 16e (Neutral)

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iPhone 16e vs. iPhone 16 Buyer's Guide: 25+ Differences Compared

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