iPhone 16e vs iPhone 16: What’s the difference?

Apple has added a new member to the iPhone 16 family. It is the newly announced iPhone 16e which is a replacement for the previously released iPhone SE lineup. It aims to offer modern iPhone hardware and software features without costing as much as the standard iPhone models.

The iPhone 16e is priced at $599 for the base 128GB variant. This is a difference of $200 when compared with the base iPhone 16. If you are interested in buying a new iPhone, you might be wondering which one of these two will be a better buy.

Here is everything you need to know about the iPhone 16e and iPhone 16 to make a well-informed decision.

iPhone 16e vs iPhone 16: Design and Display

The iPhone 16e and iPhone 16 have the same aluminum-glass sandwich design with flat frames, but their similarities end there. The new iPhone 16e has a design closer to the iPhone 14 but with a single rear camera. It means you get a notched display and Face ID support. However, you do get the new Action Button on the side frame.

iPhone 16e

The iPhone 16 features Apple’s newest design language where it has bid farewell to the notch. There is Dynamic Island on the front and a vertically aligned dual camera setup on the back. It has both the Action Button and Camera Button on the side.

Both iPhones sport a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display. The iPhone 16e and iPhone 16 offer 2,556 x 1,179 pixels and 2,532 x 1,170 pixels resolution respectively. Despite the difference, Apple says you will get the same 460ppi pixel density on both phones. The other difference is in the brightness as the iPhone 16e has a peak brightness of 1,200 nits. In comparison, the iPhone 16 brightness can go as high as 2,000 nits when outdoors.

iPhone 16e vs iPhone 16: Performance

Apple has packed both the iPhone 16e and iPhone 16 with the same 3nm Apple A18 processor and 16-core Neural Engine. The former is a hexa-core chipset featuring two power cores and four efficiency cores. In terms of GPU, you will get four cores with the iPhone 16e and five cores with the iPhone 16.

The storage options are identical on both the models i.e. 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB. The iPhone 16 comes with 8GB of RAM and while it’s not confirmed yet, initial reports suggest the iPhone 16e has 8GB RAM as well. Another similarity is that Apple Intelligence support is available on both the iPhone 16e and iPhone 16.

Overall, there should not be any significant difference between the iPhone 16e and iPhone 16 performance.

iPhone 16e vs iPhone 16: Cameras

The new iPhone 16 has a single 48MP Fusion rear camera with f/1.6 aperture. It offers 2x optical zoom, OIS, Smart HDR 5 for photos, and up to 4K Dolby Vision video recording at 60fps. It further supports Spatial Audio and stereo recording, wind noise reduction, and Audio Mix features.

In comparison, the iPhone 16 has a 48MP Fusion and 12MP ultra-wide (f/2.2 aperture) dual rear camera setup. It means it can do everything that the iPhone 16e camera can and then a lot more. Some of the unique features include macro photography, Spatial photos, Cinematic mode for videos, Action mode, and macro video recording.

Both iPhone 16e and iPhone 16 have the same 12MP front camera with f/1.9 aperture. All camera features are also identical including 4K Dolby Vision video recording at 60fps, Animoji/Memoji, and Focus/Depth controls. However, Apple has restricted the Cinematic mode for video recording up to 4K Dolby Vision at 30fps to the iPhone 16.

iPhone 16e vs iPhone 16: Software

Both iPhone 16e and iPhone 16 run the newest iOS 18 version. There is also support for Apple Intelligence on both these models. You will get a similar software experience regardless of the phone you pick.

iPhone 16e vs iPhone 16: Battery

Apple never shares battery capacity details but it does offer insights related to the battery life. The iPhone 16e is claimed to deliver up to 26 hours of video playback, up to 21 hours of streamed video playback, and up to 90 hours of video playback. The iPhone 16 battery life is said to be 22 hours of video playback, 18 hours of streamed video playback, and 80 hours of audio playback.

Both phones can charge up to 50% within 30 minutes with a 20W or higher adapter. The biggest difference is that the iPhone 16e is limited to 7.5W Qi wireless charging. The iPhone 16 can offer faster wireless charging through MagSafe.

iPhone 16e vs iPhone 16: Verdict

The iPhone 16e is a smartphone that makes more sense for someone looking to grab a new modern iPhone without spending a lot. It offers new features like Apple Intelligence, a longer battery life, and flagship performance.

If you do not have a budget constraint, the iPhone 16 becomes a better proposition as it has a versatile camera setup and more features like Dynamic Island, MagSafe wireless charging, a dedicated camera button, and more color options.

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