Apple iPhone 16e review: Your ‘affordable' gateway to the iPhone experience

Time of India

16-05-2025

Rating: 4/5
The
iPhone 16e
marks the latest entrant in
Apple
's iPhone 16 lineup, strategically positioned as a more accessible option without compromising on essential performance. The iPhone 16e essentially serves as the gateway to the iPhone 16 family, providing a more cost-effective entry point compared to the flagship iPhone 16 models.
In a smartphone market where consumers increasingly weigh premium features against price, the iPhone 16e represents Apple's take to strike a balance. Equipped with the powerful A18 chip, a capable 48MP Fusion camera system and notably, Apple's first custom-designed C1 modem, the iPhone 16e aims to wrest some of the market from the Android-heavy 'affordable' premium segment of the smartphone market.
Price at Rs 59,900, the iPhone 16e seems to be a blend of performance and value. Our review delves into the real-world usage of the device, and here's what we think of it.
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iPhone 16e design
Apple seems to have listened to the consumers and have taken a leaf out of its previous approach with its 'SE' lineup. The iPhone SE models typically prioritised a very low price with a design carried over from older generations. In contrast, the iPhone 16e, while marketed as the "most affordable member of the iPhone 16 family.' The iPhone 16e distinguishes itself by offering a more substantial set of features such as Apple Intelligence but a higher starting price point than previous SE iterations.
The iPhone 16e adopts a design language reminiscent of the iPhone 14, featuring a durable aerospace-grade aluminum frame, a glass back with a matte finish, and a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display with a notch housing the TrueDepth camera system.
This familiar design allows Apple to leverage existing manufacturing processes, potentially contributing to cost reduction. The device is available in black and white finishes with a single camera on the back. For durability, the iPhone 16e boasts a Ceramic Shield front cover, which Apple claims is tougher than any smartphone glass, along with IP68 water and dust resistance.
This suggests a well-thought of strategy for Apple's more accessible iPhones, focusing on a richer feature set and improved performance rather than solely targeting the absolute lowest price bracket because of the various offers and discounts.
iPhone 16e performance
As mentioned, at the heart of the iPhone 16e lies the A18 chip, featuring a new 6-core CPU with 2 performance and 4 efficiency cores, and a 4-core GPU. This is the same silicon that powers the more premium iPhone 16, ensuring a fluid and responsive experience for the vast majority of daily tasks, including browsing, social media, communication, and running various applications.
Notably, the iPhone 16 incorporates a 5-core GPU as compared to iPhone 16e's 4-core GPU but it still delivers ample power for most users. This slight reduction in GPU cores appears to be a calculated trade-off to achieve a more competitive price. Although the fundamental CPU performance remains consistent with the iPhone 16, individuals who frequently engage in graphically intensive activities such as high-end gaming may be able to figure out a subtle difference.
During our review, we did not find any jarring difference while carrying out daily tasks like checking emails, surfing the social media, listening to songs and more. Moreover, the iPhone 16e remained a capable performer for mobile gaming as it handled demanding titles, although we had to tweak some settings.
Furthermore, the company launched Apple Intelligence features for English (India) as well as support for a total of 11 local languages earlier this month, making it easy for a wider user base to get onboard the Apple ecosystem.
The features, which include summarising emails, notifications and even use AI to answer questions (some via ChatGPT), work as intended – like classic Apple style. Though the feature did eat up battery more when used without AI features.
Another significant aspect of the iPhone 16e is the debut of Apple's first custom-designed 5G modem, the C1. This modem supports sub-6 GHz 5G networks with 4x4 MIMO and Gigabit LTE, ensuring fast and reliable cellular connectivity. The device also supports Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) with 2x2 MIMO and Bluetooth 5.3 for wireless connectivity.
Throughout our testing for day-to-day tasks, we encountered no significant problems with calling, internet connection or Wi-Fi functionality.
iPhone 16e camera
The iPhone 16e features a capable 48MP Fusion main camera with a ƒ/1.6 aperture and optical image stabilization. This single-lens system offers, what Apple calls, a 2-in-1 functionality, allowing users to capture standard wide photos and also 12MP 2x Telephoto shots achieved through cropping the high-resolution sensor.
While the absence of a dedicated ultrawide lens might be a drawback for some users, the high megapixel count of the primary sensor enables a surprisingly effective 2x zoom, providing some versatility in framing different shots.
The photos are sharp, mostly distortion-free and represent a satisfactory performance from a single camera, at a time when a multi-camera setup is a norm. iPhone 16e does use some software trickery to deliver some great-looking shots in favourable conditions.
It is obvious that compared to the standard iPhone 16, the iPhone 16e falls short in some areas due to the lesser number of camera lenses, it must be taken into account that the newest entrant in the iPhone 16 linup omits several advanced camera features, including Action mode for stabilised video, Cinematic mode for shallow depth-of-field video, Spatial video recording for Apple Vision Pro, Photographic Styles for personalized image looks, and automatic portrait mode for pets.
Coming to the 12MP front-facing camera on the iPhone 16e includes autofocus, a feature that contributes to sharper selfies, particularly in good lighting conditions. While it may still struggle in low-light scenarios, its overall performance is commendable for a device in this price range.
The iPhone 16e supports 4K Dolby Vision video recording at various frame rates, ensuring high-quality video capture.
iPhone 16e battery
iPhone 16e offers exceptional battery performance given its size, making it a compelling choice for individuals who need their smartphone to last throughout a full day of heavy use without needing to recharge.
The iPhone 16e is equipped with a USB Type-C port supporting up to 20W fast wired charging, along with 7.5W Qi-based wireless charging. However, a notable omission is the absence of MagSafe charging, a feature present in other recent iPhone models.
Who is the iPhone 16e for
Apple appears to be pursuing a strategy that balances affordability with a feature set justifying the cost. While older design and single camera set help keeps the price in check, its ability to run Apple Intelligence and iPhone 16-esque performance seems to fit the bill.
Rather than an affordable iPhone, the iPhone 16e is the most affordable entry point into Apple's current iPhone lineup. It appeals to users who desire the core iPhone experience and the power of the latest A18 chip without the need for all the advanced features found in the more expensive models.
Users upgrading from older iPhones, such as the iPhone 11 or previous generations of the iPhone SE, will experience significant improvements across the board, including a superior OLED display, a vastly improved 48MP camera, a substantial performance boost from the A18 chip, and notably, much longer battery life.
iPhone 16e verdict
The iPhone 16e emerges as a compelling smartphone that successfully balances robust performance and a capable camera system within a more accessible price bracket. While it does have certain limitations, such as the absence of advanced camera features found in higher-end models, its core strengths make it an attractive option for a wide range of users. The introduction of Apple's custom C1 modem is a pivotal development, representing a significant step in the company's pursuit of greater technological independence and hinting at future innovations in iPhone connectivity and efficiency.
The straightforward nature of the iPhone 16e, with its single rear camera and intuitive iOS interface, could attract first-time smartphone buyers or individuals who prefer a less feature-laden device focused on essential functionality. We think that at Rs 59,900, the iPhone 16e effectively targets a broad spectrum of users who value the fundamental aspects of the iPhone experience, including robust performance for everyday tasks and a capable camera, all offered at a more accessible price.
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