At last, we have a new iPhone SE, except it’s not called the SE anymore. Apple has incorporated its latest fourth gen SE phone into the iPhone 16 lineup as the iPhone 16e. The name change is a smart one—with SE sales struggling to keep up with its flagship stablemates, slapping “iPhone 16” (in this case) onto the moniker may help boost the mid-budget phone’s cachet in the eyes of potential buyers. Retailing at $600 to start, the A18-powered phone sports a single camera and will be able to run Apple Intelligence.
Since Cupertino has rebranded the iPhone SE to the iPhone 16e, no longer will the SE be left playing alone apart from its bigger siblings. This change should help customers feel like they’re more a part of Apple’s premium family, rather than playing second fiddle by owning the cheaper, outsider model. Still, the 16e has a lot riding on it; Apple hopes that having a competent mid-range phone will bring new customers into the ecosystem that may eventually upgrade to pricier models.
As for the phone itself, there are some key things to note. What it does have is the latest A18 processor used in other iPhone 16s, which means the new iPhone 16e can leverage the latest apps and AAA games, not to mention Apple Intelligence features. This phone also marks the debut of Apple’s first in-house C1 modem, which even if it’s a stripped-down version that supports just Sub-6 bands but not mmWave, ushers in a departure from the previous generation Qualcomm partnership as Apple’s 5G modem supplier.
The camera package is straightforward, sporting a single 48 megapixel unit capable of 2x optical zoom paired with a 12 MP selfie. Users will be able record video in 4K/60 with Dolby Vision support. Viewing said image captures and other content will be handled via the iPhone 16e’s 6.1-inch Super Retina OLED display. Ever since Apple killed off the iPhone Mini, this small-ish display is still a welcome reprieve for many, versus the giant phones so common today.
Battery life is claimed to be exponentially better than the previous generation (e.g. 21 hours versus 11 hours for streaming video), which if true, is mighty impressive. Speaking of which, the iPhone 16e transitions from Apple’s proprietary Lighting port to USB-C for charging and data transfers. Finally.
Now, what the iPhone 16e does not have needs to considered before you make plans to head out and buy one. The aforementioned display is stuck at an archaic 60 Hz refresh rate, and it has a display notch for Face ID, rather than the Dynamic Island that’s de rigueur on Apple’s latest products. There’s also no sign of MagSafe support, plus the phone’s single camera setup won’t offer macro photography.
The Apple iPhone 16e goes up for preorders on February 21 in black and white colorways, and in 128 GB ($600), 256 GB ($700), and 512 GB ($900) storage complements as well.