Iphone 16e Review: Eh, It’s Alright

The iPhone 16E is everything I emotion and dislike astir iOS. FaceTime astatine your fingertips. A reliable camera. Simplicity. Familiarity. They’re nan pillars of nan iPhone experience, and Apple’s newest telephone has ‘em.

My hubby picked up nan 16E, concerned that he would personification to “learn point new” to usage it. He swiped astir for a 2nd and said, “Oh. It’s conscionable for illustration my phone.” It is conscionable for illustration his telephone — a six-year-old iPhone XR — only updated pinch a less basal improvements (a faster processor, nicer screen, and a modern camera, that benignant of thing) and mini else.

That’s nan different pillar of nan iPhone experience: You get precisely what Apple gives you and point more. On Android, you tin bargain a $500 telephone pinch a accelerated refresh-rate screen, 2 rear cameras, 7 years of package support, and wireless charging. On iOS, you tin bargain this $599 telephone pinch 1 rear camera, a modular 60Hz screen, wireless charging (but nary MagSafe), and an ample but unstated magnitude of package support. Apple has nary title erstwhile it comes to phones moving iOS. The institution tin gatekeep these conveniences down a higher worth tag, and that’s simply nan measurement things will be. I’m looking astatine you, ProMotion.

This is nan world nan iPhone 16E enters. It’s Apple’s cheapest phone, but it’s not inexpensive — astir apt for nan aforementioned “lack of competition” reasons. It’s an iPhone that does iPhone things, but it’s astir apt missing astatine slightest 1 awesome characteristic for immoderate fixed buyer, whether that’s an different camera aliases nan convenience of a MagSafe ring. If you’re clinging desperately to an older exemplary and want a caller iPhone for nan slightest imaginable money, nan 16E is nan 1 to get.

That’s nan business of nan 16E: beryllium nan measurement of slightest guidance to bluish bubbles. But for a overmuch discerning customer nan answer’s not arsenic clear-cut.

The iPhone 16E is nan belief successor to nan iPhone SE, though Apple would alternatively you not deliberation of it that way. The SE was nan company’s budget-friendly line, a benignant of close-out bargain bin relationship connected past generation’s chassis pinch upgraded internals. The creation was wildly outdated by nan end, but, hey, it only costs $429. That connection appears to personification ended pinch nan 16E, which is afloat a unit of nan iPhone 16 series.

But alternatively of an older creation that’s a really bully deal, we personification a modern creation that’s only benignant of a deal. It’s $200 cheaper than nan $799 iPhone 16 and has a akin 6.1-inch OLED screen. There’s nary Dynamic Island — conscionable a notch. And alternatively of 2 rear lenses, you get conscionable one: a 48-megapixel main camera and nary ultrawide to spell pinch it. You get wired charging, but nary MagSafe. The Action Button, but nary Camera Control. This, not that. And truthful on.

There’s a benignant of equation that tin thief find really overmuch you should attraction astir this database of missing features. How aged is your existent phone? Do different group successful your family usage MagSafe accessories that you want to share? Do you moreover cognize what MagSafe is? Would you for illustration to recreation sports scores astatine nan apical of your aboveground while you do different things connected your phone, aliases are you a Seattle Mariners fan? (Love hurts, guys.) I don’t cognize what that nonstop look is because I hardly scraped by successful calculus, but conscionable carnivore it successful mind arsenic you publication nan remainder of this review.

The 16E’s aboveground is very apt a type of nan iPhone 14’s screen, complete pinch a notch lodging nan Face ID and front-facing camera array. The regular 16’s aboveground gets conscionable a mini brighter successful theory, but successful judge they look astir nan aforesaid to me, brightness-wise. The 16E’s aboveground doesn’t spell down to 1 nit for illustration nan 16’s can, which is excessively bad because it’s honestly cool arsenic hellhole and useful erstwhile you’re trying not to aftermath up your spouse pinch a agleam telephone screen. The notch’s beingness too intends nary Dynamic Island — that’s nan pill-shaped cutout Apple introduced pinch nan iPhone 14 Pro, which houses mini bits of timely info you mightiness want to spot astatine a glance.

All that time-sensitive information, for illustration unrecorded sports scores and nan proximity of your incoming Uber, is still presented connected nan 16E’s fastener screen. But nan Dynamic Island keeps it astatine nan apical of your aboveground while you do different things connected your phone. It’s handy, and having gotten utilized to it, I missed it connected nan 16E. The different ocular confirmation is bully erstwhile you personification a timer aliases aboveground signaling successful progress. The Dynamic Island astir apt won’t beryllium a awesome nonaccomplishment if you’re utilized to a telephone without it, though.

MagSafe mightiness beryllium different suit of “if you’ve ne'er had it past you won’t miss it,” but I’m a mini small inclined to mobility disconnected its absence connected nan 16E. Sure, there’s still Qi wireless charging. And you tin ever usage a suit pinch magnets arsenic a workaround if you want to usage MagSafe accessories, moreover if it’s not an elegant solution. But nan beauty of MagSafe is nan simplicity, and if you’re a case-hater for illustration maine past it’s a useful measurement to adhd a Pop Socket aliases a low-profile wallet to your telephone without committing to a case. Aside from nan SE, each iPhone from nan 12-series onward has MagSafe. It feels for illustration a modular characteristic now, and it’s difficult to understand why Apple adjacent it out.

The iPhone 16E’s rear camera uses a 48-megapixel sensor that combines pixels to thief it amended stitchery light, and it delivers bully images successful astir situations. There’s nary ultrawide camera and truthful nary macro photography either. I missed nan ultrawide overmuch than erstwhile erstwhile stepping backward to model a wide changeable wasn’t possible. There’s a decent image mode, though it’s nan older type wherever you can’t alteration nan attraction constituent aft nan fact. Photographic Styles are disposable to thief dial successful colour reproduction, though they’re too nan previous-gen type and you can’t tweak undertones.

This is simply a camera strategy astir group will beryllium perfectly happy with. If you’re nan slightest spot inclined photographically and want overmuch elasticity — immoderate successful focal scope and processing options — past spot an iPhone 16 aliases 16 Pro. But it’s a bully camera for a wide audience. There’s fantabulous 4K video recording, optical image stabilization, and reliable colour reproduction. A overmuch precocious telephone camera would relationship amended chances of capturing moving subjects successful dim light, but this 1 keeps up successful astir situations.

Much of nan 16E is familiar, but location is 1 wholly caller component: Apple’s C1 modem. This is its debut appearance, and nan roadworthy to Apple’s first in-house modem was reportedly afloat of setbacks and delays. I’ve utilized it for nan past week to make FaceTime calls, upload ample video files successful crowded places, and watercourse YouTube connected nan bus. I tested it alongside a regular iPhone 16 equipped pinch a Qualcomm-made modem — immoderate connected Verizon — and I didn’t spot immoderate accordant value successful capacity betwixt nan two.

Every clip I thought nan iPhone 16 was faring amended pinch video telephone worth aliases upload speeds, I’d effort nan aforesaid proceedings again and nan 16E would recreation retired ahead. If I were nary nan wiser, I wouldn’t personification fixed nan modem a 2nd thought arsenic I utilized nan phone. Given nan problem Apple seemingly encountered building this constituent and nan complexity of a cellular modem, “it seems fine” is really a awesome consequence for nan C1.

Apple claims switching to its ain modem has allowed it to compression a mini overmuch artillery life retired of nan 16E, offering “the champion artillery life ever connected a 6.1-inch iPhone,” according to its spot release. Battery life surely seems good. I spent an time retired of nan location utilizing a batch of navigation, streaming a podcast, testing connectivity, and watching YouTube. I clocked astir 5 hours of aboveground clip and was only down to 41 percent by nan extremity of nan day. I’m assured that astir group could get done a clip comfortably connected this battery, but that’s not my biggest concern. I’m overmuch funny astir semipermanent artillery wellness — Apple’s caller measurement grounds coming is spotty — and there’s conscionable nary measurement of knowing that aft a week of testing.

The different upgrade coming is Apple Intelligence. Maybe you’ve heard of it? Or seen it connected a billboard? Or successful a commercialized a less 12 times? Apple would for illustration america to deliberation of its AI arsenic a marquee characteristic connected nan 16E, but Apple Intelligence conscionable doesn’t consciousness for illustration 1 — not yet, anyway. But it’s each here: nan AI penning tools, Image Playground, notification summaries, and nan updated Siri pinch a ChatGPT extension. It’s each beautiful forgettable correct now.

Case successful point: it took maine respective days to announcement that Apple Intelligence wasn’t moving connected nan 16E I was testing, contempt having nan Apple Intelligence action turned on. I sorted it retired — I conjecture point astir nan measurement I group it up prevented nan basal AI models from downloading — but this says a batch astir really useful Apple Intelligence is correct now. The astir absorbing worldly is yet to come, and nan 16E will beryllium caller for it, which is nice. But I decidedly wouldn’t fto Apple Intelligence beryllium a deciding facet successful picking this telephone versus, say, an iPhone 15.

That highlights wherever I’m stuck trying to fig retired nan 16E. If you’re coming from an older iPhone for illustration an 11, don’t want to locomotion a lot, and don’t attraction astir MagSafe aliases an ultrawide camera, past nan 16E benignant of makes sense. But a 100 dollars overmuch will get you a caller iPhone 15 pinch MagSafe, nan Dynamic Island, and an ultrawide camera, though there’s nary Apple Intelligence aliases action button.

The 16E feels for illustration it should relationship nan essentials, but it’s difficult to opportunity what’s an basal iPhone characteristic and what’s not. It’s astir apt overmuch for illustration a cognition of features, and for immoderate people, nan 16E apt offers a cognition they’ll beryllium happy with. Specifically, I mean group for illustration my hubby and anyone different pinch an aged iPhone who is uninterested successful learning what MagSafe is, seldom takes pictures, and conscionable wants a dang iPhone. The 16E covers those essentials. For personification who wants overmuch elasticity from their smartphone’s camera aliases its strategy of accessories, this isn’t nan iPhone for you.

I’d alternatively personification a cool magnetic accessory strategy and a neat quick-glance show characteristic built into my telephone than Apple Intelligence, peculiarly for $600. It doesn’t alternatively adhd up for me, but perchance nan mathematics looks a mini different for you.