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 16eBuyer's Guide: iPhone 16e (Neutral)Related Forum: iPhoneThis article, "iPhone 16e vs. iPhone 16 Buyer's Guide: 25+ Differences Compared" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums