Apple introduces the iPhone 16e, a fast and powerful mid-range smartphone

Apple’s new iPhone 16e combines three innovations in one $599 package: an A18 chip, Apple’s fast smartphone processor; Apple Intelligence, the company’s private-by-design take on artificial intelligence; and the C1, Apple’s first-ever 5G radio. The announcement confirms all of the speculation made about the device.

In terms of performance-per-watt, Apple’s iPhones — and the iPads and Macs that also use Apple silicon chips — are at the top of their leagues. The 6-core CPU in this new smartphone is up to 80% faster than the A13 Bionic chip in the iPhone 11, Apple said, once again showing how the move to Apple silicon has been a huge success for the company. A 4-core GPU and 16-core Neural Engine completes the set.

But for many industry watchers, the real story will be the new C1 modem.

Apple downplays a 7-year story

Apple has been working to build its own 5G modem for iPhones for years and has spent billions on the challenge. The Apple C1 is the first mass-market public trial of what Apple’s engineers created. That means a lot of people will put the modem through a variety of tests in real-world situations, which means Apple must be confident in what it has introduced. It might also be why the company hasn’t said much about what could be seen as a huge achievement, something that has taken the company seven long years to make. 

The C1 will likely appear in a range of other Apple products down the road — and the lower cost of that component also gives Apple a lot more flexibility when it comes to future product prices. As trade wars and tariffs intensify, that flexibility could make a big difference to Apple’s business moving forward, enabling it to maintain price competitiveness others might be unable to match.  

Apple didn’t discuss any of that, of course, but did point out that the C1 is a low-power component that, when combined with the low energy demands of the A18 chip and the advanced power management of iOS 18, make for significant battery life.  Apple boasted that the smartphone offers the best battery life of any 6.1-in. iPhone, in part due to the low power demands of Apple’s modem. 

All the expectations were correct

With the new device, Apple confirmed all the pre-launch speculation. For example, we had expected an Action button — and Apple came through with that. This button can be customized in Settings and used in numerous ways, to switch between Ring and Silent modes, to turn on the flashlight, recognize music and more. You can also customize it for particular apps, so it offers different functions depending on which app you use. 

The Action button also introduces a new visual intelligence experience that uses Apple Intelligence to help users learn about objects and places. This can summarize and copy text, translate text between languages, detect phone numbers or email addresses with the option to add to contacts, identify an animal or plant, and more. 

What else should we know?

The device boasts a 6.1-in. Super Retina XDR display with OLED technology.

It supports FaceID rather than Touch ID used in the iPhone SE.

It offers the best battery life of any 6.1-in. iPhone, in part due to the low power demands of the C1 modem. 

It’s splash, water, and dust resistant, with a rating of IP68.

Satellite communication is supported, so you can use Apple’s existing services — Emergency SOS, Roadside Assistance, Messages, and Find My via satellite — when away from conventional 5G or Wi-Fi networks. Access to these features is provided free for two years after purchase.

Apple’s progress toward circular manufacturing is also clear; the device uses over 30% recycled materials overall, including 100% recycled cobalt and 95% recycled lithium in the battery, 85% recycled aluminum in the enclosure, and more. Apple will remove plastic from all its packaging by the end of this year.

And yes, of course, the 16e uses USB-C.

The iPhone 16e starts at $599 and will be available for pre-order on Feb. 21 in white and black with 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage capacities. It will be in stores on Feb. 28. In the current environment, price is a big deal, and while it’s up a few dollars from the iPhone SE, Apple’s iPhone 16e hits the market at a good price for a superb mid-range smartphone.  

What Apple said

“iPhone 16e packs in the features our users love about the iPhone 16 lineup, including breakthrough battery life, fast performance powered by the latest-generation A18 chip, an innovative 2-in-1 camera system, and Apple Intelligence,” said Kaiann Drance, Apple’s vice president of worldwide iPhone product marketing. “We’re so excited for iPhone 16e to complete the lineup as a powerful, more affordable option to bring the iPhone experience to even more people.”

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