8.0iPhone
Review
iPhone 16e review: the sensible iPhone
A fast chip, Face ID and very good battery life at a lower price. What you give up is mostly easy to live with.
The iPhone 16e replaces the SE as Apple’s entry phone, and it is a very different proposition: a modern OLED screen, Face ID and the same A18 chip family as the iPhone 16.
What you get
- A 6.1-inch OLED display that is bright and sharp, although it keeps the notch instead of the Dynamic Island.
- A single 48MP camera that takes excellent daylight photos and convincing 2x crops.
- Apple’s own C1 modem. In our use it was reliable and, together with the efficient chip, gives the 16e excellent battery life.
What you lose
There is no MagSafe, which matters if you use magnetic chargers, wallets or car mounts. There is no ultra wide camera, and the display is still 60Hz.
Buying advice: if you use MagSafe accessories, a discounted iPhone 16 is the better buy. Otherwise, the 16e is the iPhone we recommend to parents and first-time iPhone owners.
What we like
- Excellent battery life
- Fast chip
- Face ID
What we don’t
- No MagSafe
- One rear camera
8.0
Verdict. A sensible, long-lasting iPhone for people who do not care about specs. Skip it if you rely on MagSafe.
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