Early reviews of the iPhone 16e give the first real-world experience of the $599 phone that launches Friday. The takeaway: While it skimps on some features, the iPhone 16e offers excellent performance and is one of Apple’s best options for lengthy battery life.
Nevertheless, some reviews question whether the limited features justify the “budget” iPhone’s $599 price.
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iPhone 16e reviews: More features than iPhone SE, but for more money
Apple replaced the low-cost iPhone SE 3 with a new model that costs 30% more. Having used the new handset, some reviewers support the decision.
As the PCMag review puts it, “With the $429 iPhone SE out of the picture, the $599 iPhone 16e stands as the most affordable new iPhone you can buy. Yes, it costs almost $200 more than the iPhone SE did, but the iPhone 16e is far closer in features and functionality to the $799 iPhone 16, so the price makes sense.”
And the Cnet review says, “I wouldn’t call the iPhone 16E a budget or cheap phone. But it does plenty to earn that $600 price.”
That’s not to say everyone is a fan, though. “It’s Apple’s cheapest phone, but it’s not cheap,” says The Verge review. “It’s an iPhone that does iPhone things, but it’s probably missing at least one major feature for any given buyer, whether that’s an extra camera or the convenience of a MagSafe ring.”
Not missing: Long battery life
While the iPhone 16e lacks Apple’s interactive Dynamic Island at the top of the screen and the rest of the iPhone 16 lineup’s Camera Control, it does include a feature many buyers look for: a long battery life.
PCMag testing found “the best battery life of any iPhone with a 6.1-inch screen.” It lasted hours longer than the iPhone 16, and almost as long as the 16 Pro Max. Battery life “easily eclipses the Pixel 8a.”
The Wired review says, “With average use over the past week, I struggled to bring the phone below 50 percent.”
And Cnet says, “With the battery charged to 100%, the iPhone 16E didn’t drop a single percent after an hour.”
iPhone 16e reviews: Not a bare-bones camera
The main camera in the iPhone 16e nearly matches the one in the iPhone 16, with both offering 48MP. And while the iPhone 16e lacks an Ultra Wide camera, the device’s single camera sounds totally fine for most users.
The Verge reviewer says, “This is a camera system most people will be perfectly happy with.”
“In general, the pictures look great,” according to PCMag. “Shots taken from the main camera during the day are clean, in focus, and accurate in color. I appreciate that there’s some contrast in the shots, which gives them a bit of range.”
Top-tier performance from an entry-level iPhone
While the iPhone 16e is a stripped-down version of the iPhone 16, the budget model uses Apple’s latest processor, the A18. Not surprisingly, the two phones offer very similar performance.
In tests with Primate Labs Geekbench 6 done by Cnet, the iPhone 16 scored 7,783 on the multicore test, while the 16e actually came out better with an 8,111 score. That’s a 57% improvement over the old iPhone SE 3.
The A18 chip means the iPhone 16e supports the suite of AI-powered features dubbed Apple Intelligence. Apple’s AI tools left reviewers underwhelmed, but you can’t blame that on the iPhone 16e.
“I don’t find many of the features useful,” says the Wired reviewer. “The improved Siri with ChatGPT is nice, but it is still a little slow and can make some errors. Even Genmoji — a lighthearted way to create new emoji — feels disappointing because it doesn’t always want to make precisely what I want.”
An iPhone 16e review in USA Today says, “It’s worth noting that this software is still evolving, and so is most people’s general understanding of how to use it to make life easier.”
No problems with Apple C1 modem
The iPhone 16e is the first with the Apple C1 cellular modem. The new chip emphasizes power efficiency, which helps explain the lengthy battery life of Apple’s latest iOS handset. But some might be concerned about how well the C1 performs, considering it’s the first modem Apple ever made. Early tests show there’s nothing to worry about.
“I didn’t experience any issues with cellular connectivity over the past week with the AT&T eSIM Apple provided,” Wired’s reviewer says. “I ran speed tests via Ookla on various phones alongside the iPhone 16e and did not find anything out of the ordinary.”
The Verge reviewer compared it to a previous model with a Qualcomm modem. “Every time I thought the iPhone 16 was faring better with video call quality or upload speeds, I’d try the same test again and the 16E would come out ahead. If I were none the wiser, I wouldn’t have given the modem a second thought as I used the phone.” If you’re curious about how the new iPhone SE stacks up against the latest models, check out this detailed breakdown.
Video reviews
iPhone 16e reviews bottom line
Final thoughts from the first iPhone 16e reviews leave us with something of a mixed bag.
PCMag concludes by saying, “The iPhone 16e is a capable new entry point that sets the stage for big changes in the iPhone’s future. For $599, you get a well-made piece of hardware with strong performance and all the Apple Intelligence features of pricier models.”
And Cnet’s review says, “$600 is a lot of money, at least for me, but I think the iPhone 16E is worth it.”
On the other hand, Wired says, “The iPhone 16e is a perfectly reliable iPhone. It just isn’t good value.”
Apple's budget entry in the iPhone 16 lineup is the first device to use Apple's efficient C1 modem. It delivers long battery life and Face ID but skimps on key features, including MagSafe.
- High-end Apple design at a lower price point
- Apple C1 modem
- Longer battery life than other iPhone 16 models
- No MagSafe, Dynamic Island or Ultra Wideband chip
- Only two colors: black and white
