Apple iPhone 16e review: Is the lower price a strong draw?


Alvin R Cabral
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For nearly a decade, Apple positioned the iPhone SE as a budget-friendly alternative to its premium line-ups. It did pretty well, with its second generation in particular peaking at No 2 in terms of sales in 2020.

And it was only a matter of time before an overhaul was due – and here we are with the iPhone 16e. The National takes a look at the newest entrant in the mid-tier smartphone race.

Farewell, home button

Yes, we have to dedicate a whole section of this review to the good old home button, a staple since the original iPhone in 2007.

It was hugely popular as it was a convenient way to unlock iPhones, replace password inputs and authorise transactions such as Apple Pay. When it was removed from the iPhone X in 2017, a good segment of the Apple user base still favoured it over Face ID – which is now the iPhone 16e's security and authentication method.

While the iPhone 16e is technically a redesign in its category, it is a familiar look, as the device now dons the design Apple has implemented since the iPhone 12.

From a looks perspective, the iPhone 16e is a mash-up of the base iPhone 14 and iPhone 16: it has the notch from the former and the Action Button (the former silent switch) from the latter. Furthermore, the iPhone 16e's camera bump isn't as thick as the rest of its iPhone 16 peers. It also does not have the Camera Control button, an iPhone 16 Pro exclusive.

Aside from the aesthetics, here's how it stacks up against its predecessor, plus the base iPhone 16.

A good number of the specs are significant bump-ups from the iPhone SE 3, and some are on par with the iPhone 16.

Familiar feel but with more power

On performance, the iPhone 16e is on a par with what we experienced with the iPhone 16 Plus and iPhone 16 Pro Max. We'd also like to point out that the Action Button still triggers only one function and the choices remain limited to the current 12 options.

This is largely thanks to the A18 chip, which is also used in the mainline iPhone 16 line-up (the iPhone 16 Pros use the A18 Pro). That continues the tradition of the iPhone SE devices, which had also utilised the then-current Apple chips.

The iPhone 16e's power is also very much felt in its battery: Apple says it lasts 11 hours longer that the iPhone SE 3 and four hours more than the iPhone 16.

In our testing, the farthest it took us to charging-time was just over a day and a half. We'd like to stress that battery life depends on how much you use it; during one busy day (when it was gaming mode on) we had to reach out for the power cable before noon.

Another notable exception: while the iPhone 16e is compatible with Qi wireless chargers, it does not support Apple's own MagSafe tech.

It also lost only 6 per cent in our one-hour YouTube-at-full-brightness test, which beats the iPhone SE 3 and barely bests the iPhone 16 Plus.

And, of course, the headline here is Apple Intelligence. Apple's generative AI platform will help you spruce up your messages with Writing Tools, manage your schedules more efficiently, organise your emails, create pictures with Image Playground, and manage your photos and videos. One good showcase of Apple Intelligence is the recently launched Invites event-planning app.

One camera does the trick

You only get to work with one camera on the iPhone 16e but it's a powerful one: Apple put in a 48MP snapper, which has been in use since the iPhone 14 Pro.

However, you won't get some of the more premium features seen in the other iPhone 16 models, notably macro mode, wide angle and the ability to change the focal point of a portrait shot after taking it.

Despite that, the iPhone 16e's camera holds up very well, as it clicks nicely lit, natural-looking shots. Snaps during the daytime and in good lighting were great, as were those taken at night or in low light. Even its 4K video recording works very well.

Verdict

While the Apple iPhone 16e is a no-frills device, it could well be the newest go-to, no-frills device. The iPhone SE series did its job of providing an affordable iPhone alternative but it did look outdated, especially after the iPhone X and the iPhone 12.

With the iPhone 16e, Apple is bringing that no-frills offering into the modern iPhone era, packed with some additional features.

But the device largely overlaps with the base iPhone 16 in terms of price: the 512GB iPhone 16e's price is practically on a par with the 256GB iPhone 16 (and 128GB iPhone 16 Plus). This is largely a matter of preference right now and Apple is playing the "spoilt for choice" card here.

And it's putting mid-tier Android devices on notice, although there are smartphones with sturdier features (and multiple cameras) that are cheaper than the iPhone 16e.

Rainbow

Kesha

(Kemosabe)

Moonfall

Director: Rolan Emmerich

Stars: Patrick Wilson, Halle Berry

Rating: 3/5

'Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore'

Rating: 3/5

Directed by: David Yates

Starring: Mads Mikkelson, Eddie Redmayne, Ezra Miller, Jude Law

The 15 players selected

Muzzamil Afridi, Rahman Gul, Rizwan Haider (Dezo Devils); Shahbaz Ahmed, Suneth Sampath (Glory Gladiators); Waqas Gohar, Jamshaid Butt, Shadab Ahamed (Ganga Fighters); Ali Abid, Ayaz Butt, Ghulam Farid, JD Mahesh Kumara (Hiranni Heros); Inam Faried, Mausif Khan, Ashok Kumar (Texas Titans

INDIA%20SQUAD
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Jumanji: The Next Level

Director: Jake Kasdan

Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Jack Black, Nick Jonas 

Two out of five stars 

APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)

Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits

Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine

Storage: 128/256/512GB

Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4

Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps

Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID

Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight

In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter

Price: From Dh2,099

Wenger's Arsenal reign in numbers

1,228 - games at the helm, ahead of Sunday's Premier League fixture against West Ham United.
704 - wins to date as Arsenal manager.
3 - Premier League title wins, the last during an unbeaten Invincibles campaign of 2003/04.
1,549 - goals scored in Premier League matches by Wenger's teams.
10 - major trophies won.
473 - Premier League victories.
7 - FA Cup triumphs, with three of those having come the last four seasons.
151 - Premier League losses.
21 - full seasons in charge.
49 - games unbeaten in the Premier League from May 2003 to October 2004.

Lampedusa: Gateway to Europe
Pietro Bartolo and Lidia Tilotta
Quercus

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Bert van Marwijk factfile

Born: May 19 1952
Place of birth: Deventer, Netherlands
Playing position: Midfielder

Teams managed:
1998-2000 Fortuna Sittard
2000-2004 Feyenoord
2004-2006 Borussia Dortmund
2007-2008 Feyenoord
2008-2012 Netherlands
2013-2014 Hamburg
2015-2017 Saudi Arabia
2018 Australia

Major honours (manager):
2001/02 Uefa Cup, Feyenoord
2007/08 KNVB Cup, Feyenoord
World Cup runner-up, Netherlands

FIGHT CARD

 

1.           Featherweight 66kg

Ben Lucas (AUS) v Ibrahim Kendil (EGY)

2.           Lightweight 70kg

Mohammed Kareem Aljnan (SYR) v Alphonse Besala (CMR)

3.           Welterweight 77kg

Marcos Costa (BRA) v Abdelhakim Wahid (MAR)

4.           Lightweight 70kg

Omar Ramadan (EGY) v Abdimitalipov Atabek (KGZ)

5.           Featherweight 66kg

Ahmed Al Darmaki (UAE) v Kagimu Kigga (UGA)

6.           Catchweight 85kg

Ibrahim El Sawi (EGY) v Iuri Fraga (BRA)

7.           Featherweight 66kg

Yousef Al Husani (UAE) v Mohamed Allam (EGY)

8.           Catchweight 73kg

Mostafa Radi (PAL) v Abdipatta Abdizhali (KGZ)

9.           Featherweight 66kg

Jaures Dea (CMR) v Andre Pinheiro (BRA)

10.         Catchweight 90kg

Tarek Suleiman (SYR) v Juscelino Ferreira (BRA)

The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Power: 510hp at 9,000rpm
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Price: From Dh801,800
Uefa Nations League: How it works

The Uefa Nations League, introduced last year, has reached its final stage, to be played over five days in northern Portugal. The format of its closing tournament is compact, spread over two semi-finals, with the first, Portugal versus Switzerland in Porto on Wednesday evening, and the second, England against the Netherlands, in Guimaraes, on Thursday.

The winners of each semi will then meet at Porto’s Dragao stadium on Sunday, with the losing semi-finalists contesting a third-place play-off in Guimaraes earlier that day.

Qualifying for the final stage was via League A of the inaugural Nations League, in which the top 12 European countries according to Uefa's co-efficient seeding system were divided into four groups, the teams playing each other twice between September and November. Portugal, who finished above Italy and Poland, successfully bid to host the finals.

How%20to%20avoid%20getting%20scammed
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3ENever%20click%20on%20links%20provided%20via%20app%20or%20SMS%2C%20even%20if%20they%20seem%20to%20come%20from%20authorised%20senders%20at%20first%20glance%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EAlways%20double-check%20the%20authenticity%20of%20websites%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EEnable%20Two-Factor%20Authentication%20(2FA)%20for%20all%20your%20working%20and%20personal%20services%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EOnly%20use%20official%20links%20published%20by%20the%20respective%20entity%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EDouble-check%20the%20web%20addresses%20to%20reduce%20exposure%20to%20fake%20sites%20created%20with%20domain%20names%20containing%20spelling%20errors%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A
The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors

Power: Combined output 920hp

Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic

Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km

On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025

Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Updated: March 06, 2025, 12:00 AM