iPhone 16e vs. iPhone 16 Buyer's Guide: 25+ Differences Compared

Apple's all-new iPhone 16e joins the lineup as a cheaper alternative to the iPhone 16. Despite sharing most of their features, there are still more than 25 differences between the devices to be aware of.

There is a $200 price difference between the ‌iPhone 16e‌ and ‌iPhone 16‌. 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





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

Qi2 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





Starts at $599

Starts at $799



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.

Many customers may not care about the lack of an Ultra Wide camera, camera control, additional color options, or Wi-Fi 7. However, the lack of ‌MagSafe‌, a brighter display, the ‌Dynamic Island‌, and a large array of camera capabilities may be a dealbreaker for some. As a result, 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 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 16 (Neutral), iPhone 16e (Buy Now)This article, "iPhone 16e vs. iPhone 16 Buyer's Guide: 25+ Differences Compared" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums