iPhone 16e is Missing an Important Feature

Apple's new iPhone 16e offers decent value, delivering modern features like an A18 chip and Apple Intelligence for as little as $599. However, the device lacks an important feature included on nearly every iPhone since 2020: MagSafe.

Introduced on all iPhone 12 models, the MagSafe system lets you magnetically attach a charger, battery pack, and other accessories to the back of the iPhone. A set of magnets inside the iPhone securely hold these accessories in place.

Unfortunately, the iPhone 16e lacks MagSafe. Apple has not explained why the feature is missing on the iPhone 16e, although it did confirm that the lack of MagSafe is unrelated to the device's new custom-designed C1 cellular modem.

The only other iPhone model without MagSafe since 2020 was the third-generation iPhone SE, but that device had an older design based on the iPhone 8.

Apple's announcement video for the iPhone 16e said the device features a new internal design that allowed for a larger battery. Perhaps those internal changes resulted in a lack of MagSafe, but this is just another unconfirmed theory for now.

There is a bit of a workaround. Apple has not released any MagSafe cases for the iPhone 16e, but third-party MagSafe cases for the device are already starting to roll out. These cases at least allow you to use the iPhone 16e with MagSafe accessories, but note that the device is limited to slower 7.5W wireless charging speeds, whereas other iPhone 16 models can wirelessly charge at up to 25W with the newest version of Apple's MagSafe Charger.

To some people, the lack of MagSafe on the iPhone 16e might not be a big deal, but for others it is a surprising and disappointing omission and might ultimately be a dealbreaker. iPhone 16e reviews and teardowns should start to surface over the coming days, and those may provide us with an explanation for the feature's curious absence.