Apple Launched iPhone 16e One Year Ago Today - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple Launched iPhone 16e One Year Ago Today

by

One year ago today, Apple launched the iPhone 16e, a new entry-level model that brought Apple Intelligence support and a modern design to the company's most affordable iPhone.

Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.

Apple announced the iPhone 16e on February 19, 2025 in a press release, positioning the device as a new member of the iPhone 16 lineup rather than as a continuation of the iPhone SE branding that had previously represented Apple's lowest-cost iPhone. Pre-orders opened shortly after the announcement and the device launched the following week.

The iPhone 16e adopted the same general design of the iPhone 13, but with a single rear camera, frosted back glass, and a USB-C port. It features a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display with HDR, True Tone, and wide color. The display features a "notch" for the TrueDepth camera system rather than the Dynamic Island found on the other ‌iPhone 16‌ models. Apple offers the iPhone 16e in black and white finishes only.

The iPhone 16e is powered by the A18 chip with a six-core CPU, a four-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine. Apple highlighted that the A18 made the iPhone 16e capable of supporting ‌Apple Intelligence‌.

The iPhone 16e includes a 48-megapixel Fusion camera, which allows what Apple describes as optical-quality 2x zoom through sensor cropping. The front-facing TrueDepth camera is 12 megapixels and supports Face ID for authentication.

The iPhone 16e was also significant for being the first device to include an Apple-designed modem in the form of the C1 chip. Battery life was another focus at launch. Apple said the iPhone 16e can deliver up to 26 hours of video playback. The device also notably lacks MagSafe connectivity.

Apple is expected to announce its successor, iPhone 17e, next week at or around its special "Apple Experience" in New York, London, and Shanghai. The device is rumored to feature the A19 chip, C1X modem, ‌MagSafe‌ connectivity, and the N1 wireless chip, for the same $599 starting price.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

Chase Sapphire Reserve Apple Perk Feature

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Introduces New Perk for Apple Customers

Monday June 15, 2026 12:07 pm PDT by
Chase this week announced new perks for its Sapphire Preferred credit card, and one of them is a complimentary one-year Apple TV streaming subscription. To get the free year of Apple TV, which typically costs $12.99 per month in the U.S., you must activate the card by December 31, 2026. If you are already subscribed to Apple TV directly through Apple, the complimentary subscription from...
Read Full Article • 40 comments
iCloud iPhone 17 Pro

iPhone Users Who Pay for iCloud Storage Get Two New Perks on iOS 27

Tuesday June 9, 2026 11:29 am PDT by
If you pay for extra iCloud storage on your iPhone, beyond the 5GB included for free, you might receive two more perks on iOS 27 at no additional cost. First, Apple said there will be daily usage limits for some of the new and enhanced Apple Intelligence features on iOS 27, including image generation. However, the company noted that "increased access" is available with "most" iCloud+ storage ...
Read Full Article
iphone 17 models

No iPhone 18 This Year, Apple Supplier Comments Seemingly Confirm

Monday June 15, 2026 10:51 am PDT by
Apple's standard iPhone 18 model will launch in early 2027, based on comments from a partner in the company's supply chain that appear to corroborate rumors of a delayed spring release for the base model. Apple typically works on an annual smartphone launch cycle where it releases the entirety of its latest flagship iPhone series in the fall, usually around mid-September. That appears set to ...
Read Full Article • 93 comments

Top Rated Comments

ClaraStahlbaum Avatar
ClaraStahlbaum
15 weeks ago
I bought this phone a year ago, exactly to the date. It has been a great phone. No issues.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sw1tcher Avatar
sw1tcher
15 weeks ago

The e series is for suckers who won’t just buy a used last gen phone
A lot more reasons why I'd take an iPhone 16e over an iPhone 15

1) new with Apple warranty vs used with no warranty (or maybe a few months depending on when person you're buying from activated it) and possible blemishes/damage (e.g. scratches, scuffs, etc)

2) new battery vs used/worn battery

3) newest (at time of release) A18 SoC vs 2 generations older A16 SoC

4) more memory: 8GB on iPhone 16e vs 6GB on iPhone 15

5) price difference: a used iPhone 15 would probably be close in price to a new iPhone 16e ($599) from Apple, so not much in terms of savings, if any. If you got the iPhone 16e during one of the many sales when it was released (close to half off), that's even bigger savings over a used iPhone 15.

6) iPhone 16e has support for ray tracing

7) supports (whenever Apple gets around to releasing it) Apple Intelligence (for those who want it)

8) longer battery life


than why an iPhone 15 is better than an iPhone 16e

- better rear camera
- magsafe
- wideband


If you think the iPhone 15 is better, then you do you.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
G
geta
15 weeks ago

128 GB base storage is ridiculously bad.
For normal day to day usage it’s more than enough.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
A
Alfonson
15 weeks ago

The e series is for suckers who won’t just buy a used last gen phone
Look at this brave internet hero
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HandsomeDanNZ Avatar
HandsomeDanNZ
15 weeks ago
I got a 16e as a work device. They’re a great option for fleet customers who want iOS devices. They do what they say on the tin and battery life is good.

Personal phone is a 14Pro and I couldn’t go back to non-pro cameras for my everyday personal device, but as a work phone? Can’t fault it.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
T
Tagbert
15 weeks ago
We bought two of the 16e's for relatives who needed a basic phone and could not stretch to buy a phone themselves.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments