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.

iPhone 16e vs 16 Feature 1
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
mmWave 5G connectivity
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 16e
Related Forum: iPhone

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Top Rated Comments

STELLANOVA Avatar
20 weeks ago
You forgot to mention USB-C speeds. iPhone 16e support only USB2 speeds (480mb/s) :oops:

edit: Jesus, just check and 16 also only supports USB2 speeds. That is pure evil.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
frou Avatar
20 weeks ago
They both say they're the toughest, so who's lying?




Attachment Image
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Left0verture Avatar
20 weeks ago
I was hoping for $429 and expecting $499. $599? Not today, thank you.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vegetassj4 Avatar
20 weeks ago

the iPhone 16e misses out on features such as the Dynamic Island
Oh no! Life has no meaning
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JSDK Avatar
20 weeks ago
Lack of MagSafe is a dealbreaker. I've been using only MagSage for a while now, both at my desk, at my bedside, in the car and at work. But it's a great entry level model, but the price is so high that you might as well get an iPhone 15 or 16.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mystery hill Avatar
20 weeks ago

Is the ultra wide band chip used for anything other than airtags?
Unlocking home and car doors as you are approaching them using keys stored in Apple Wallet.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)