iPhone 16E Review: Affordable Apple Experience with Notable Feature Omissions

The iPhone 16E, Apple’s latest budget-friendly smartphone, is priced at $599—making it $200 cheaper than the standard iPhone 16 but $100 more than competitors like the Pixel 9A. While it retains several premium features such as the A18 chip, a 48-megapixel main camera, iOS 18, Apple Intelligence, and essential Apple services, the 16E makes several compromises to achieve its lower price point. Notably, it lacks MagSafe and Qi2 wireless charging, offering only the basic 7.5W Qi standard. The device features a single rear camera, foregoing the ultrawide and macro lenses found on higher-end models. The Dynamic Island interface is absent, replaced by a traditional notch. Apple’s new in-house C1 5G modem extends battery life but omits support for ultra-fast mmWave 5G. Color options are limited to black and white, and the A18 chip in the 16E has four GPU cores instead of five, which may only affect heavy gamers. Other missing features include the Camera Control button, ultra-wideband chip, Wi-Fi 7, Thread support for smart homes, and advanced camera modes like Action, Cinematic, and Spatial video. Despite these omissions, the iPhone 16E still offers solid performance and core Apple experiences, making it a viable choice for users prioritizing value over maximum features.