Here's what the owner of the iPhone 16e will have to give up, rather than more expensive models
The newly introduced iPhone 16e replaces the iPhone SE and is now the new cheapest smartphone that Apple offers (even taking into account last year's iPhone 15, which is still available in the Apple Store). And while it was obvious to the average buyer why the SE was the base offering, with the 16e the difference with the more expensive options may not seem so obvious.
So let's take a look at what concessions those buyers who choose the iPhone 16e rather than the more expensive representatives of Apple's smartphone line will have to make.
Case color options
The first thing that catches your eye is the set of available colors for the iPhone 16e. The “youngest” model only got the classic black and white versions of the cases, while the more expensive iPhone 16 also has pink, emerald, and “ultramarine.” Of course, this is a minimal concession, but for those who are tired of the “standard” shades of the case, the iPhone 16e leaves no options.
Only one main camera
The iPhone 16e, like its predecessor, remains with one main camera, without an ultra-wide-angle or even a telephoto. In this price segment, if you look at Android competitors, this is a pretty big difference. However, in the iPhone lineup, such a move is understandable.
With the lack of additional sensors, the iPhone 16e was left without features like macro and spatial video recording. Along with this, the current Photographic Styles options also bypassed this model.
For several years now, the iPhone has been using its own image stabilization system, Sensor-shift. The iPhone 16e also has optical stabilization, but Sensor-shift is becoming the property of more expensive models.
At the same time, the smartphone will not offer Cinematic and Action modes for video recording.
Camera Control
And speaking of the camera, there is no new camera button on the iPhone 16e. In retrospect, this makes it clear why not only the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max models received one. So, having purchased the “new SE”, you will be able to control the camera exclusively using previously known options.
Display without Dynamic Island and with lower brightness level
From what is also quite obvious - the cheapest iPhone got the old cutout in the display for the front camera and Face ID sensors. Thus, the owner of the iPhone 16e will not see all the features of iOS related to Dynamic Island. (ProMotion and Always-On display, moreover, remain the exclusive right of only Pro models.)
And the display also received a lower brightness level than that found in more expensive options, namely 800 cd/m² typical backlight, and up to 1,200 peak when playing HDR content. 2,000 cd/m² will not be on the street, as well as 1 cd/m² minimum in the dark.
Chip with simpler graphics
There are also internal differences. So, the iPhone 16e has a new six-core A18, which consists of two productive and four energy-saving cores. However, the graphics accelerator of this model contains four cores, and not five or even six, as in more expensive iPhones. Although this is unlikely to be a big loss for the vast majority of buyers.
Communication
The iPhone 16e has become a “testing ground” for its own 5G C1 modem. But this is not the only communication option available to smartphones. And with this, the cheapest iPhone has a number of limitations, namely: Wi-Fi 6, while the 6E and 7 standards have long existed; Ultra Wideband is completely absent; there is no support for the Thread network standard for “smart” home devices; there is also no support for DC-HSDPA (which in the relatively near future will become less relevant for Ukraine, but still) and mmWave.
MagSafe and Qi2
Finally, the iPhone 16e also lacks support for the company's MagSafe and even Qi2. There is still support for inductive charging with a power of up to 7.5 W, but there are no magnetic mounts and related accessories. Unless you have to look for cases with magnets.