iPhone 16e Review: iPhone 16 Lite, Only For Those Seeking A18 & Apple-Flavoured AI
iPhone 16e is the most affordable, new, future-proof iPhone out there - Apple might as well have called it the iPhone 16 Lite.
iPhone 16e Review: It is the most affordable of the iPhone 16 series. And still costs a bomb and more than some Android flagships. Some would say that even the slightly older iPhone 15 has more flagship features. But the biggest ace the iPhone 16e has up its phone-y sleeves is a present flagship chip and an Apple Intelligence future.
iPhone 16e Review: Quick Pointers
What we love:
- The compact design
- The processor, and support for Apple Intelligence
- Generally smooth performance
- Good gaming performance
- Great for shooting videos (especially the audio options)
- Good battery life for an iPhone
What we don't:
- The price
- The single camera on the back
- The notch rather than Dynamic Island in front
- Still slow charging speeds and no charger (and no MagSafe support either)
- Apple Intelligence remains a work in progress
Moving Beyond SE Design, While Staying Compact
In a world of large-ish phones, the iPhone 16e is strikingly compact - it is slightly smaller than even the iPhone 16.
Unlike the iPhone SE, whose lower price tag generally accompanied a slightly ancient appearance complete with a round home button below the display, the iPhone 16e comes with a relatively modern design, and can even be mistaken for an iPhone 16 from a distance. You get a tall display with small bezels, straight sides and the flat back that is the trademark of recent iPhones.
There are differences though - the display has a notch rather than a Dynamic Island, the sides have an action button but no camera control button, and on the back is a single camera. At just 167 grams, this is easily the lightest and smallest iPhone that is officially available, and like its siblings, it comes with IP68 dust and water resistance, which means it can easily survive a fall in the water.
It is available in only two colours, black and white, but looks and feels very premium in that typically understated Apple manner, with its Ceramic Shield front, glass back and aluminium frame. Use it in public, and its relatively small size will attract attention, and so will that single camera on the back.
Specced For Performance, But Not Camera Excellence
The iPhone 16e might be light in weight but comes with some pretty heavy specs. The phone runs on an A18 processor which is similar to the one found on the iPhone 16, and as per Apple, has better battery life than the iPhone 16. It also comes with a 6.1 inch Super Retina XDR OLED display with a 2532 x 1170 resolution and 1200 nits peak brightness (but with a 60 Hz refresh rate), stereo speakers, and of course, runs Apple's iOS 18, and comes with support for Apple Intelligence.
The only fly in this special spec soup is camera-shaped. The iPhone 16e is rather underwhelming in terms of cameras - the phone comes with a single 48-megapixel camera on the back, making it perhaps the only single rear camera phone above Rs 12,000 released in recent times.
Apple calls it a Fusion camera with a 2-in-1 camera system. You get 2x optical zoom and there is support for portrait photos and different shooting styles, and for shooting 4K video and slow motion video, but there are cutbacks too - there is no macro mode, no option for shooting cinematic videos and no action mode either.
That said, a lot of audio editing sorcery that's there in the iPhone 16 is here as well: audio zoom, audio mix and wind noise reduction. The front-facing camera is a 12-megapixel one, similar to the one on the iPhone 16, although placed in a notch rather than a shape-shifting Dynamic Island. It is pretty much full-featured but also misses out on cinematic video.
The battery might claim to last longer but it charges at a relatively slow 20W over a wired connection and a mere 7.5W over wireless, with no support for MagSafe.
iPhone-Like Performance, But Not iPhone-Like Photography
All of those features result in a phone that ticks some boxes thoroughly while leaving others blank. In terms of sheer performance, the iPhone 16e is pretty much right up there with the Phone 16.
We did not encounter any lags in everyday use, and the relatively compact size of the phone meant we could often handle it easily with one hand. Apple Intelligence (still in its infancy) and iOS 18 work smoothly on the phone, although the odd bug can hold matters up sometimes.
You can use Apple Intelligence features including writing tools and image playground, and they work pretty well, even without an Internet connection. You can run multiple apps without any hitch and while the display is relatively small, it is good enough for viewing videos and shows, with the very good speakers making the experience more immersive.
The chip also means that the iPhone 16e is as good at handling games as the iPhone 16 - it handles pretty much everything you throw at it from Call of Duty to Asphalt without any troubles. The smaller display does mean you have less viewing room while using on-screen buttons, but the gameplay itself is smooth.
If the general phone experience on the iPhone 16e is superb, the photography is more mixed. The single 48-megapixel sensor on the back takes very good pictures in good light conditions, and is decent enough in low light ones, retaining colour impressively. The 2x zoom is, however, largely token and of very limited use. Portraits come out very well, and portrait lighting effects work well too. We did not miss an ultrawide after our early days with the phone, as we got used to the single sensor. Mind you, the absence of a better zoom and close-up macro mode was a major letdown at this price point.
Videos, on the other hand, are superb, with great audio capture too. You can also edit the audio portions of videos extensively using Audio Mix options. The absence of cinematic video and action mode, however, are potential deal breakers for those who want an iPhone 16-level video experience. All said and done, the single camera set up on the front and back ended up working better than we expected, but unlike other iPhones, the iPhone 16e is not for those looking for serious photography on their phones.
But if it lags behind the iPhone 16 in cameras, the iPhone 16e beats it comfortably in the battery department. Unlike the 16, which just about sees off a day of normal to heavy usage, the 16e comfortably lasts a day, and with some care (mainly avoiding high-end gaming and AI) can last close to a day and a half, which is very impressive for a phone of its size. What is not impressive are its charging speeds - a 20W charger took about an hour and 45 minutes to charge the phone fully, although you can get up to 50 per cent in half an hour. The 7.5W wireless charging is best used for keeping the phone going rather than any serious charging.
iPhone 16e Review: Final Verdict
The iPhone 16e starts at Rs 59,900 for the 128 GB variant, with the 256 GB one being available at Rs 69,900 and the 512 GB one at Rs 89,900.
At those rather premium prices, it is clearly for those who want a new iPhone, as the iPhone 16 still retails at a significantly higher Rs 71,000 (officially Rs 79,900) - you can get a 256 GB iPhone 16e for less than the price of a 128 GB iPhone 16.
The iPhone 15 is available at close to the price of the iPhone 16e, but while it does have dual cameras, a Dynamic Island and MagSafe support, it loses out on the processor, AI and battery front.
Of course, Android has much better-specced options, but we do not think that anyone looking at the iPhone 16e (or actually, even an iPhone 16) is even considering an Android device.
So who should go for the iPhone 16e? We will keep it simple: anyone who wants a compact, future-proof (with AI) iPhone with a good battery and is not too crazy about cameras - all while keeping expenditure to a minimum.
This is the most affordable future-proof iPhone out there - Apple might as well have called it the iPhone 16 Lite.
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