Is the iPhone 16e worth it?

BY ANDREW UTTERBACK

Podcast Producer

Apple has released a new member of the iPhone 16 family: the iPhone 16e. 

It is essentially the next iteration of the iPhone SE, Apple’s “budget” iPhone that gets refreshed every couple of years. 

The 16e has a problem though; it’s far more expensive than the outgoing SE at $599 ($170 increase) and only $199 away from the regular iPhone 16. 

So, the question then becomes, is it still worth it to get the 16e or should you just spend the extra money and get the 16? 

Let's look at what you get for $599. The 16e is fundamentally an iPhone 16 with a few features taken away. We have a 6.1-inch OLED display that is close to the 16’s but has a slightly lower brightness and, most noticeably, a notch. 

On the back, we get a single 48mp camera, wireless charging and a glass back that comes in white and black. We also get wireless charging on the but curiously no MagSafe. The 16e has the A18 chip from the 16 but with one less GPU core for some reason. An A18 chip means we get Apple Intelligence (Apple’s host of AI features) on their least expensive iPhone. 

Buyers lose out on the new camera control button from the 16 but still get the action button introduced on the 15 series. 

The 16e actually debuts one new feature, the addition of the C1 chip, Apple’s own cellular modem. Apple quotes four additional hours of video playback time over the 16, likely as a result of this more efficient modem. This is probably the most interesting part of the phone and something we will likely be hearing a lot more about in September during the iPhone 17 launch event. 

All in all, this is a perfectly fine phone, just in a very strange position in the lineup. This is supposed to be an affordable, entry-level iPhone, but $599 is not exactly a budget price. I don’t think Apple would have given out an A18 and Apple Intelligence for $400 or less, but even $499 would have been a much more appealing price point. 

For $200 more, you can buy an iPhone 16 that comes with a dynamic island, a brighter display, an added ultra-wide camera, MagSafe and the camera control button. 

But that’s $200 more, right? 

It is if you’re buying your phone outright. But here’s the thing: The majority of people I’ve spoken to (and I’d be willing to bet, the majority of people buying new phones) finance them through their mobile carrier. 

In this case, upgrading from a 16e to a 16 is only a little over $5 extra a month added to your carrier bill. Frankly, I think that’s worth it. 

However, this all is assuming you care about things like an extra camera, MagSafe, display brightness, etc. What if you don’t? In that case, save the money and get the 16e. 

This phone will likely sell very well because when people walk into their local carrier store and ask for the cheapest iPhone, they now get one that looks and feels very similar to the higher-end models. It also, simply, is an iPhone. That alone is enough for a lot of buyers. 

Apple had a shot with the 16e to genuinely put an iPhone with an A18, Apple Intelligence and an excellent camera (albeit only one) into the budget phone market as the strong contender that the previous iPhone SE just never was. I think if this phone were $449, it would be a hands-down recommendation, and I could even see it being a great deal up to $499. 

It’s a solid phone with a price tag that’s just a little too heavy.