Apple has officially announced the new iPhone 16e, which replaces the older iPhone SE from 2022. This new phone is very similar to the iPhone 16 but is a little smaller in size.
The iPhone 16e has a modern look similar to the iPhone 14. It features a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display with a resolution of 2532×1170 pixels and 460 pixels per inch. The screen can get very bright—up to 1200 nits—and it now uses a notch for Face ID instead of the old Touch ID.
Inside, the phone runs on the new A18 chip made with 3nm technology. With 8GB of RAM, it promises smooth and fast performance. The base model comes with 128GB of storage, and there is no 64GB option. Also, for the first time, Apple has used its own modem instead of a Qualcomm chip, which supports faster 5G connectivity.
The iPhone 16E is also the first iPhone to include a modem developed by Apple itself. The company has spent years trying to move away from modems developed by Qualcomm, and we’re finally seeing the fruits of that labor. The big questions now are how well the new modem performs and whether Apple is ready to roll out its own connectivity components in the iPhone 17 line later this year.
One exciting new feature is the customizable Action Button, which lets you quickly access different functions. The iPhone 16e now has a USB-C port to meet European regulations. Although it supports wireless charging at 7.5W, it does not support MagSafe accessories or fast wireless charging. The phone is also water and dust resistant with an IP68 rating.
The camera system is kept simple. It has a single 48MP rear camera with a wide-angle lens, a 2x optical zoom telephoto option, and optical image stabilization. The front camera is upgraded to 12MP. The phone can record 4K videos at 60 fps, slow-motion video at 1080p 240fps, and offers a Cinematic mode for 4K HDR videos.
Apple claims that the iPhone 16e can last 12 hours longer than some older models like the iPhone 11 or the previous iPhone SE. With its improved battery, you can expect up to 26 hours of video playback. The device also maintains its IP68 rating for water and dust resistance.
The iPhone 16e supports 5G (sub‑6 GHz), Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, and GPS. It works with dual SIMs (one nano SIM and one eSIM) and uses Face ID for security. It also features stereo speakers and runs on iOS 18.
While the iPhone 16e shares many features with the iPhone 16, such as the A18 chip, 6.1-inch display, aluminum frame, Action Button, and IP68 rating, there are some differences. The iPhone 16e does not support MagSafe charging, the Dynamic Island feature, advanced video recording options, the newest Ceramic Shield glass, or a 120Hz refresh rate. It also has one less GPU core than the iPhone 16.
The iPhone 16e starts at $599 (or INR 59,000) for the 128GB model. It will be available for pre-order from February 21 in over 59 countries and will hit stores on February 28. The phone comes in Black and White. In Nepal, if available, the price is expected to start at around NPR 90,000.
