iPhone 16e: 10 Key things to know before you buy
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The iPhone 16e packs a lot of value for a $600 phone, and even though it only has a single rear camera, it is still shaping up to be an absolute best seller for Apple.
Thread is a relatively new protocol for smart home and IoT, and it helps your iPhone work with smart lights, locks, thermostats, and other sensors, but you don't have support for this latest protocol on the iPhone 16e. You will still be able to use some smart home stuff with older protocols, just not this one.
But are there some things you might be missing? Some hidden pitfalls maybe (like it missing MagSafe!), or surprise delights?
Here are 10 interesting little details that you should know before buying the iPhone 16e.
1. The "e" in 16e stands for...
In a typical Apple fashion, the company provides no official explanation about the meaning of the "e" in 16e. Naturally, everyone can think of their own version like "economy" or "essential". However, we did get one interesting crumb of information: an Apple representative told media that the 16e simultaneously means nothing and it means something. They mentioned this model is for "everyone", so there you have it.
Apple likes this little game of mystery. The company never had an explanation for the "SE" name either, but somehow the assumption about that one always was that it was a "special edition".
2. The iPhone 16e lacks a few important video features
The 16e has only one camera on its back, but a very powerful one and you might think that it's the exact same camera as the iPhone 16 models.
However, a couple of important video features are missing, namely Cinematic mode and Action mode.
Cinematic mode is the feature that blurs the background for a DSLR look to your recordings, while Action mode is great to film while you are running or cycling and it gives you super stable footage like a GoPro.
3. It does NOT support the latest Photographic Styles
Like your photos with deeper shadows and more contrast? You can easily make this change on an iPhone 16 with the new Photographic Styles, but not on the iPhone 16e. The new model for everyone only supports the older version of Apple's glorified filters, and those don't have the fine adjustments of the new Photographic styles. Bummer!
4. The A18 chip in the 16e has one less GPU core
You might think that the A18 chip on the iPhone 16e is the same one as on the iPhone 16, but Apple has changed one little detail. While the CPU is the same, the GPU is a 4-core one rather than a 5-core one as on the iPhone 16. That means a noticeable drop in graphics performance.
I don't think that's a big deal as few games actually require all of that GPU power and for casual gaming this phone will be just fine, but it's just a strange little cost-cutting move to make.
5. The screen on the 16e doesn't get as dim at night as the iPhone 16
The 16e is a big upgrade over the SE when it comes to screen technology. It has a 6.1-inch OLED screen with vibrant colors, but don't think it's exactly the same screen as the iPhone 16.
The typical brightness on the 16e is 800 nits compared 1,000 nits, and peak brightness is 1,200 nits on the 16 vs 1,600 nits on the 16, so the more expensive iPhone is easier to use outdoors.
The 16e also cannot get as dim as the 16 at night, so those who use their iPhone in bed might feel a bit more discomfort.
Another little chip missing from the iPhone 16e is the UWB chip, or ultra-wide band support.
6. The 16e lacks ultra-wide band (UWB) support
This chip helps if you have AirTags and helps precisely locate your iPhone if you misplace it, and it also enables new features like the wireless NameDrop contact exchange. It's a minor inconvenience, but you should know about this.
7. Only Wi-Fi 6 support
The iPhone 16e i s the first iPhone using an Apple-made modem, the C1. And interestingly, the 16e only supports Wi-Fi 6 and not the latest Wi-Fi 7 standard.
Is this because of the new Apple C1 modem? Possibly, but we don't yet know for sure.
8. It supports Visual Intelligence, despite not having a Camera Control button
Visual Intelligence is the feature where you point your iPhone camera to an object and it recognizes it and makes it easy to Google that object or ask ChatGPT about it. It's like Google Lens of sorts.
Previously, you could only trigger Visual Intelligence with a long press on the Camera Control button, which only the iPhone 16 models have. Now, Apple has changed this allowing you to trigger Visual Intelligence either via the Action button or via the Control Center. We have also heard whispers that Visual Intelligence will arrive to iPhone 15 Pro models via a software update soon.
9. The iPhone 16e supports Audio Mix
One curious detail is that more expensive iPhone 15 model does not support the Audio Mix feature, while the cheaper 16e does.
What can you do with Audio Mix? Well, you can remove background noise, wind noise, and just have cleaner sound in videos, it's a cool feature to have.
10. But no support for Thread
Thread is a relatively new protocol for smart home and IoT, and it helps your iPhone work with smart lights, locks, thermostats, and other sensors, but you don't have support for this latest protocol on the iPhone 16e. You will still be able to use some smart home stuff with older protocols, just not this one.
So what do you think about the iPhone 16e, are those features a turn-off or do you think it's a good phone even with these shortcomings?
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