For a long time iPhone SE 4 was in a big hype. There were so many leaks of the iPhone SE and mini, but well, leaks are not the ultimate truth. Instead of going with the SE or mini lineup, Apple has debuted a new member of their iPhone 16 family, which is the iPhone 16e. They claim that it is of incredible value, but is it really worth it?
Here are our first impressions of the new iPhone 16e launch.
Design, Display, and Durability in iPhone 16e
From the back, the phone looks like an iPhone SE (2nd and 3rd generation) and on the front it has a notch but the screen-to-body ratio is quite impressive. An important highlight is that Apple has given an action button in this phone.
The smartphone is for sure a compact one with only a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display running on OLED technology. Apple has kept edge-to-edge design in this phone just like their iPhone X lineup.
You get a ceramic shield in the front and a tough back glass with an overall IP 68 rating. However, the display is just 60Hz at this big price point, which is not acceptable in 2025.
Performance and Battery Life
Now for the performance, as Apple never compromises on it, the iPhone 16e is powered by the A18 chip. It is 80% faster than the A13 Bionic, the chip that the last iPhone SE model used. You can play any game and run any app without any lags or stutters.
But battery life is the area where you will face issues. It is the time when brands are packing 6000 mAh batteries in all of their phones; Apple’s battery will be small compared to it. But we can still vouch for the optimization as the display size is small but the powerful A18 chip will surely demand more resources on this small phone.
Camera and AI in the iPhone 16e
You are getting a 48MP, which they call a fusion camera with computational photography. It has integrated 2x telephoto zoom and the back camera supports video recording up to 4k at 60 FPS. There are no serious complaints with the camera of iPhones and the same goes for this phone.
The Apple intelligence features are there in this phone so you are not missing out on any AI stuff with this phone. Also, the phone has an action button that you can customize as per your needs.
Pricing and Availability
The iPhone 16e is available in 128 GB RAM, 256 GB, and 512 GB storage options. But the starting price of this phone is at INR 60,000. The pre-orders will begin on February 21, 2025, with availability starting on February 28, 2025.
Is the iPhone 16e worth it?
A big no! the newly launched iPhone 16e is not worth the price point of INR 60,000. The refresh rate is 60 Hz, battery life is small, and the cameras are not that powerful. It is better to go for the iPhone 15 than going for the iPhone 16e. Still, if you want this phone, you should wait until the prices drop in sales.
