iPhone 16e Review: More for the “#MadeoniPhone” crowd than for the “#ShotoniPhone” one

Not too long ago (in fact, right until 2020), those who wanted something very similar to a new iPhone but on a lower budget could opt for an iPod Touch. Famous for being called the “training wheels of the iPhone” by Steve Jobs, the iPod Touch was basically an iPhone-like device, generally having a very similar design and specs to the latest iPhone, but with two major differences: it had markedly inferior cameras and no SIM card. It compensated for these shortcomings with a lower price tag than the iPhone. It was designed mainly to let people experience iOS in all its glory – games, apps, et al… almost everything minus mobile connectivity and iPhone-level cameras. If we had a Dollar for every person who tried to attach a SIM card somehow to an iPod touch, we would have made millions.

The iPhone 16e finally does that. While many have compared it to the iPhone SE, we actually think it is more like a mobile-data-enabled soulmate of the OG iPod Touch. There are those who will grumble at its price, which, while lower than the iPhone 16, remains a premium one, but we think it will have takers, especially among those who want the iOS experience rather than the iPhone camera experience!

iPhone 16e design and appearance: Cute and compact

In terms of design, the iPhone 16e is cut from the same design cloth as the iPhone 16. It is slightly smaller (barely noticeable: 146.7 mm to 147.6 mm) and is just as comfortable to hold, being 7.8 mm thin and just 167 grams in weight (the 16 is 170 grams). The front and back are glass, with the front having Ceramic Shield protection, and the frame is aluminum. The front, back, and sides are straight and flat, keeping with the recent iPhone design.

There are differences from the iPhone 16, though – the back has a single camera on the top left corner, the display has a notch rather than a Dynamic Island, and while the left side has an Action button, the right side has no Camera Control button. The phone is available in two colors, black and white. We got the black version, and it exuded an understated, elegant air and felt very premium to hold.

It comes with an IP68 rating, so it can survive a fall in the water, too. People might not notice the iPhone 16e immediately (unless it is for its unusually compact form), but there’s no way it is going to be mistaken for anything other than an iPhone. And we cannot see anyone complaining about that. More colors would have helped, though.

iPhone 16e spec sheet: iPod Touch… with connectivity?

In terms of specs, the iPhone 16e bears a broad similarity to the iPhone 16. It has a similar 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display with a 60 Hz refresh rate, although its resolution of 2532 x 1170 is slightly lesser than the 2556 x 1179 of the iPhone 16. It is a TrueTone display but is slightly less bright, with 1200 nits peak brightness as compared to 1600 nits on the iPhone 16. The iPhone 16e runs on the A18 processor, which again is very similar to the iPhone 16, although it has a 4-core GPU rather than a 5-core one as on the iPhone 16.

The significant difference, of course, comes in the camera department – the iPhone 16e is the first phone in its segment to come with a single camera on the back (a 48-megapixel Fusion sensor with OIS and 2x zoom), with no ultrawide, telephoto, or even a token macro/depth sensor to accompany it. The selfie camera is a 12-megapixel one, just like the one on the iPhone 16, although it is housed in a retro notch rather than a sleek Dynamic Island.

Also on board are stereo speakers, a new modem, and a battery that Apple claims delivers significantly better battery life than on the iPhone 16. That said, charging speeds remain sluggish (20W wired and 7.5W wireless), and there is no charger in the box. Perhaps the biggest USP of the iPhone 16e is the fact that it not only comes with iOS 18 out of the box but also supports Apple Intelligence, something which is only seen in the 16 series of iPhones and the Pro variants of the iPhone 15. It is a very iPod Touch kind of spec sheet – similar to the “main” phone, but a clear notch lower in the camera department.

iPhone 16e cameras: Video slays and stills are kinda okay

We will confess that we had very low expectations from the single camera on the back of the iPhone 16e, but the iPhone 16e is not the photography disappointment that its spec sheet indicates. In what is yet another throwback to the iPod touch, we got very good video from the single 48-megapixel camera, although its still photography muscle was limited. The absence of an ultrawide and/or telephoto sensor at this price is likely to be a definite deal breaker for those who like to do serious photography on their phones, but those who use the camera more casually might actually be reasonably satisfied with what the iPhone 16e offers. This is because the 48-megapixel sensor actually takes some very good pictures in good light conditions, with plenty of detail, and is even a decent low-light performer.

Yes, you will need to get used to taking a step forward to compensate for zoom and a step back for wider perspectives, but you still get photographic styles and very good portrait snaps. The absence of macro is a disappointment, though. Video is where the camera excels, really. While it lacks cinematic video and the action modes present on the iPhone 16, you still get excellent quality 4K Dolby Vision video in terms of stability, color, and detail. If you are the type that likes tweaking audio, there is Audio Zoom, Wind Noise Reduction, and even the Audio Mix option for tweaking audio levels of different sounds in a video.

The selfie camera is a steady performer, and you get photographic styles, portrait modes, and 4K Dolby Vision video, although, again, the cinematic video option is missing. All said and done, unless you are really intense about your phone photography, the iPhone 16e will tick most of your photography needs boxes – you get good shots in daylight, decent low light snaps, very good videos and selfies, and plenty of editing options. What is missing is the sort of variety you get in terms of perspective that other phones in this price zone provide – the absence of telephoto and ultrawide sensors will be deal breakers for photography enthusiasts, and the absence of cinematic video will disappoint serious video content creators. The iPhone 16e is not the photographic disaster that many had predicted or feared it would be, but it is not a #ShotOniPhone phone either, although it will deliver some very good results.

iPhone 16e performance: Pocket gaming powerhouse, but AI needs work

The real USP of the iPhone 16e is its performance in most non-camera-related departments, and the phone does not disappoint. The 6.1-inch display is on the smaller side by modern standards, but it is still terrific for watching videos and shows, and excellent stereo speakers complement it. And well, when it comes to gaming, this is perhaps the best compact phone money can buy, as it can handle everything from Genshin Impact to Call of Duty to Asphalt easily and even runs Assassins Creed Mirage with its console-level graphics very smoothly. Our only quibble with it in gaming is the fact that its smaller display means that you end up covering a bit of space while using on-screen controls, but that apart, this is pretty much a pocket gaming powerhouse. One can even edit audio and video on the phone, provided one is ready to put up with the challenges a smaller display presents in this regard.

The iPhone 16e handles day-to-day and routine tasks like browsing the Web effortlessly, too. Its compact size makes it easy to handle, and its slightly lower brightness level is not noticeable. The lower refresh rate, however, does hit you when you get into scroll mode, but as with the iPhone 16, it is not really a deal breaker in our book. The one feature we really missed in everyday use was Dynamic Island – we have gotten used to seeing alerts and progress about couriers and cabs on it over the past year. That said, the notch handles Face ID as smoothly as any other iPhone and handles calls very smoothly. Opening multiple tabs in Safari (we have over a hundred) and running multiple apps was almost effortless.

But if the iPhone 16e comes with the smoothness of the iPhone 16 series, it also comes with its biggest challenge – Apple Intelligence. While the iPhone 16e can handle most Apple Intelligence features, such as Writing Tools and Image Playground, Apple Intelligence seems a little unfinished at the moment, especially when compared to what Android (especially Samsung) gives. The smarter AI-infused Siri is not quite in the league of Gemini. The result is a slightly rough experience that is more indicative of a work in process project rather than a finished product. Interestingly, the iPhone 16e seldom got warm during heavy duty gaming, but started running a fever if our AI sessions went beyond half an hour – it never reached alarming levels, though.

Battery drain is also discernibly higher while using Apple Intelligence, making the feature a very mixed blessing at the moment, but then that applies to all iPhones supporting the feature at the time of writing. That said, it is likely to get better in the coming days and thanks to its chip, the iPhone 16e will also be updated to the improved and finished versions. It is likely to remain the most affordable device to experience Apple Intelligence on for a while anyways.

iPhone 16e battery and charging: Surprisingly long battery life, same old slow charging

Apple has claimed that the iPhone 16e has much better battery life than the iPhone 16, and this is true. While the iPhone 16 lasts a day on a single charge, the 16e goes well beyond a day on a charge, and with careful usage can go beyond a day and a half. We would actually say that it is close to the 16 Plus in terms of battery life, and is among the best we have seen in a phone of its size. But with this great battery life comes rather slow charging. The iPhone 16e comes with support for 20W wireless charging and a mere 7.5W wireless charging. What’s more, there’s no MagSafe support, so you cannot attach chargers magnetically to the back of the phone (but an iPhone 16e case can be a workaround).

In simple terms, the iPhone 16e will take about 100-105 minutes to charge fully over a 20W charger, although the same charger will take it from 0-50 percent in half an hour. The slow speed of wireless charging makes it useful only for keeping the phone going rather than for charging it – we got used to charging the phone when the battery reached about 10-15 percent (by which time it would have seen off close to a day of use) and getting it more than half full in about half an hour, which would generally keep it going for a while.

iPhone 16e pricing: Affordable, by iPhone standards!

The iPhone 16e is available in these storage variants at the following prices:

• 128 GB: Rs 59,900/ USD 599
• 256 GB: Rs 69,900/ USD 699
• 512 GB: Rs 89,900/ USD 899

At these prices, the iPhone 16e is well below the iPhone 16, which starts officially at Rs 79,900 (USD 799) but is available from different outlets at about Rs 71,000. It is, however, very close to the iPhone 15, which is available for around Rs 61,000 and comes with features like dual cameras, Dynamic Island, and MagSafe support, although it has a significantly older processor with no support for Apple Intelligence. In terms of sheer specs, it is well behind the likes of the iQOO 13 and the OnePlus 13, both of which bring more cameras, bigger batteries, and much faster charging to the table.

iPhone 16e review verdict: Congratulations, we have got the iPod touch with data!

Let us get this absolutely clear: the iPhone 16e is clearly targeted at those who want a new-ish iPhone. The iPhone 16e will win no spec battles against Android devices in its range and might even find itself losing out to the iPhone 15 in terms of features like the Dynamic Island, cameras, and MagSafe support. Its biggest USP, however, is the fact that it brings a full-fledged iOS experience, complete with Apple Intelligence and support for future updates at a lower price than any other officially available iPhone.

In fact, you can get a 256 GB iPhone 16e for less than the price of a 128 GB iPhone 16, which is actually very good value for money as you still get a flagship chip inside a compact form factor, delivering superb performance with very good battery life. Apple Intelligence remains a work in progress, but given Apple’s track record, the Cupertino brand is likely to fix that in the coming days. Yes, the cameras are not iPhone class but then this is more for the #MadeOniPhone rather than the “#ShotOniPhone” crowd. And iPod touch veterans can rejoice – they finally have an iPod touch with a SIM card!

Remember those days when those of us who did not quite have the big bucks for an iPhone used to go for an iPod touch because, hey, we got good performance, timely updates, and good videos, even if we had to cut back a little on our camera expectations? The iPhone 16e is right in that slot. You will not get the camera variety (especially in stills) of the ‘main’ iPhone, but you will get a performance close to that of the main iPhone. For a smaller price tag.

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