iPhone 16e / The Verge
Journalists of foreign media received at their disposal new iPhone 16e smartphone and conducted a comprehensive review of it. The new product hasn’t reached us yet, so let’s summarize the impressions of the reviewers The Verge and outline its main advantages and disadvantages.
It is noted that the iPhone 16e is the cheapest Apple phone. But with a price of $599 «cheap» —, the concept is relative. Although the iPhone 16e is the spiritual successor to the iPhone SE, the price of the new device has increased significantly compared to its predecessor ($429). At the same time, the new product is $200 cheaper than the basic iPhone 16 ($799), although it offers a similar processor and 6.1-inch OLED screen. There is no Dynamic Island, only a notch. And instead of two rear lenses, only one is available. You get wired charging, not MagSafe. There is an Action Button, but no Camera Control. There are a lot of simplifications.
The 16E’s display is more like a version of the iPhone 14’s screen, with a notch for Face ID components. The screen of the regular iPhone 16 is slightly brighter, but in practice they look about the same. The minimum display brightness of the 16E does not go down to 1 nit, as the iPhone 16 can, and this has caused complaints from reviewers. The lack of Dynamic Island also causes inconvenience in use.
All of the real-time information, such as live sports scores and distance to Uber, is still displayed on the 16E’s lock screen. But Dynamic Island keeps this information at the top of the screen while you do other things on your phone. This is convenient for those who are already used to this feature.
«However, Dynamic Island probably won’t be a big loss if you’re used to a phone without it», says The Verge reviewer.
The iPhone 16e has only one 48-megapixel camera module. It takes good photos, but the lack of an ultra-wide module limits the shooting options. At the same time, there is no macro shooting, and the portrait mode is outdated, with no way to change the focus after shooting.
Overall, the camera does a good job of recording 4K video, has optical image stabilization, and provides accurate color reproduction. A better phone camera would offer better options for capturing moving subjects in dim lighting, but this one holds up in most situations.
This model is equipped with the new Apple C1 modem. The reviewer used the smartphone to make FaceTime calls, download large video files in crowded places, and stream YouTube on a bus. The testing took place alongside a regular iPhone 16 equipped with a Qualcomm modem — both on Verizon. There was no significant difference in performance between the two.
The battery life of the iPhone 16e was at a decent level. After 5 hours of active use, 41% of the charge remained.
Despite the advertising, the new artificial intelligence features are not yet very useful. They are there, but they don’t define the iPhone 16e experience.
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
The iPhone 16e covers the basic requirements of people for a smartphone, for example, those who are upgrading from an older model and rarely take photos, but want an iPhone.
«For those who want more flexibility from their smartphone’s camera or accessory system, this iPhone is not for you», the reviewer concludes.
Expect ITC.UA’s own review of the iPhone 16e in the near future.
If you can’t decide which iPhone 16 is best suited for your needs, we suggest a comparison table of the characteristics of the entire line, including the iPhone 16e.