Technologies

iPhone 16E vs. iPhone SE (2022): How Apple’s Budget Phones Compare

The iPhone 16E packs plenty of new features but also carries a higher price tag. Here’s how the phones stack up.

Apple’s latest budget phone, the iPhone 16E is finally out, three years after the launch of the third-generation iPhone SE. That’s a relatively long time for mobile developments to evolve — and for the sticker price to rise alongside those improvements.

The 2022 iPhone SE had a $429 starting price, and the iPhone 16E starts at a notably higher $599. Apple has removed the older, cheaper iPhone SE from its store, so you’ll have to buy it secondhand or head to a third-party seller to get your hands on one. You can check out a list of the best iPhone 16E deals here.

So, what improvements will you find on the iPhone 16E, and how does it compare with its predecessor? Here’s everything you need to know.

Display and build

While the 2022 iPhone SE had a 4.7-inch LCD display, the iPhone 16E levels things up with a 6.1-inch OLED display (still with a 60Hz refresh rate, though; sorry). With the 16E, you still won’t get some features found on Apple’s pricier flagship phones like Dynamic Island or a Camera Control button, but you will get an Action button.

Perhaps the biggest design change is that, with the switch to a full front screen, Apple has scrapped the home button on the iPhone 16E, opting instead for Face ID to match the rest of its current phones. The 16E has also been upgraded to a USB-C port, spelling the end for Lightning. Neither phone has a headphone jack.

Both the iPhone SE and iPhone 16E have aluminum frames, with the larger size of the 16E giving it a bit more weight: 167 grams, versus the SE’s 144g. The iPhone SE has an IP67 rating for water resistance, while the 16E bumps that to an IP68 rating.

The iPhone SE comes in black, white and Product RED. The iPhone 16E comes in black and white.

Camera comparison

The iPhone SE and iPhone 16E each have one rear camera: a 12-megapixel wide camera on the SE and a 48-megapixel wide on the 16E. The 16E also upgrades the front-facing camera from 7 megapixels to 12 megapixels.

Both phones shoot 4K video at 60 frames per second.

Battery and charging

Apple has been touting improved battery on the iPhone 16E, which the company says can support up to 26 hours of video playback, versus 15 hours on the iPhone SE. That longer battery life is largely due to the iPhone 16E packing Apple’s first-ever 5G modem, called the C1. The company calls it the «most power-efficient modem ever in an iPhone.»

Both phones support 20-watt wired charging and 7.5-watt wireless charging.

Processor, Apple Intelligence and storage

The 2022 iPhone runs on the A15 Bionic chip, while the iPhone 16E is powered by the A18 chip — just like the $799 iPhone 16. That means Apple’s latest lower-priced phone can also support Apple Intelligence, just like the iPhone 16 lineup and the iPhone 15 Pro models. It also supports Emergency SOS and satellite connectivity, so you can message emergency services and your loved ones, even when you don’t have a cellular connection.

While the iPhone SE comes with 64GB, 128GB, or 256GB of storage, the iPhone 16E offers a larger 512GB storage option, as well as 128GB and 256GB options. Neither phone has expandable storage.

Check out the spec chart below for more details on each phone.

iPhone 16E vs. iPhone SE (2022)

	Apple iPhone 16E	Apple iPhone SE (2022)
Display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate	6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display; 2,532×1,170 pixels; 60Hz refresh rate	4.7-inch LCD; (1,334×750 pixels); 60Hz
Pixel density	460ppi	326ppi
Dimensions (inches)	5.78 x 2.82 x 0.31 in.	5.45 x 2.65 x 0.29 in.
Dimensions (millimeters)	146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8 mm	138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3 mm
Weight (grams, ounces)	167g (5.88 oz.)	5.09 oz.; 144g
Mobile software	iOS 18	iOS 15
Camera	48-megapixel (wide)	12-megapixel (wide)
Front-facing camera	12-megapixel	7-megapixel
Video capture	4K at 60fps	4K
Processor	A18	Apple A15 Bionic
RAM/storage	128GB, 256GB, 512GB	64GB, 128GB, 256GB
Expandable storage	No	No
Battery	Up to 26 hours video playback, 21 hours streamed video playback, 90 hours of audio playback. 20W wired charging, 7.5W Qi wireless charging	Battery NA (20W wired charging — charger not included), 7.5W wireless charging
Fingerprint sensor	No, Face ID	Home button
Connector	USB-C	Lightning
Headphone jack	No	None
Special features	Action button, Apple C1 5G modem, Apple Intelligence, Ceramic Shield, Emergency SOS, satellite connectivity, IP68 resistance	5G-enabled; supports 25W wired fast charging; Water resistant (IP67); dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM); wireless charging
US price starts at	$599 (128GB), $699 (256GB), $899 (512GB)	$429 (64GB), $479 (128GB), $579 (256GB)
UK price starts at	£599 (128GB), £699 (256GB), £899 (512GB)	£419 (64GB), £469 (128GB), £569 (256GB)
Australian price starts at	AU$999 (128GB), AU$1,199 (256GB), AU$1,549 (512GB)	AU$749 (64GB), AU$829 (128GB), AU$999 (256GB)

Technologies

Lossless Audio Finally Arrives for Spotify Premium Subscribers. Here’s How to Enable It

The streaming audio company says the feature is rolling out to Premium subscribers in some regions.

Lossless audio, a format that Spotify says has been much-requested by subscribers over the years, is finally arriving on the streaming service.

In a post, the company says that 24-bit/44.1kHz FLAC audio will now be an option for premium subscribers in select markets «across nearly every song available in Spotify.»

Subscribers will have the option to adjust music quality as low, normal, high, very high and now lossless, with the option to see how much data each tier requires.
While audio formats such as MP3 or AAC use varying degrees of compression to reduce file sizes — which means you don’t get the full depth and range of the music — lossless formats including FLAC and Apple’s ALAC preserve the original data from a song without any quality loss.

In addition to working in Spotify’s apps, the company says, lossless audio will be available on some Spotify Connect devices from Sony, Bose, Samsung, Sennheiser and other manufacturers. It plans to add support for Sonos and Amazon audio devices next month, according to the post.

The lossless feature has been a missing component on the service, which launched in 2008 and became available in the US in 2011. Some of its audio-streaming competitors added lossless before Spotify.

«Spotify has promised a lossless music tier for many years, originally dubbed Supremium, and it is one of the last of its competitors to add uncompressed tunes,» said Ty Pendlebury, TV and home video editor at CNET. «Both Apple and Amazon added complimentary lossless and hi-res files back in 2021, while YouTube Music is one of the only holdouts by only offering compressed music.»

Spotify says lossless is eventually rolling out to 50 different markets.

How to enable lossless audio on Spotify

Once you receive a notification from Spotify that lossless is available, you can use the Spotify app to enable the feature.

To do this, tap on your profile image, go to Settings & Privacy, then Media Quality and select where to enable the format: over Wi-Fi, over cellular or in downloads.

The company says you need to enable the feature manually for each device you use.

Technologies

You Can Play Hollow Knight: Silksong on Xbox Game Pass Now

Microsoft is adding a few other games to the service soon, but everyone knows we’re here to play Silksong, right?

The wait is over. After years of rumors and speculation, Hollow Knight: Silksong, the sequel to the award-winning indie darling Hollow Knight, is here. And Xbox Game Pass subscribers can play the highly anticipated sequel right now at no additional cost.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, a CNET Editors’ Choice award pick, offers hundreds of games you can play on your Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Amazon Fire TV, smart TV and PC or mobile device for $20 a month. A subscription gives you access to a large library of games, with new ones, like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, added monthly, plus other benefits such as online multiplayer and deals on non-Game Pass titles.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source on Chrome.

Here are all the games Microsoft is adding to Game Pass soon. You can also check out the games the company added to the service in August, including Gears of War: Reloaded.

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can play now.

The wait is over for one of the most anticipated indie games in recent memory. You play as the hunter and princess Hornet as she ascends to Hallownest’s peak. You’ll venture through mossy grottos, craft deadly tools and take on over 200 powerful bugs with acrobatic skills as you climb to the top. But you aren’t just taking down everything in your path. You’ll also befriend strangers and unlock secrets that might help you in your quest.

I Am Your Beast

Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass and Game Pass Standard subscribers can play now.

This covert, revenge thriller is like a comic book in game form. You play as a retired secret agent who gets called in for «one last job.» But unlike other stories where the hero says, «Yes,» you say, «No.» So now the military-industrial complex is hunting you through the North American wilderness. You have to evade your enemies and sabotage their equipment to survive.

Nine Sols

New to Game Pass Standard.

Don’t let the cute cat-like hero fool you; this game can be brutal. This 2D action platformer is about revenge. You play as an ancient hero who awakes from a 500-year slumber to embark on a vengeful journey against those who imprisoned them. The hand-drawn art style and gameplay inspired by Sekiro make this a uniquely challenging and beautiful game.

Game Pass Ultimate subscribers could play this game in December, and Game Pass Standard subscribers can play this difficult but rewarding game soon, too.

Cataclismo

Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can play now.

This game combines resource management, real-time strategy, siege defense and exploration into one title. Creatures from a corrupted world, called Horrors, are seeking to destroy humanity, so you have to build intricate fortresses to fend off waves of enemies. Once the Horrors are gone, you’ll forage for resources outside of your defenses during the day to help in the next night’s attacks. Will you be able to find a way to put a stop to the Horrors once and for all, or will you fall like the rest of humanity?

Paw Patrol World

Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass and Game Pass Standard subscribers can play now.

Microsoft removed this kid-friendly game from Game Pass in February, and the company is bringing it back to the service this month. You can play as Chase, Skye, Marshall or Everest as they save the day across locations like Adventure Bay, Jake’s Mountain, the Jungle and Barkingburg. Use your nose to sniff out secrets and pup treats you can use to unlock new outfits and more for your pup.

RoadCraft

Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can play on Sept. 16.

When natural disasters strike, someone has to clean up the damage and restore the local infrastructure. That’s where you and your company come in. You’ll use construction machinery to clear debris, replace faulty equipment and rebuild roads, bridges and more. Don’t just throw all that debris away. Some of it can be recycled and used for reconstruction in this building simulator.

Games leaving Xbox Game Pass on Sept. 15

While Microsoft is adding all those games to Game Pass soon, the company is removing a few others from the service on Sept. 15. So you still have some time to finish your main campaign and any side quests in these games before you’ll have to buy them separately.

For more on Xbox, discover other games available on Game Pass now, read our hands-on review of the gaming service and learn which Game Pass plan is right for you. You can also check out what to know about upcoming Xbox game price hikes.