Technologies

iPhone 16E vs. iPhone 16: How Apple’s Phones Compare

The $599 iPhone 16E scales back on some features, but shares many similarities with the $799 iPhone 16. Here’s everything to consider.

The $599 iPhone 16E is Apple’s most affordable iPhone, and it shares many features with the $799 iPhone 16. But there are also features you’ll have to sacrifice for that $200 discount.

While some core components like the A18 chip, iOS 18 and Apple Intelligence are on both devices, there are differences across cameras, design and battery.

Here’s how the iPhone 16E compares to the baseline iPhone 16.

Display and build

The iPhone 16E and iPhone 16 both have a 6.1-inch OLED display with a 60Hz refresh rate. The 16E has a peak brightness of 1,200 nits, while the 16 reaches 2,000 nits. A ceramic shield front and glass back are featured on each phone.

The devices have an aluminum design and are about as heavy as each other, with the iPhone 16E weighing in at 167 grams and the iPhone 16 at 170 grams.

Both phones also have an Action button, but only the iPhone 16 has a Camera Control button. The Dynamic Island feature is also limited to the pricier model. The devices each have an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance.

Apple drops the home button on its new budget phone in favor of Face ID, just like the iPhone 16. Both devices also have a USB-C port, and neither has a headphone jack.

The iPhone 16E comes in black and white, while the iPhone 16 comes in black, white, pink, teal and ultramarine.

Apple’s New iPhone 16E in 8 Photos

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Battery and storage

Both the iPhone 16E and 16 come in 128GB, 256GB and 512GB options. Apple boasts that the 16E can get up to 26 hours of video playback and 21 hours of streamed video playback, while the 16 will last for up to 22 hours of video playback and 18 hours of streamed video playback.

One of the reasons behind the cheaper iPhone’s longer battery life is because it runs on Apple’s very first 5G modem, called C1. The company says its C1 modem is the «most power-efficient modem ever in an iPhone» and as a result helps increase the phone’s battery life.

They each support 20-watt wired charging. The iPhone 16E supports 7.5W Qi wireless charging, while the iPhone 16 is capable of 15W Qi2 charging, as well as MagSafe wireless charging up to 25W with a 30W adapter or higher.

Cameras at a glance

You’ll find a 48-megapixel wide camera on both the iPhone 16E and iPhone 16, as well as a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera on the 16. To make up for its lower camera count, the 16E uses sensor cropping to get a 2x magnification for better zoomed-in shots (as does the iPhone 16). Both phones have a 12-megapixel front-facing camera.

You can shoot 4K video at 60 frames per second on each device. On the iPhone 16, you can shoot 1080p spatial video, but only at 30 frames per second.

Apple Intelligence for all

One of the biggest upgrades to Apple’s lower-priced iPhone is the inclusion of Apple Intelligence, which was previously confined to iPhone 15 Pro models and the iPhone 16 lineup. Now you can spend less and still get access to features like a smarter Siri, writing tools and the Clean Up tool in photos.

This move signals Apple’s eagerness to get its AI suite into more people’s hands, and indicates that AI is now a core component of any iPhone, from the cheapest option to the most premium.

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

Apple iPhone 16E vs. iPhone 16

	Apple iPhone 16E	Apple iPhone 16
Display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate	6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display; 2,532×1,170 pixels; 60Hz refresh rate	6.1-inch OLED Super Retina XDR display; 2,556×1,179 pixels; 60Hz refresh rate
Pixel density	460ppi	460ppi
Dimensions (inches)	5.78×2.82×0.31	5.81×2.82×0.31
Dimensions (millimeters)	146.7×71.5×7.8	147.6×71.6×7.8
Weight	167 grams (5.88 ounces)	170 grams (6 ounces)
Mobile software	iOS 18	iOS 18
Camera	48 megapixel (wide)	48 megapixel (wide), 12 megapixel (ultrawide)
Front-facing camera	12 megapixel	12 megapixel
Video capture	4K at 60fps	4K at 60fps; spatial video at 1080p at 30fps
Processor	A18	A18
RAM/storage	128GB, 256GB, 512GB	128GB, 256GB, 512GB
Expandable storage	No	No
Battery	Up to 26 hours video playback, 21 hours streamed video playback, 90 hours of audio playback. 20-watt wired charging, 7.5-watt Qi wireless charging	Up to 22 hours video playback; up to 18 hours video playback (streamed). 20-watt wired charging. MagSafe wireless charging up to 25 watts with 30-watt adapter or higher; Qi2 up to 15 watts
Fingerprint sensor	None (Face ID)	None (Face ID)
Connector	USB-C	USB-C
Headphone jack	No	No
Special features	Action button, Apple C1 5G modem, Apple Intelligence, Ceramic Shield, Emergency SOS, satellite connectivity, IP68 resistance. Colors: black and white.	Apple Intelligence, Action button, Camera Control button, Dynamic Island, 1 to 2,000 nits display brightness range, IP68 resistance, Ceramic Shield. Colors: black, white, pink, teal, ultramarine.
US price starts at	$599 (128GB), $699 (256GB), $899 (512GB)	$799 (128GB), $899 (256GB), $1,099 (512GB)
UK price starts at	£599 (128GB), £699 (256GB), £899 (512GB)	£799 (128GB), £899 (256GB), £1,099 (512GB)
Australia price starts at	AU$999 (128GB), AU$1,199 (256GB), AU$1,549 (512GB)	AU$1,399 (128GB), AU$1,599 (256GB), AU$1,949 (512GB)

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The Hottest Switch 2 Accessory Could Be… a Lap Desk

Commentary: How else will you use the Joy-Cons’ cool new mouse feature?

One of the most interesting rumors about the Nintendo Switch 2’s Joy-Cons was that you could use them like computer mice. Now that the feature has been confirmed in the April 2 Nintendo Direct, and we’ve seen it used for action and strategy games, it’s pretty clear: The most-needed accessory for the new Switch 2 is a lap desk.

Given its rich history of introducing wacky new ways to control games, Nintendo can perhaps be forgiven for introducing a novel control function in a console that is otherwise largely identical to its predecessor. But the Switch 2 is a couch console when docked and freely roaming otherwise — rarely near a flat surface to use the Joy-Cons’ mouse functionality.

As a lap desk owner, fan and evangelizer, lap desks are the obvious answer to the mouse problem: portable around the house, multipurpose for work or play and somewhat affordable. Or at least, there are reasonable options that aren’t any pricier than the $90 Nintendo is asking for Switch 2 Joy-Cons.

While yes, any flat surface will technically do, just look at the gameplay for Drag x Drive, where players are shown running their dual Joy-Cons up and back in rapid succession. That seems hard to do on a makeshift surface like a clipboard or container lid. And for strategy games like Civilization 7, imagine not having a wide surface to move around the map and click in and out of menus.

Nintendo’s Treehouse stream for the launch game Drag x Drive showed how to use both Joy-Cons in mouse mode to move around. The presenter — playing on a desk — noted that players could run the controllers flat on their legs as alternative surfaces.

As CNET’s Scott Stein noted in his hands-on with the Switch 2, using the Joy-Cons on his legs was «a little less tiring» than on a desk — but presumably this only works well for a game like Drag x Drive, which relies on forward-and-back motion rather than side-to-side (unless you get really good at wrapping around your legs).

It’s worth pointing out how few of the Switch 2’s launch games and those coming later have mouse functionality — right now, only Drag x Drive requires it, while Civ 7 and Metroid Prime 4 Beyond optionally use Joy-Cons in mouse mode. Mario Party Jamboree will have also added mouse functionality in its Switch 2 version. We’ll wait to see how many games truly take advantage of this control potential.

Admittedly, the $450 Switch 2 and $80 Mario Kart World prices are already ruffling feathers, so expecting gamers to pay more for furniture just to get basic functionality for certain games is a big ask. But for all those couch crusaders planning their most relaxing way to play, a lap desk is the best way to have your Switch 2 and mouse with it, too.