Technologies

I Tested the $599 iPhone 16E and Was Surprised by All the Features You Don’t Get

Apple’s most affordable phone has a cluster of premium tools and features, but in order to hit a sub-$600 price, Apple had to omit a number of things.

When I reviewed the iPhone 16E I was charmed by its simplicity and frustrated by its $599 price. The phone is $200 less than the iPhone 16 but $100 more than rivals like the $499 Pixel 9A (and Google’s cheap phone comes with two rear cameras).

The iPhone 16E has many of the iPhone 16’s best features, like an A18 chip, a 48-megapixel main camera, iOS 18, Apple Intelligence and access to Apple services like Facetime, iMessage and Emergency SOS via Satellite. What more could you want, right?

Well, as with other affordable phones, compromises were made to get to that lower price. These omissions tell you a lot about what Apple values — like Apple Intelligence, for example. I’ve reviewed more budget phones than I can count, and the best ones always offer far more than just their low sticker price. It’s a pleasant surprise when a company like Motorola, OnePlus or Google nails the balance of what to keep and what to omit.

Let’s take a look at the features you don’t get on the iPhone 16E. And just because this Apple phone lacks a feature doesn’t make it bad… unless it’s a feature you want.

MagSafe and Qi2

MagSafe has become a popular aspect of being an iPhone owner, and it’s wild that the iPhone 16E doesn’t have it. MagSafe debuted in 2020 on the iPhone 12 and uses magnets inside the phone to help it wirelessly charge by ensuring it’s in the optimum position. The magnets have an added benefit because they let you attach magnetic accessories to your iPhone, like a wallet or battery pack, as well as secure your phone to mounts, like one in a car.

The iPhone 16’s MagSafe supports 25-watt wireless charging speeds. But the iPhone 16E only supports 7.5W wireless charging, the original Qi standard — not even Qi2 speeds of 15W.

Ultrawide, macro camera

The iPhone 16E has something of a rarity in 2025: a single rear camera. But as I’ve said before, in other stories and reviews, I’d rather have one really good camera than the two or three mediocre ones that can often be found on sub-$300 phones. The 16E’s main camera has a 48-megapixel sensor, which has enough resolution for sensor cropping to offer a 2x magnification — not quite the same as having a second camera, but close.

Sensor cropping can’t replace having a dedicated ultrawide camera, which on the iPhone 16 doubles as a macro camera, letting you focus on close-up subjects, like for food photos.

3 grams

The iPhone 16E weighs 167 grams, making it 3 grams lighter than the 170-gram iPhone 16. Hey, not all omissions are bad.

Dynamic Island

The iPhone 16E brings back the screen notch, a cutout at the top of the screen that houses the phone’s selfie camera and FaceID technology. But it lacks the Dynamic Island cutout, which is a smaller, oval-shaped hole at the top of the display on the iPhone 16. Apple uses the screen space around the Dynamic Island cutout to show system alerts as well as background tasks, like when music is playing. Obviously the 16E’s lack of a Dynamic Island won’t prevent it from showing alerts, but it’s still missing out on a clever software interface.

Qualcomm 5G modem and mmWave

In its launch video, Apple proudly pointed out that the iPhone 16E has an in-house designed 5G modem called C1. The new Apple modem forgoes the Qualcomm 5G modems used in other iPhone models. Designing its own modem allows Apple to tailor the device for its phones. The new modem helps extend the iPhone 16E’s battery life, which Apple says is longer than it is with other iPhone 16 models.

But the C1 modem has one wrinkle: It doesn’t support 5G mmWave (or ultra-wideband), which is the very fast flavor of 5G that you might experience in parts of some cities or at a stadium for an event.

Color options

When the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus launched, one of the best aspects was that they came in colors like ultramarine, teal and pink. The iPhone 16E comes in only black or white.

Five GPU cores

One of the iPhone 16E’s biggest features is that, like the iPhone 16, it has the A18 chip and can run Apple Intelligence. But the chip isn’t exactly the same. The iPhone 16’s A18 chip has five GPU cores, while the 16E’s has only four. So, what does that mean exactly? Well, the good news is that the difference doesn’t have a noticeable effect on daily use with the iPhone 16E. But if you’re someone who plays graphics-intensive games for hours on end, the iPhone 16 could have a slight edge.

Camera Control button

Apple’s omission of the Camera Control button, which also triggers Visual Intelligence searches, makes sense, since the 16E has only a single camera. Those people who are likely to use a Camera Control button are probably going to get an iPhone 16 or 16 Pro, because those models have more cameras. Apple also smartly enabled the 16E’s Action button to start a Visual Intelligence search.

Ultra-wideband, Wi-Fi 7 and Thread

The iPhone 16E lacks Apple’s ultra-wideband chip, meaning you won’t be able to use the Precision Tracking feature in Find My for AirTags. The phone supports Wi-Fi 6 but not the newer 6E or 7 standards. Wi-Fi 6 speeds are good, but as more Wi-Fi 7 routers come out, the 16E won’t be able to take advantage of faster peak speeds. The 16E also lacks support for Thread radio and won’t be able to directly connect to some smart home devices with a built-in Thread border router.

Apple’s New iPhone 16E in 8 Photos

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Action, Cinematic and Spatial video modes

The iPhone 16E’s Camera app doesn’t have:

Action mode for stabilizing video recordings with lots of camera shake
Cinematic mode for recording videos with a faux shallow depth of field
Spatial mode for recording «3D» videos for the Vision Pro, which needs two cameras

Other odds and ends

The iPhone 16E has Photographic Styles, but not the newer ones that debuted on the iPhone 16 series. The 16E can take Portrait mode photos, but it lacks the ability to change focus after the fact like on the iPhone 16. The 16E’s display is covered with Ceramic Shield, but not the newer, more durable version that’s on the iPhone 16.

Though this list of omissions is long, that doesn’t mean the iPhone 16E is a bad phone. I look forward to getting my hands on one and testing it soon.

Apple iPhone 16E Specs vs. iPhone 16, iPhone SE (2022), iPhone 15

	Apple iPhone 16E	iPhone 16	iPhone SE (2022)	iPhone 15
Display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate	6.1-inch OLED display; 2,532×1,170 pixels; 60Hz refresh rate	6.1-inch OLED display; 2,556×1,179 pixels; 60Hz refresh rate	4.7-inch LCD; 1,334×750 pixels; 60Hz refresh rate	6.1-inch OLED; 2,556×1,179 pixels; 60hz refresh rate
Pixel density	460ppi	460ppi	326ppi	460ppi
Dimensions (inches)	5.78×2.82×0.31	5.81×2.82×0.31	5.45×2.65×0.29	2.82×5.81×0.31
Dimensions (millimeters)	146.7×71.5×7.8	147.6×71.6×7.8	138.4×67.3×7.3	71.6×147.6×7.8
Weight	167 grams (5.88 ounces)	170g (6oz)	144g (5.09oz)	171g (6.02oz)
Mobile software	iOS 18	iOS 18	iOS 15	iOS 17
Camera	48 megapixel (wide)	48 megapixel (wide), 12 megapixel (ultrawide)	12 megapixel (wide)	48 megapixel (wide), 12 megapixel (ultrawide)
Front-facing camera	12 megapixel	12 megapixel	7 megapixel	12 megapixel
Video capture	4K	4K	4K	4K
Processor	Apple A18	Apple A18	Apple A15 Bionic	Apple A16 Bionic
RAM/storage	128GB, 256GB, 512GB	128GB, 256GB, 512GB	64GB, 128GB, 256GB	128GB, 256GB, 512GB
Expandable storage	None	None	None	None
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	Up to 22 hours video playback; up to 18 hours video playback (streamed). 20W wired charging. MagSafe wireless charging up to 25W with 30W adapter or higher; Qi2 up to 15W	Battery size not disclosed (charger not included; supports wireless charging)	Undisclosed; Apple says up to 20 hours of video playback (16 hours streamed)
Fingerprint sensor	None (Face ID)	None (Face ID)	Home button	None (Face ID)
Connector	USB-C	USB-C	Lightning	USB-C
Headphone jack	None	None	None	None
Special features	Action button, Apple C1 5G modem, Apple Intelligence, Ceramic Shield, Emergency SOS, satellite connectivity, IP68 resistance	Apple Intelligence, Action button, Camera Control button, Dynamic Island, 1 to 2,000 nits display brightness range, IP68 resistance. Colors: black, white, pink, teal, ultramarine.	5G-enabled; supports 25W wired fast charging; Water resistant (IP67); dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM); wireless charging	Dynamic Island; 5G (mmw/Sub6); MagSafe; water resistant (IP68); wireless charging; eSIM; satellite connectivity
US price starts at	$599 (128GB), $699 (256GB), $899 (512GB)	$799 (128GB), $899 (256GB), $1,099 (512GB)	$399 (64GB), $449 (128GB), $549 (256GB)	$799 (128GB), $899 (256GB), $1,099 (512GB)
UK price starts at	£599 (128GB), £699 (256GB), £899 (512GB)	£799 (128GB), £899 (256GB), £1,099 (512GB)	£419 (64GB), £469 (128GB), £569 (256GB)	£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)	AU$749 (64GB), AU$829 (128GB), AU$999 (256GB)	AU$1,499 (128GB), AU$1,699 (256GB), AU$2,049 (512GB)

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Oct. 26 #602

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Oct. 26, No. 602.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle is a fun one, and timely, too. Some of the answers are a bit tough to unscramble, so if you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Fall-ing

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Crisp season.

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

HARD, DUST, MORN, LOOT, HAVE, GALE, LOAF, TOOL, VEST, BUMP, DOUBT, BALE, BALL, FOOT, CHARD

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

CORN, FOLIAGE, HARVEST, FOOTBALL, ORCHARDS, PUMPKINS

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is AUTUMN. To find it, look for the A that’s five letters down on the far-left row, and wind across.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Oct. 26, #868

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle No. 868 for Sunday, Oct. 26.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle has a diverse mix of topics. I laughed out loud at the green category. As a Gen Xer, I remember actually singing a song about that topic in music class back in the day. Today’s categories are not too tough, but if you need help, you’re in the right place. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Music.

Green group hint: The Greatest.

Blue group hint: Time to compete.

Purple group hint: Teeny tiny.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Kinds of instruments.

Green group: Words in a famous Muhammad Ali quote.

Blue group: Kinds of contests.

Purple group: Words with diminutive suffixes.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is kinds of instruments. The four answers are brass, percussion, string and wind.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is words in a famous Muhammad Ali quote. The four answers are bee, butterfly, float and sting.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is kinds of contests. The four answers are beauty, popularity, staring and talent.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is words with diminutive suffixes. The four answers are doggy, droplet, kitchenette and starling.

Technologies

Level Up Your Pokemon Legends: Z-A Adventure With These Active Free Gifts

Get ready for a new adventure. These free mystery gift codes and rewards are available for you to grab today.

After 12 years, it’s finally time for Pokemon players to head back to the Kalos region in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, the newest game in the popular monster-catching franchise. If you’ve missed the worldwide capital of Mega Pokemon, fairy-type Pokemon and a whole bunch of baked bread, now’s the time to jump back into the world of pocket monsters.

The Switch 2’s first Pokemon game seems a bit scarier this time around. Though the beautiful Lumiose City projects safety and security, recent unexplained rampages from wild Mega Pokemon threaten the peace.

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

Between unearthing the cause of this phenomenon and taking down competitors in the Z-A Royale Pokemon battle ladder, there’s a lot of work to do in the Kalos region. You’ll need special partners to get the job done — and there are some special Mystery Gifts that have just the powerful pals you’re looking for.

There are already multiple Mystery Gift codes you can use right now in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, unlocking rare Pokemon and tons of items to help you get started on a new Pokemon journey.

All active Mystery Gifts for Pokemon Legends: Z-A

While some Pokemon Legends: Z-A promo codes are uniquely tied to Nintendo purchases, we’ve gathered every free code and redemption requirement in one place for you here.

Below is a chart that contains every active Mystery Gift code for Pokemon Legends: Z-A, what it unlocks and its expiration date:

Active Pokemon Legends: Z-A Mystery Gifts

Reward	Code or alternative redemption requirements	Expiration date
Ralts holding Gardevoirite	No associated code. Select «Get via internet» in the Mystery Gift menu.	Feb. 28, 2026
100x Poke Balls	Every code is unique. You can unlock the code for this Mystery Gift by purchasing the digital version of Pokemon Legends: Z-A. The code will be sent to the email associated with your Nintendo account.	March 10, 2026
3x Fast Balls, 3x Lure Balls, 3x Heavy Balls, 3x Level Balls	Every code is unique. You can unlock the code for this Mystery Gift by purchasing the Mega Dimension DLC. The code will be sent to the email associated with your Nintendo account.	March 10, 2026

How to redeem Mystery Gifts in Pokemon Legends: Z-A

If you have Mystery Gift codes to redeem in Pokemon Legends: Z-A, you’re likely eager to grab those rewards as soon as possible. But you need to do a little bit of legwork before unlocking the code redemption menu.

To unlock Mystery Gift functionality, you need to progress through the main story until you reach the third main mission, called A New Life in Lumiose City.

During this mission, you’ll meet Mable, the acting director of the Pokemon Research Lab in Kalos. Once you unlock Mable’s research, a new «Link Play» tab becomes accessible in the pause menu.

Within the Link Play tab, you can redeem Mystery Gift codes — as long as you’re connected to the internet.

What are Mystery Gifts?

Mystery Gifts are a long-running way to reward Pokemon players with extra goodies. The official gift distributions have existed since Pokemon Gold and Silver was released in 1999.

Back then, players needed to have special hardware — like a Game Boy Advance Wireless Adaptor — in order to acquire Mystery Gifts. Newer games make the process much easier, since you need only connect to Wi-Fi in order to access gifts for the Pokemon games on the Nintendo Switch.

While some Mystery Gifts are accessible for free, others are unlocked by promo codes that you’ll have to hunt down through specific means. Mystery Gifts are good ways to gather precious items, add mythical Pokemon to the Pokedex and capture rare shiny Pokemon.