Apple has been teasing for a week that they would be adding a new product to its lineup. Speculation had been anywhere from a new Home Pod, to Air Tags, but instead we got a brand new phone model the iPhone 16e. The goal of the 16e is to be budget friendly so Apple did have to cut a few corners.
For $599, you get a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display sporting the notch from the iPhone 14 generation and a True Depth camera with Face ID. The 16e does support Apple’s new Apple Intelligence AI, powered by the A18 processor. The 16e does come with satellite communications and interestingly is Apple’s first attempt at its own in house modem named the C1.
The C1 promises better battery life while still supporting all connectivity standards. The software features do match the bigger iPhone siblings. The Action button can be mapped to your preference. Apple did cut some corners with the camera options, choosing to keep things more basic. Its a one camera system that Apple calls its 2-in-1 camera system. A 48MP single lens camera with night mode and portrait support. The high resolutions sensor does allow for a 2x crop. 4K60 is supported for video.
There are only two colors for the 16e: black or white. Storage options are 128 GB, 256 GB, and 512 GB. Preorders are available on February 21st, and the phones ship on February 28th.
