iPhone 16e

Apple’s most affordable phone now starts at £599. But is it worth it?

- John Velasco

> From £599 > FROM apple.com/uk > FEATURES 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR Display (2532x1170 pixels), A18 chip (6-core CPU cores,4-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine) 128/256/512GB of storage, 48MP Fusion camera (rear), 12MP TrueDepth camera (front) with Face ID, Wi-Fi 6 (802.11be), Bluetooth 5.3, 5G NR, USB-C port, up to 26 hours of battery life (when playing video)

The phone features an all-round flat bezel and is waterand dust-proof to IP68

Apple has effectively retired the SE series with the announcement of the iPhone 16e. The new model is a huge step up over the third-gen SE, but Apple's making it harder than ever to decide whether to opt for the cheaper 16e or standard 16.

Starting at £599, the iPhone 16e costs £170 more than the iPhone SE it replaces, but £200 less than the iPhone 16. The 16e boasts double the storage capacities at 128GB for £599, and 256GB and 512GB capacities for £699 and £899 respectively. With the increase in price comes a modern-looking phone. The aluminium frame makes the 16e feel solidly constructed and not as fragile as the SE.

The design isn't far off from the iPhone 16, but the 16e is slightly shorter and lighter. The matt finish of the aluminium frame does a nice job of repelling fingerprints. And, like the current iPhone 16 design language, the 16e features an all-round flat bezel and is also waterand dust-proof to IP68. This cheaper model really could pass for the iPhone 16 because it also includes a USB-C port and Action button. That said, it lacks the Camera Control button, has a wider notch on the display, and sports a single rear camera.

The increase in overall size allows for a larger 6.1-inch OLED display. The striking colours and wide viewing angles of the Super Retina XDR display are marked improvements over the third-gen SE's LCD panel.