- The long-rumored iPhone SE 4 has launched as iPhone 16e today (February 19, 2025).
- The iPhone 16e packs the iPhone 16’s A18 chip into an iPhone 14 chassis with a single rear camera and Action button.
- It lacks the ultrawide band chip and MagSafe charging found on recent iPhone models.
- The 16e is also now the most affordable iPhone with Apple Intelligence features.
After over a year of rumors, Apple has finally unveiled its fourth-generation affordable iPhone, albeit not called the iPhone SE 4 but instead the iPhone 16e. Launched via press release, not at a physical event as previously expected, the iPhone 16e comes with an iPhone 14-like design and modern specifications. Here are the full iPhone 16e features and specifications.
iPhone 16e: Features and Specifications
Design and Display
The iPhone 16e features a major design revamp. It has a flat-edged aluminum chassis with a matte back. The front does away with the home button and Touch ID, opting instead for Face ID within the notch. The dimensions are exactly the same as the iPhone 14’s, meaning Apple has used the same chassis here.
The new iPhone comes in two matte color options: black and white. There’s no PRODUCT(RED) option this time, unlike the last-generation model. While the design is familiar, the phone does look premium and has a nostalgic feel to it (iPhone XR users will relate). Apple has retained the IP68 rating here.
And while there’s no Camera Control button here (thank goodness!), you will find the Action button above the volume rockers. Use it to toggle the flashlight, open apps, or perform any other function on your iPhone.
The iPhone 16e is equipped with a 6.1-inch OLED display with a 2532 x 1170 resolution at 460 ppi. It supports HDR, Haptic Touch, and True Tone. It also boasts a typical peak brightness of 800 nits and can reach 1200 nits in HDR.
Unfortunately, the refresh rate remains at 60Hz, which is a bit disappointing but not unexpected for a budget-focused iPhone. In comparison, the iPhone SE 3 had a smaller 4.7-inch LCD with a 750 × 1334 resolution.
Performance and Features
The iPhone is powered by the latest A18 chip with a new 6-core CPU with 2 performance and 4 efficiency cores, a new 4-core GPU, and a new 16-core Neural Engine. It’s worth noting that the A18 chip in the iPhone 16 has a 5-core GPU, so Apple has reduced the GPU core count by one in the iPhone 16e to cut costs.
Regardless, the processor is based on the latest 3nm process and offers the best performance you can get for the price. The device has 8GB of RAM and comes in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage options.
Apple Intelligence features are standard here. This also means it’s now the most affordable iPhone with AI features, replacing the iPhone 16. You get the Cleanup tool to remove objects from photos, a new context-aware Siri, Writing Tools, Genmoji for creating emojis using AI, Image Playground for image generation, and more.
Camera
The iPhone 16e sheds those extra camera lenses to settle back again with a single rear camera. It’s a 48-megapixel Fusion Camera with 26mm, f/1.6 aperture, and OIS, and can capture 24-megapixel and 48-megapixel photos.
It also enables a 12-megapixel 2x telephoto at 52mm, f/1.6 aperture (cropping the higher resolution into the equivalent of 2x zoom) and supports up to 10x digital zoom.
The camera supports Night Mode, Photographic Styles, Deep Fusion, and Smart HDR 5. It can record 4K at 60 fps max, 1080p Dolby Vision at up to 60 fps, and slow-motion video for 1080p at 120 fps or 240 fps.
For selfies and Face ID, there’s a 24-megapixel camera with an f/1.9 aperture in the front notch. It supports autofocus, Night Mode, and can record 4K video at up to 60 fps. To recall, the third-generation iPhone SE had a 12-megapixel rear and 7-megapixel selfie camera.
Battery and Charging
Using the iPhone 14 chassis allows for a larger battery capacity than what older SE models could fit in. Apple hasn’t mentioned the official figures, but it’s said to last longer than the iPhone 16’s battery.
Apple says it can play videos for up to 26 hours, stream videos online for up to 21 hours, and play audio for up to 90 hours. The iPhone 16, for instance, is rated at 22 hours for video playback, 18 hours for online video playback, and 80 hours for audio streaming.
Charging speeds remain at 20W, the same as the iPhone 16. You can use a compatible 20W PD charger to charge it to 50% in about 30 minutes. You can also charge it wirelessly using Qi charging at up to 7.5W. There’s no MagSafe charging here, which means MagSafe cases and accessories won’t work as nicely.
Connectivity
The iPhone 16e supports Dual SIM, VoLTE, Wi-Fi Calling, Spatial Audio, GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou and NavIC, a digital compass, 5G sub-6GHz and NR, Wi‑Fi 6 (802.11ax) with 2×2 MIMO, Bluetooth 5.3, and NFC with Reader mode.
Apple is using its own Apple C1 modem here, which helps with better battery life. However, we still do not know how well it will work in comparison to Qualcomm’s modem used on other iPhones. Unfortunately, Apple has gotten rid of the ultrawide band chip to cut costs.
iPhone 16e: Quick Overview
Here are iPhone 16e specifications at a glance:
| Specification | iPhone 16e |
|---|---|
| Design and Build | Ceramic Shield Front, Glass Back Aluminium Frame |
| Dimensions | 146.7mm x 71.5mm x 7.80mm |
| Durability | Ceramic Shield, IP68 Rating, Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating |
| Weight | 167 grams |
| Display | 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR Display, 2532 x 1170 resolution at 460 ppi, 800 nits max brightness (typical), 1200 nits peak brightness (HDR), TrueTone, HDR, 20,00,000:1 contrast ratio (typical) |
| Processor | A18 Chip New 6‑core CPU with 2 performance + 4 efficiency cores New 4‑core GPU New 16‑core Neural Engine |
| RAM | 8GB |
| Storage | 128GB/256GB/512GB |
| OS | iOS 18 |
| Rear Camera | 48-megapixel |
| Front Camera | 24-megapixel |
| Battery | 3,279mAh (not official) |
| Charging | 20W PD |
| Connectivity Features | 5G (sub-6GHz and NR), 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, Apple C1 modem, NFC, GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou, VoLTE, Wi-Fi Calling, and USB-C 2.0 |
iPhone 16e: Pricing and Availability
The iPhone 16e price in the US starts at $599 for the base model with 128GB of storage. The 256GB model will set you back $699, while the 512GB storage variant is priced at $899.
In India, the iPhone 16e starts at ₹59,900 for the 128GB model. The 256GB and 512GB models are priced at ₹69,900 and ₹89,900, respectively.
The device will be available in two matte finishes: black and white. Colorful cases are available as separate accessories. Pre-orders will begin February 21st at 5:00 AM PST or 6:30 PM IST, and the phone will start shipping on February 28th.
The starting price for the iPhone 16e base model is about $200 lower than the starting price of the iPhone 16, which is good considering it brings the latest processor, AI features, and other updates, albeit within a familiar design.
You might also consider this as a replacement for people who would otherwise have picked older iPhone 14 and 15 on discount, not because it offers any major improvements, but because it’s simply more future-proof than the outgoing models.
