I didn’t expect much from the cheapest new iPhone, but it’s actually ok!

Inevitably, the release of the iPhone 16e was met with a somewhat muted response – and I was one of those that didn’t feel that there was too much to get excited over.

Oh, how a week can change your mind!

But now that I’ve been using it as my main device for the past 10 days, I reckon I’m in a pretty good place to chat about it – both the good and the bad. And here’s the surprise, it’s started to make some sense – even the price!

The fact that Apple chose to go with the name iPhone 16e still surprises me – I just don’t see how or why it makes sense. This phone is a standalone phone from the rest of the lineup, and as such, I’d have thought that sticking to an SE edition would’ve made more sense. Also, if, as we expect, this phone is to be on a two-year cycle, then it will still be on sale when the iPhone 18 is launched – and how can that make any sense?

I guess Apple knows what they are doing way better than me!

iPhone 16e – stripped back

I picked my phone up in London from Apple’s Battersea store and immediately put it to work.

As it turned out, it was a great way to baptise the phone – way better than simply having it delivered. It meant I could get to the heart of the phone straight away and get a real life sense of what it was really about. And the first thing that struck me was the weight – or better put the lack of it! It’s a featherweight and the lack of the weighty camera bump is something you quickly become addicted to.

It’s got a retro feel to it – simple and compact and it got me hooked from the get go.

As to who this phone is for or aimed at, well, I think that’s a pretty simple call. It’s clearly aimed at corporate and business users – companies will be buying it up by the shed load. The other market is for people that are still on iPhone 11, 12 or the iPhone SE. And Apple full well knows what these users want. They are not interested in having multiple lenses, focal lengths and photographic styles to choose from. These users want a cheap phone that works.

The end!

Design and stuff

I’ve already mentioned how the iPhone 16e takes you back.

We have grown so accustomed to heavy, large phones that the simplicity of this phone is a joy. The single camera lens not only means it saves a ton of weight, but it also wobbles less on the table test as well. Does that single lens mean that it compromises in quality? Not so much. All the pictures you can see on this story were taken on the iPhone 16e. There has been no editing, so you be the judge.

The bezels, if that’s something that worries you, are a little thicker than the rest of the iPhone 16 lineup, but I never found them getting in the way. Yes, it has a notch and no Dynamic Island – but that harks back to the pure simplicity of the 16e. It somehow isn’t an issue.

There are only two colour options – but does that matter? Inevitably, this phone will end up in a case – and again, for the kind of buyer after a ‘cheap’ iPhone, will they care that there aren’t a baffling amount of choices? What’s your guess?

Missing in action

I am not the target for this phone – so take what I’m about to say with a pinch of salt.

The features I miss the most coming from my iPhone 16 Pro Max are – the Always On Display, MagSafe and surprisingly, the Camera Control button. To a lesser degree I miss the Dynamic Island, but the other three elements I missed far more, with MagSafe being the main culprit.

Whether it’s in the car, on the bedside table or in the studio, I’ve just got so used to throwing the phone on MagSafe, that it’s become second nature. Missing the Camera Control button surprised me.

For the first few months, I never used it on the iPhone 16 Pro Max. But then I kind of re-trained myself and now it’s my go-to for launching the camera. I don’t use it for anything fancy like altering the exposure or focal depth – but it is the quickest way to get the camera open.

You’ll notice I didn’t mention that I missed the 120Hz refresh rate on the Pro Max – and that’s because I don’t. I’ll die on my sword over this, but I am firmly from the camp who doesn’t find that big of a difference between 60Hz or 120Hz screens. It may just be my use case – but then again I can only speak as I find. And again, ask yourself if the average user will notice it – particularly if they’ve never experienced it in the first place.

Two welcome additions on this iPhone 16e , though, were an OLED display and Face ID. The screen is bright enough, and over those days, testing it in London, I never found myself struggling with it. As for Face ID – yes please! Thank heavens Touch ID is nearly a thing of the past. Yes iPad mini – I’m looking at you!

The winning touch

Every year, at the iPhone event, we always get told how the battery life will be better on this year’s iPhones – yet in reality, I never notice that much difference.

And then there was the iPhone 16e!

For the first time in memory, not only have I noticed a difference, but it’s like day and night! This thing goes on and on. I have been using it as my main device for the past ten days and I barely think about charging it! I’ve used it in the same way I would my iPhone 16 Pro Max – sat nav, streaming music or podcasts and just general phone type stuff and it seems almost indestructible!

Although it’s a smaller battery (3961 mAh vs. 4685 mAh), it easily outperforms my 16 Pro Max – I can get at least a day and a half out of it – which is pretty impressive. And on standby, the story is even more shocking. The only thing that I can think of making that much of a difference is the modem.

This is the first device that has ever had an Apple-branded modem in it, and the signs are good. It reminds me of when Apple silicon burst on the scene and the differences that made. Although this isn’t the finished article, if it’s this good already, then the future looks pretty rosy.

I measured the speeds in London and yes, the 4G speeds of the iPhone 16e were slower, but that speed will come soon enough. There is no mmWave on the 16Ee so there is no super fast 5G speeds right now, but the 4G speeds were ok and importantly the call quality has been good – exceptional in fact!

Apparently Apple will save billions of dollars by bringing the modem in-house – so if they are saving money, and we are getting way better performance, what’s not to love. Just imagine the C2 or C3 modem in a flagship iPhone and what that could do for its battery life!

The camera

Much has been said about the fact that there is only a single camera on here. All you get is 1x and 2x Fusion Camera – but they get the job done.

The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max have almost become full-blown cameras now – which is great in both the right hands and in the right context. Sure, I love to play around with exposure settings, the 24mm/28mm/35mm lenses and deep-dive into the camera and its settings, but that is me and kind of what I do for a job.

Yet again, we come back to who this phone is for – and to that end, this Fusion camera will be more than fine. If it’s going to spend its life snapping holiday & birthday pics, being used on days out or to take a picture of dinner, these cameras will be just fine. Judging on the pictures you see here – would you be disappointed to have this phone in your pocket?

In the fortunate position I can now decide whether the day ahead is going to be a content day where I need all the bells and whistles, or just an average day where I need a phone. No way am I sending this phone back.

Nope, the 16e is a keeper.

And although I’ve not used the video side extensively, you can record in 4K 24 or 30 and of course in HD as well. The odd short videos I have shot with it though have been all you’d expect out of an iPhone.

The price makes sense

There have been so many clamours for this phone to be £100 less.

I guess we all want something for nothing, but it doesn’t take much to work out why Apple pitched it at £599.

Firstly, we got the OLED panel and also Face ID too. They are two expensive components but the phone would’ve been so much worse without them. My bet is that is what tipped the difference between the phone coming in at £499 or £599. Again, don’t forget, the buyers of this phone will be keeping them for a good few years, so both the display & Face ID were essentials from a future-proofing point of view.

Given that nearly all these phones will be supplied via either carrier upgrades or using Apple’s two year finance plan, that’s where £599 makes sense. £599 over 24 months comes to £25 a month – and at that point it sounds pretty attractive.

Dare I say it, it almost sounds like value for money!

Important to Apple

Apple is keen to have a product in every category that is an attractive hook – a device that is super keenly priced.

That’s true with the Mac mini starting at £599, the iPad at £329 and the £999 M4 MacBook Air. The reason is twofold – one reason obvious, and one possibly less so. Apple is all too keenly aware that once they get their hooks into you, you are likely to stay. If the iPhone 16e is a gateway phone to an 18 Pro in a few years, then it will have served its purpose.

The other reason is their services. Apple knows that once you start clicking away on your new iPhone you’ll soon start to buy apps and then services. Services are an important part of Apple’s revenue. They represent safe, recurring income. Apple News, Apple Fitness, Apple TV or Apple One (the bundle I choose) all tie you further into being part of Team Apple for years to come.

They are a smart lot, those girls and boys at Cupertino.

Don’t waste too much time pulling apart the spec sheet on this latest member of the iPhone family – that’s not what it’s about. It was never meant for the tech nerds like me and quite possibly you.

It’s aimed to work hard for 5 or 6 years and along the way take a few decent photos and videos. To that end, the iPhone 16e will serve its purpose. Could Apple have thrown loads of Android’esque, useless features at the phone that in all likelihood would rarely get used? Yes, of course they could have, but that’s never been Apple’s way.

Form and fashion are temporary – class is permanent. Apple is here for the long run.