I Got My Hands on Apple's New iPhone 16E—Here's My Review of the Affordable Model

Apple iPhone 16E

· Cosmopolitan

If you don’t keep up with Apple rumors as part of your job like I do, you’re probably both intrigued and slightly confused by their newest release, the iPhone 16E. Didn’t they just release the iPhone 16, like, two seconds ago? What’s the “E” in 16E stand for, anyway? How are they selling it so discounted? Is it missing any of the flashy features of the iPhone 16?

All valid questions that I, too, was asking—but that was before I got my hands on an early sample of the new iPhone 16E. And after playing around with it for a couple of days, I'm ready to give you the TL,DR on this shiny new launch. Ready? Let's jump in.

$599 at Apple

Pros:

  • Has most of the key features of the iPhone 16
  • Apple Intelligence
  • Great camera
  • Smart object removal from photos
  • Has the new action button
  • Significantly cheaper than the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max
  • Decent battery life

Cons:

  • No MagSafe
  • No ultra-wide camera

Looking for a deeper dive? Got you—keep scrolling!

The good

Let's face it—iPhones aren't cheap, so it's definitely nice that Apple is offering a more affordable option (it's $400 cheaper than the 16 Pro and a whopping $600 cheaper than the 16 Pro Max).

Because the 16E is part of the iPhone 16 family, it does things that an iPhone 14 or 15 can't do. You'll get access to Apple Intelligence, ChatGPT integration, a customizable action button on the side of your phone (to quickly pull up your preferred shortcut, whether it be Google Translate, Shazam, the camera app, your flashlight, the magnifier, the voice memo app, or more), the ability to edit objects out of your photos, and of course, that crisp, lightning-fast feel.

This phone might be Apple's more economical option, but it will still feel like a massive upgrade if you're coming from an older iPhone. It's USB-C-compatible, the battery lasts significantly longer, the camera takes great pictures and videos, you can zoom up to 10x, and it runs on the latest-generation A18 chip (which basically means it runs faster and better).

Hannah OhSHOP THE IPHONE 16E HERE

The not-so-good

With the 16E, you lose out on the iPhone 16's camera control button, brighter display, extra ultra-wide camera, and three additional color options (Pink, Teal, and Ultramarine). It also lacks MagSafe compatibility, so your magnetic phone stand or stick-on wallet won't work with this phone. Luckily these aren't essential features, but if any of them really catch your eye, it might be worth paying a little more for the iPhone 16.

take your pick!

came out in 2024

Apple iPhone 16

$799 at Best Buy$799 at Applecame out in 2025

Apple iPhone 16E

$599 at Apple

So, is the iPhone 16E worth it?

Aside from a few pretty minor cons, iPhone 16E is an excellent paired-down option—it's more budget-friendly while still boasting tons of key features. If you're suuuper technical and love having the most optimized tech that Apple has to offer, you can always level up to the 16 Pro or 16 Pro Max. But for casual users that are looking for key features at a discount, the iPhone 16E absolutely does the trick. Sounds like it's time for a new phone...