Apple’s iPhone 16e: A Year Later and Looking Ahead to the 17e

One year ago today, Apple launched the iPhone 16e, a new entry-level model that brought Apple Intelligence support and a modern design to the company’s most affordable iPhone. The device signaled a shift away from the iPhone SE branding for Apple’s budget-friendly offerings.

iPhone 16e: A Recap of the Launch

Apple announced the iPhone 16e on February 19, 2025, positioning it as a member of the iPhone 16 lineup. Pre-orders opened shortly after the announcement, with the device launching the following week on February 28 [CNN]. The iPhone 16e was priced at $599 [CNN] and [TechCrunch].

Design and Display

The iPhone 16e adopted a design similar to the iPhone 13, featuring a frosted back glass and a USB-C port [Apple Newsroom]. It boasts a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display with HDR, True Tone, and wide color. Notably, the display includes a “notch” for the TrueDepth camera system, differing from the Dynamic Island found on other iPhone 16 models [Apple Newsroom]. The iPhone 16e is available in black and white finishes.

Performance and Key Features

Powered by the A18 chip with a six-core CPU, a four-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine, the iPhone 16e is capable of running Apple Intelligence [Apple Newsroom]. The device features a 48-megapixel Fusion camera, offering optical-quality 2x zoom through sensor cropping. The front-facing TrueDepth camera is 12 megapixels and supports Face ID for authentication. It was also the first iPhone to include an Apple-designed modem, the C1 chip [Apple Newsroom].

Apple highlighted the iPhone 16e’s battery life, stating it can deliver up to 26 hours of video playback [Apple Newsroom]. However, the device does not include MagSafe connectivity.

Looking Ahead: The iPhone 17e

Apple is expected to announce its successor, the iPhone 17e, in the coming weeks, potentially around a special “Apple Experience” event in New York, London, and Shanghai. Rumors suggest the iPhone 17e will feature the A19 chip, the C1X modem, MagSafe connectivity, and the N1 wireless chip, all at the same $599 starting price.