Apple recently launched the iPhone 16e in India at a starting price of Rs 59,999. This newly launched iPhone model succeeds the third-generation iPhone SE (review) that arrived in India in March 2022. The iPhone 16e features a bigger display, more storage space, a newer chipset, a better camera setup and Apple Intelligence support over its predecessors.
Despite these upgrades, there are areas where the iPhone 16e could have done better. So, in this article, we will take you through all the reasons why you should buy the iPhone 16e and why you should skip it based on our detailed review.
Table of Contents
Reasons to buy the iPhone 16e
Compact design
The iPhone 16e measures 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.80 mm and it weighs 167g. While the iPhone 16e is indeed bigger and heavier than the iPhone SE 2022, it measures roughly the same and is tad bit lighter than the iPhone 16 (review). For reference, the iPhone 16 measures 147.6 x 71.6 x 7.80 mm and it weighs 170g. With these dimensions it’s also more compact and lighter than its competitors — the OPPO Find X8 (review) and the Xiaomi 15 (review).
The iPhone 16e has a metal and glass construction with a blocky ships that fits in your hands perfectly. This design make it ideal to use for longer periods.
Good performance and battery life
The iPhone 16e is powered by Apple’s A18 chipset. This is same chip that powers the iPhone 16 and the iPhone 16 Plus. During our usage, we found out that the iPhone 16e delivers a smooth performance irrespective of the task at hand. This includes running multiple apps and playing games.
Coming to the battery, the iPhone 16e easily offers a day-long battery life. It’s claimed to offer up to 26 hours of video playback time. It takes the device around 20 minutes to charge up to 20 percent.
Good software support and Apple Intelligence
Apple’s A18 chip brings Apple Intelligence to the iPhone 16e. This combination also makes the iPhone 16e the most affordable iPhone model to get Apple’s AI features.
According to our review, while some features such as Clean Up don’t work as well as the one offered by Google and Samsung, others, like Visual Intelligence and Writing Tools work quite well.
Most affordable iPhone
The iPhone 16e is the most affordable iPhone model available in India right now. What makes it an enticing option is the availability of Apple Intelligence-based features. It costs Rs 59,900 for the 128GB variant, Rs 69,900 for the 256GB variant and Rs 89,900 for the 512GB variant. The iPhone 16, on the other hand, starts at Rs 79,900.
While the iPhone 15 is available at a price of Rs 69,900, it misses out on Apple Intelligence, which is available only on the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max (review).
Reasons to skip the Apple iPhone 16e
Pricey
While the iPhone 16e is the most affordable iPhone available in the market right now, at a price point of Rs 60,000, it feels a pricey. More so, when compared to smartphones like the OPPO Find X8, the Xiaomi 15 and the Vivo X200 (review), all of which offer a 120Hz display and a triple camera setup at the back.
Single camera
The iPhone 16e comes with a single 48MP Fusion camera at the back with up to 2x optical zoom, OIS, and Smart HDR 5. In our experience, this single camera offers strong performance in most lighting conditions, however, it fails to impress in front of phones like the Vivo X200, or the Xiaomi 15.
60Hz display and wide bezels
The iPhone 16e comes with a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display with a 60Hz refresh rate. While the display is bright and vibrant, the 60Hz screen feels like a bummer at a price point of Rs 59,900. On the contrary, the Xiaomi 15, the Vivo X200 and the OPPO Find X8 offer variable screen refresh rate of up to 120Hz.
No MagSafe and UWB support
The iPhone 16e misses out on the Ultra Wide Band (UWB) chip. This means that users cannot precision finding features with the Apple AirTags and some of the safety features such as car crash detection. In addition to this, the iPhone 16e misses out on support for MagSafe accessories.
