iPhone 16e vs iPhone 16 Comparison: Features, Performance, and More Differences

The iPhone 16e, released in February 2025. This time, let's compare how different it is from the standard iPhone 16.

Compare the iPhone 16e vs iPhone 16 Body and Display at Actual Size

First, let's place the two devices side by side. The iPhone 16e and iPhone 16 have slight differences in size, including a minor variation in display dimensions.

The iPhone 16e is slightly smaller, with about a 1mm difference in height and 0.1mm in width. This difference is minimal, almost negligible. In terms of weight, the iPhone 16e is around 3 grams lighter, making it marginally more compact and lightweight.

The most noticeable difference is the front camera notch. The iPhone 16e features a large notch at the top, similar to pre-iPhone 14 models, giving it a somewhat outdated appearance. This design change is a major distinction. It’s a good idea to compare how the displays look using a screen simulation.

Compare iPhone 16e vs iPhone 16 in a Specifications Chart

Let's compare these two models using the spec sheet.

One positive aspect is that although the iPhone 16e is positioned as a lower-cost model of the iPhone 16, it is equipped with the same A18 processor as the iPhone 16. However, there is a slight difference in the GPU core count, with the iPhone 16 having 5 cores and the iPhone 16e having 4 cores.

Regarding the camera, both models feature a 48MP Fusion camera with 2x optical zoom for the main camera, but they do not have exactly the same camera. Additionally, the iPhone 16e lacks an ultra-wide camera, which also makes a significant difference in appearance. Some people may rarely use the ultra-wide camera, so it's worth considering your usage scenarios. The front camera specifications are the same.

Although the display design differs significantly, as mentioned earlier, the specifications are nearly the same, with only a slight difference in peak brightness. Both use Super Retina XDR displays.

Both models support USB Type-C, eSIM, FeliCa, and have an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance.

One advantage of the iPhone 16e is its battery life. It offers 26 hours of video playback compared to 22 hours on the iPhone 16. The battery performance of the iPhone 16e is quite good. This is due to the newly developed Apple C1 cellular modem. However, in exchange for this, it does not support LTE bands 11 and 21, which should be noted.

In terms of finer details, the iPhone 16e does not support MagSafe wireless charging, nor does it support Qi2. However, it does support Qi. It also does not support DisplayPort output.

From this comparison, the iPhone 16e reuses an older display design from before the iPhone 14, omits the ultra-wide camera, MagSafe, and other minor features to reduce costs. As a result, it is about 20–30% cheaper than the iPhone 16.

It is a tough choice, but if you want to buy at the lowest price, the iPhone 16e is the option. Simply put, the 16e is "almost the same as the 16," but not exactly the same. If the small differences matter to you, then considering the price difference, the iPhone 16 would be the recommended choice.

	iPhone 16e	iPhone 16
Manufacturer	Apple	Apple
Release Date
Screen Size	6.06 inch	6.12 inch
Resolution	1,170 x 2,532	1,179 x 2,556
Display Details	Super Retina XDR OLED	Super Retina XDR OLED
Max Refresh Rate	60 Hz	60 Hz
Max Brightness	1200 nits	2000 nits
Body Size	71.5mm x 146.7mm x 7.8mm	71.6mm x 147.6mm x 7.8mm
Weight	167 g	170 g
Processor	Apple A18	Apple A18
OS	iOS 18	iOS 18
Main camera 1	48-megapixel(f/1.6)	48-megapixel(f/1.6)
Main camera 1 details	12MP 2x telephoto also available	12MP 2x telephoto also available
Main camera 2		12-megapixel(f/2.2)
Main camera 2 details		120° Ultra Wide Angle
Main camera 3
Main camera 3 details
Main camera 4
Main camera 4 details
Main camera 5
Main camera 5 details
Sub camera 1	12-megapixel(f/1.9)	12-megapixel(f/1.9)
Sub camera 1 details
Sub camera 2
Sub camera 2 details
Battery
Video playback time	26 hours	22 hours
RAM(GB)
ROM(GB)	128/256/512 G	128 G
Antutu	1,529,000 ver10(estimated)	1,538,000 ver10
Water resistance	IPX8	IPX8
Dust resistance	IP6X	IP6X
SIM	dual SIM（nano-SIM,eSIM）dual eSIM	dual SIM（nano-SIM,eSIM）dual eSIM
NFC	Felica	Felica

Let's Compare iPhone 16e vs iPhone 16 in More Detail

We recommend comparing the iPhone 16e vs iPhone 16 in more detail through the following link and making an informed purchase decision.