The iPhone 16e boasts a sleek design reminiscent of the iPhone 14, featuring a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display with a resolution of 2532×1170 pixels at 460ppi. This screen can reach a peak brightness of 1200 nits, ensuring excellent visibility even in bright environments. The device introduces a notch for Face ID, replacing the older Touch ID, aligning with the design language of other recent iPhone models. Compared to the iPhone 16, the 16e is slightly smaller, being 0.1mm narrower and 0.7mm shorter. The iPhone 16e also comes with a USB-C port, now a requirement in the European market, and supports Qi wireless charging up to 7.5W, though it lacks MagSafe accessories and fast wireless charging.

The iPhone 16e is powered by the A18 chip, built using 2nd-gen 3nm technology, the same as the iPhone 16. This chip, along with 8GB of RAM, ensures smooth handling of Apple’s AI features, such as notification summaries. The base storage option is 128GB, with no 64GB variants available. A notable change is the use of an Apple-developed modem, making it the first iPhone to move away from Qualcomm chips. This new modem supports 5G connectivity, providing faster mobile data speeds. The device also features a customizable Action Button for quick access to various functions.

The iPhone 16e features a 48MP wide-angle camera with a 2x optical zoom telephoto option and an f/1.6 aperture. The front camera has been upgraded to 12MP with an f/1.9 aperture. The camera system supports Dolby Vision HDR video recording at 4K 60 fps, slo-mo video at 1080p 240fps, and Cinematic mode up to 4K HDR at 30 fps. This setup offers robust photography and videography capabilities, though it lacks some advanced features found in the iPhone 16.

Apple claims the iPhone 16e lasts 12 more hours compared to older iPhones like the iPhone 11 and iPhone SE series. The device benefits from a larger battery and the energy-efficient A18 chip, resulting in improved battery performance, with up to 26 hours of video playback. The iPhone 16e also has an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, making it suitable for exposure to water up to 6 meters deep.

The iPhone 16e supports 5G (sub‑6 GHz), Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, and GPS, providing robust connectivity options. It supports dual SIM (nano + eSIM), Face ID using the TrueDepth camera, and stereo speakers for enhanced audio. The device runs on iOS 18, ensuring access to the latest features and updates.

While the iPhone 16e shares many features with the iPhone 16, including the A18 chip, the same 6.1-inch display, aluminum frames, action button, and an IP68 rating, there are several notable differences. The iPhone 16e lacks MagSafe charging, the Dynamic Island feature, cinematic and spatial video recording (due to its single 48MP camera), and the latest-gen Ceramic Shield glass. It also has one fewer GPU core than the iPhone 16 and doesn’t feature the 120Hz refresh rate found in the more premium model. Another significant change is Apple’s shift from Qualcomm to its in-house C1 5G modem for the iPhone 16e, which powers the device’s 5G connectivity.