iPhone 16e Review: Budget-Friendly Apple Experience with Premium Features

February 23, 2025, 11:59 AM
by Farhana Afrose Rini

UNB News
Publish- February 23, 2025, 11:59 AM
Farhana Afrose Rini
Update- February 23, 2025, 12:18 PM

iPhone 16e Review: Budget-Friendly Apple Experience with Premium Features

Apple iPhone 16e

Apple’s highly anticipated iPhone 16 series has arrived, featuring the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, and a brand-new budget option, the iPhone 16e. Set to launch on February 28, 2025, the iPhone 16e is designed to offer a premium Apple experience at a more affordable price, positioning it as a strong competitor to its predecessors and rivals like Google’s Pixel 9a.

Key Features of iPhone 16e

Design and Build Quality

The iPhone 16e maintains Apple’s signature premium build with a glass front and back and an aluminum frame, ensuring durability while keeping it lightweight at 167g. It retains the IP68 water and dust resistance rating, matching the iPhone 16, Samsung Galaxy S25, and Google Pixel 9a.

However, compared to the OnePlus 13, which boasts a sturdier ceramic guard glass and a high-pressure water resistance rating, the iPhone 16e falls slightly behind in durability. While the iPhone 16 comes in more color options, the iPhone 16e is limited to Black and White, making it less appealing for those who prefer vibrant choices.

Display Quality

Apple equips the iPhone 16e with a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED panel, which offers excellent color accuracy, deep blacks, and HDR10 support. The display boasts an 1170 by 2532-pixel resolution with a 60Hz refresh rate like the iPhone 16 and older iPhones which falls behind the 120Hz seen on the iPhone 16 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S25, and OnePlus 13.

Google's Pixel 9a features a slightly larger 6.3-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, making it more fluid for scrolling and gaming.

Meanwhile, OnePlus 13 stands out with a 6.82-inch LTPO AMOLED panel at 1440p resolution and 120Hz, providing the sharpest and smoothest visual experience among competitors.

While the iPhone 16e’s display is crisp and bright, peaking at 1200 nits, it does not reach the extreme 2600-nit brightness of the Galaxy S25, making it slightly harder to view under direct sunlight.

Camera Performance

Apple has equipped the iPhone 16e with a 48MP primary sensor, similar to the iPhone 16 but without the ultrawide secondary lens. Despite lacking a second camera, the iPhone 16e still delivers impressive image quality with optical image stabilization (OIS) and Apple’s Smart HDR technology. It excels in low-light photography, producing sharp details and accurate colors.

iPhone 16e

Compared to the iPhone 16, which features an ultrawide 12MP lens, the iPhone 16e feels slightly limited in versatility. Google’s Pixel 9a, with its 48MP main and 13MP ultrawide lenses, offers a wider field of view, making it better for landscape shots.

The Samsung Galaxy S25, on the other hand, includes a 50MP primary, 10MP telephoto (3x zoom), and 12MP ultrawide camera, making it more versatile than both Apple’s budget models. Meanwhile, the OnePlus 13 boasts a 50MP triple-camera setup with a periscope telephoto lens, making it the best choice for zoom photography.

For videos, the iPhone 16e can record in 4K at 60fps, featuring stereo sound recording and Dolby Vision HDR support, giving it an edge over the Pixel 9a, which lacks Dolby Vision. However, the iPhone 16, with its advanced video stabilization, remains the better choice for those who prioritize videography.

Processor Performance

The iPhone 16e is powered by Apple’s A18 chipset, the same as the iPhone 16, delivering excellent performance across the board. The Hexa-core CPU ensures smooth multitasking, and the Apple GPU (4-core graphics) handles intensive tasks efficiently. While it performs on par with the iPhone 16, it is slightly behind its 5-core GPU variant, meaning it will not be as powerful in graphics-heavy applications.

Compared to competitors, the Google Pixel 9a runs on the Tensor G4 (4nm) chip, which focuses more on AI-driven tasks rather than raw speed. While it excels in computational photography and Google Assistant features, it lags behind the iPhone 16e in day-to-day performance and gaming.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 and OnePlus 13, featuring the Snapdragon 8 Elite (3nm) chip, are direct rivals in terms of raw power. OnePlus 13, with its 24GB RAM option, crushes every other device in sheer performance. Nevertheless, the iOS optimizations ensure the iPhone 16e delivers a smoother experience despite having 8GB RAM.

Gaming Performance

For casual and competitive gaming, the iPhone 16e performs exceptionally well, thanks to the A18 chip and 4-core GPU. Games like Genshin Impact and Call of Duty: Mobile run smoothly at high settings, though the 60Hz refresh rate slightly limits motion fluidity compared to the 120Hz displays of the iPhone 16 Pro, Galaxy S25, OnePlus 13, and Pixel 9a.

OnePlus 13 is the clear winner for gaming, with its 1440p resolution, 120Hz LTPO AMOLED display, and Adreno 830 GPU, which delivers superior visuals and smooth gameplay. The Samsung Galaxy S25, with its Snapdragon 8 Elite chip and 120Hz AMOLED screen, is also an excellent choice for mobile gamers. The Pixel 9a, though capable, has weaker gaming performance due to the Tensor G4 chip prioritizing AI rather than graphics processing.

Battery Life

The iPhone 16e offers an all-day battery life, optimized through iOS 18’s power efficiency improvements. While the exact battery capacity is not disclosed, it is expected to last a full day under moderate use, similar to the iPhone 16 and Google Pixel 9a.

However, the Samsung Galaxy S25 (4000mAh) and OnePlus 13 (6000mAh) feature larger batteries, making them superior choices for users who demand extended screen time. The Pixel 9a (5100mAh) also outlasts the iPhone 16e in terms of raw battery endurance.

For charging, the iPhone 16e supports 20W wired charging and 7.5W Qi wireless charging, which is slower than the Samsung Galaxy S25 (25W wired, 15W wireless) and OnePlus 13 (100W wired, 50W wireless). The Pixel 9a (23W wired, 7.5W wireless) is similar to the iPhone 16e in terms of charging speeds.

Software and User Interface

Running on iOS 18, the iPhone 16e delivers a polished, secure, and long-term software experience. Users benefit from features like Live Voicemail, AI-enhanced Siri, and improved widget interactions. Compared to Android alternatives like the Pixel 9a (Android 15) and Samsung Galaxy S25 (One UI 7), iOS provides smoother updates, with Apple typically offering 6+ years of support, compared to 5 years from Google and Samsung.

Pixel 9a users get 7 years of Android updates, but the Tensor G4 chip limits performance longevity. The OnePlus 13 and Samsung Galaxy S25, powered by Snapdragon 8 Elite, promise 4 major updates, making them slightly less future-proof than Apple devices.

iPhone 16e

Storage Options

The iPhone 16e is available in 8GB RAM combined with 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB NVMe storage variants, with no microSD card slot. This is standard for Apple devices, but the lack of expandable storage might be a downside for some users.

The Pixel 9a offers 128GB and 256GB UFS 3.1 storage, while the Samsung Galaxy S25 and OnePlus 13 feature up to 1TB storage. The OnePlus 13, in particular, provides a 512GB/16GB RAM and 1TB/24GB RAM configuration, making it the best option for power users needing extensive storage.

Pros and Cons of iPhone 16e

Pros

- 5G and NFC support for fast connectivity.
- IP68 water and dust resistance for durability.
- Ceramic Shield glass for added protection.
- Super Retina XDR OLED display with 1200 nits brightness.
- Apple A18 chipset with 8GB RAM for smooth performance.
- iOS 18.4 support with long-term updates.
- 48MP main camera with 4K video recording and OIS.
- Emergency SOS, Messages, and Find My via satellite for safety.
- Stereo speakers for immersive audio.
- Wired and 7.5W wireless charging support.

Cons

- No 3.5mm audio jack for wired headphones.
- No microSD card slot for expandable storage.
- No 8K video recording support.
- Limited to a single rear camera (no ultrawide or zoom lens).
- 60Hz refresh rate, lower than competitors’ 120Hz+.
- Battery capacity is not officially mentioned.
- No Gyro-EIS support for extra stabilization.
- Smaller 6.1-inch screen, which may feel compact for some users.

Price of the iPhone 16e in Bangladesh

The iPhone 16e starts at BDT 90,000 to BDT 1,20,000, making it a more budget-friendly option within the iPhone 16 lineup while still delivering premium Apple features.

iPhone 16e

Takeaways

The iPhone 16e balances performance, battery life, and iOS experience at a competitive price. While it lacks a 120Hz display, ultrawide camera, and fast charging, it remains a solid choice for users looking for Apple’s ecosystem without breaking the bank. If you prioritize gaming, high refresh rates, or battery life, alternatives like the Samsung Galaxy S25, OnePlus 13, or Pixel 9a might be better suited for you.