Im going to be, as we millennials say, for real with you all about the iPhone 16e.
Dare I say, its subdued Apple, and I like it.
If anything, the iPhone 16e is what happens when Apple dials it down to only the essentials.
The iPhone 16e, being held by a hand, in a room covered in toys and posters. I’m describing a very specific kind of person.© Florence Ion / Gizmodo
I still dont know what the e stands for (I tried asking!
), but I think it stands for exactly what you need.
Apple bottled up enough of the experience to entice you from your budget Android rig.
© Florence Ion / GizmodoBehold the dramatic, out-of-hand beauty shot.
It had a measly 64GB of storage space and a camera that couldnt even shoot in the dark.
TheGoogle Pixel A-seriesquickly surpassed the iPhone SE.
Apples budget phone stayed dated.
© Florence Ion / Gizmodo The back of the iPhone 16e comes in white or black.
The iPhone 16e has a renewed sense of self.
It has all the essentials to enjoy tending in the walled garden.
The design is a pared-down, lighter version of theiPhone 16.
© Florence Ion/ Gizmodo
The 6.1-inch screen is a Super Retina XDR display, though it tops at 1,200 nits of brightness.
The Action Button also makes an appearance here.
I can see this being the main selling point of this specific iPhone model.
© Florence Ion/ Gizmodo
Its beneficial for people buying this phone to help aid someone if theyre alone.
I am talking about this phone weighing just under six ounces.
Apple figures some of us will be buying this as a secondary phone.
© Florence Ion/ Gizmodo
That was with Apples magenta silicone case on it.
Unlike the iPhone 16 family, only one camera sensor is on the iPhone 16e.
The iPhone 16es primary camera offers some wiggle room with features like Portrait Mode with depth control.
© Florence Ion/ Gizmodo
But there is no focus control.
Theres no ultrawide camera to zoom out into or macro photography, either.
If you want to get close to something, youll have to walk up to it.
© Florence Ion / GizmodoThe iPhone 16e’s one camera is a two-in-one fusion camera.
Photographic Styles are on the iPhone 16e, which feeds the inner emo in me.
I even took a nighttime landscape photo by keeping the shutter open for a few seconds.
Im not so sure about the generative abilities ofImage Playground.
© Florence Ion / Gizmodo
Again, Apples point is that the rig gives you access to the essentials, even the AI stuff.
Its getting there with the advent of the C1 modem.
Apple says this is the longest battery life even in a 6.1-inch iPhone.
© Florence Ion / Gizmodo
The other homegrown part of the iPhone 16e is its processor.
Still, thats not going to slow you down.
The Geekbench numbers for GPU performance were only 2,000 points apart between the two sibling devices.
© Florence Ion / Gizmodo
Apple Arcade games like Hello Kitty Adventure Island andSonic Dream Teamran smoothly without hiccups on the iPhone 16e.
Pokemon Go was fine.
(The kid stuck with this iPhone will be very happy about that last part.)
© Florence Ion / Gizmodo
iPhone 16e Review: Verdict
Should you buy the iPhone 16e?
I wasnt expecting toadorethis phone or prefer it over the iPhone 16 Pro I typically use to test software.
The light build alone makes the iPhone 16e a joy to handle.
© Florence Ion / GizmodoThe iPhone 16e can run all the same apps and Apple Intelligence tricks as the rest of the iPhone 16 family.
Its nice and freeing.
Nor does it sync up with the vast offering of MagSafe accessories and devices.
The iPhone 16e is the gateway drug.
I say the iPhone 16e isnt for you.
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