Apple unveils iPhone 16e with Apple Intelligence, starting at $599

Apple today announced the iPhone 16e, a new member of the iPhone 16 lineup. The handset replaces Apple’s iPhone SE, which was last updated in 2022, as a new budget-friendly iPhone starting at $599.

While the iPhone 16e is a significant upgrade from the likes of iPhone SE, some of the features come from the standard iPhone 14 from 2023 paired with the latest Apple silicon. At 6.1 inches of edge-to-edge display, the iPhone 16e packs an A18 silicon that brings Apple Intelligence to the device. It’s the same chip that’s used on the standard iPhone 16 models but with four GPU cores on the 16e.

Apple is using its first, in-house cellular modem in the iPhone 16e. Called C1, Apple touts it as the most power-efficient modem ever on an iPhone; it replaces Qualcomm’s modems which have been used in recent iPhones.

The exterior on the iPhone 16e looks more like the iPhone 16 sans dual camera setup, available in matte black and white finishes. The handset has a 48-megapixel single camera setting with integrated 2x zoom on the back, and a TrueDepth camera configuration that enables Face ID on the notch.

The iPhone 16e also gets the customizable Action button which debuted on the iPhone 15 Pro, but lacks MagSafe charging capabilities; it is limited to Qi wireless charging up to 7.5W. The handset supports USB-C connectivity, too.

Starting at $599, the iPhone 16e comes in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage variants. Preorders begin Friday, February 21 at 5am PT, with availability beginning February 28.