Apple iPhone fans have traditionally had two choices if they could not afford the latest iPhone or iPhone Pro model, and those choices were firstly, to delve into the used market to get a used older iPhone or iPhone Pro model, or to get a new SE version. This has now changed as the SE models have been phased out and have been replaced with a new midrange iPhone in the form of the iPhone 16e, which packs a plethora of features, specs, and design appeal for its more affordable pricetag.
Unlike the former SE generation, the iPhone 16e sports a design bringing it more in line with the rest of the iPhone 16 range and very similar dimensions to the iPhone 14, measuring in at very grippable 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.80 mm and tipping the smartphone scales at a pocketable 167 grams. It feels classy and upscale in hand and is easy to use one-handed even if you do not have Springbok frontrower-sized hands. This sleek and stylish frame is also rated at IP68, meaning it can be submerged in water of up to 6 meters for around 30 minutes, so Gauteng showers or accidental toilet drop should not make you squirm (at least not from the fear of water damage).
The centrepiece or focal point of the eye-catching design is the smartphone’s 6.1″ OLED with a very good 2532‑by‑1170-pixel resolution at 460 ppi and a noteworthy brightness figure that makes it easy to use under harsh office lighting or direct SA sunlight outdoors (800 nits max brightness; 1200 nits peak brightness for HDR content). The onboard speakers are also good for consuming content on the go. Unfortunately, you do not get ProMotion on this display so you are locked to 60 fps but things are still smooth and snappy within iOS or whilst multitasking or playing mobile games.
To create rather than consume content, you use the single camer at the back, in this instance a 2-in-1 camera system that consists out of a 48MP Fusion (26 mm, ƒ/1.6 aperture, optical image stabilization, Hybrid Focus Pixels, super-high-resolution photos (24MP and 48MP). This system also allows for 12MP 2x Telephoto (52 mm, ƒ/1.6 aperture, optical image stabilization, Hybrid Focus Pixels), and ultimately delivers stunning stills and video as per usual with iPhones, however, it is worth noting that since you are limited to the one lens, you cannot always simply switch to the ultrawide lens to fit in more things like people or a big tourist building for example which can be annoying, and the stabilisation on video is good but not as good as the regular iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Pro models.
What is as good though is performance thanks to the iPhone 16e being powered by the A18 chip which boasts a 6‑core CPU with 2 performance and 4 efficiency cores, plus the new 4‑core GPU, and 16‑core Neural Engine, which not only allows for blistering performance but also makes this smartphone more futureproof thanks to Apple Intelligence support out of the box.
Additional futureproofing also comes via the charging port which is USB-C which is a far more commonplace connection and allows for fast charging of up to 50% charge in 30 minutes via a 20W adapter, plus Apple’s C1 modem which makes it debut in the iPhone 16e. This is the company’s first in-house cellular modem, enabling batterylife improvements but also works as well in terms of connectivity as my own iPhone 14 Pro for example.
Other features include the best battery life we’ve experienced in an iPhone, with power users easily making it through a working day whilst casual users can even make it far into the next day before having to reach for their charger. If you are a fan of wireless charging or have a lot of MagSafe accessories, you’ll be happy to know that the iPhone 16e does support Wireless charging and works with Qi chargers, but disappointed in the fact that it doesn’t pack MagSafe so won’t work with those accessories (other than the wireless charging components that is). Also worth mentioning is the fact that you get FaceID which works with the front-facing TrueDepth camera for facial recognition and this works a treat but that means that it is a bit more distracting than the Dynamic Island and leads to the front facia looking a little bit more dated as a result and I personally miss the Dynamic Island features like quick and fuss-free multitask switching and seeing how many more minutes my Uber East delivery is from my house without even having the app open.
The buttom line for this device though is that it is the perfect mix of features for iPhone buuyers looking for a more affordable route into iPhone ownership, older users who do not live on the bleeding edge of functionality, first-time iPhone owners, or those needing the essential features for less in a desireble looking package. Yes, for the money you can get better specced (besides the processor) Android midranger smartphones, but iPhone buyers generally want an iPhone and this is the one to get for the midrange price of R15999 (for the 128 Gb version), or R19499 for the 256 GB model. These come in black or white but you can bring some added style and personality via the colourful range of protective covers that are available from the iStore for this smartphone. Well worth it for midrange budgeted iPhone buyers in our opinion.
