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An ad promoting the iPhone 16e at an Apple store in Shanghai on Feb. 28.
If you simply must have blue text bubbles—but don’t require all of Apple’s newest phone technology—the iPhone 16e could right for you, reviewers say.
Apple (AAPL) announced the 16e last month, a comparatively low-cost iPhone that includes its latest AI features but not such capabilities as MagSafe wireless charging technology and the Dynamic Island function that lets users see some background activities—like timers and map directions—on their home screens.
Investopedia read a selection of reviews to get a sense of early responses to the phone, which was to hit stores yesterday. Here’s a selection of what we found, along with links to the reviews.
For $600, the phone comes without some features that are present in other iPhone 16 models. While that means it might not match everyone’s needs, several reviewers wrote, it might be a fit for someone who hasn’t upgraded in a while or is dipping their toe in the iPhone waters for the first time.
“It’s for the person holding on to an iPhone 8 Plus or iPhone X, ready to upgrade because their more than seven-year-old smartphone isn’t working too well nowadays. They want a new phone, and it just needs to be an iPhone,” says a Wired review.
A CNET review said that Apple chose to implement some of its best features in the simplified model, citing battery life (though the review says more testing would be needed), a high-quality camera (though no ultra-wide camera), quick upload speeds, and Apple emergency features including satellite support to reach emergency responders when there’s no cell signal. TechCrunch says the iPhone 16e «isn’t an exciting device. It’s a safe one,» with reliability that keeps costs down.
While other models in the iPhone 16 family start just shy of $800, some reviewers think the list price for the iPhone 16e is still too high, given the omissions. Other budget-friendly phones on the market offer more bells and whistles at a lower cost, several wrote.
“On Android, you can buy a $500 phone with a fast refresh-rate screen, two rear cameras, seven years of software support, and wireless charging. On iOS, you can buy this $599 phone with one rear camera, a standard 60Hz screen, wireless charging (but no MagSafe), and an ample but unstated amount of software support. Apple has no competition when it comes to phones running iOS. The company can gate-keep these conveniences behind a higher price tag, and that’s simply the way things will be,” reads a review from The Verge.
Still, USA Today says it’s «the best entry point into Apple’s ecosystem in years,» and a step up from the company’s iPhone SE, which had its third generation release in March 2022.
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