The iPhone 16e was Apple’s budget iPhone for 2025, and it ranked in Counterpoint Research’s top 10 for the year, so plenty of people own one. This page collects Apple’s documented specifications, explains what they mean for the cable and charger you buy, and shows how it differs from its successor, the iPhone 17e. Every figure is traced to a source listed at the bottom of the page.
Key specs
| Release date | 2025-02-28 |
|---|---|
| Status | Older model |
| Charging port | USB-C |
| USB spec | USB 2 (up to 480Mb/s) |
| Wireless charging | Qi |
| Charger in box | No |
| Display type | OLED |
| Display size (in) | 6.1 |
| Chip | A18 |
| Storage options | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB |
| Launch price (USD, MSRP) | $599 |
Two blanks are deliberate. The wired charging row is empty because Apple gives a fast-charge claim tied to a 20W adapter, not a maximum wattage. The refresh rate row is empty because Apple lists no ProMotion or refresh rate for this model.
Where does the iPhone 16e fit?
Apple announced the iPhone 16e on February 19, 2025, as a new member of the iPhone 16 family. Pre-orders began Friday, February 21, with availability from Friday, February 28. It started at $599 in the US with 128GB, 256GB and 512GB of storage, in black and white.
Counterpoint Research’s full-year 2025 ranking, reported by AppleInsider, puts the iPhone 16e tenth in the world. It is not on Apple’s main iPhone lineup page any more, which now lists the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone Air, iPhone 17, iPhone 17e and iPhone 16, so we mark it as discontinued; carriers and retailers may still stock it. See the Apple hub for current models, including the iPhone 16 it joined.
What cable does the iPhone 16e use?
The phone has one USB-C connector. Apple’s specifications list charging and USB 2 data transfer at up to 480Mb/s, and Apple’s announcement notes that the same USB-C cable can charge iPhone, Mac, iPad, AirPods and other devices. The box includes a 1 m USB-C charge cable that Apple says supports fast charging and works with USB-C power adapters and computer ports.
USB 2 is plenty for charging and modest transfers. The USB-IF says USB products run at the lowest common speed, so a faster cable will not speed it up; see the USB speed guide. Our USB-C explainer covers the connector, and cable buying safety covers how to pick a replacement.
What charger does the iPhone 16e need?
Wired. Apple lists the iPhone 16e as fast-charge capable: up to 50% charge in 30 minutes with a 20W adapter or higher (available separately) paired with a USB-C charging cable. The phone does not include a power adapter, and Apple encourages you to use any compatible USB-C power adapter. See the wattage guide and USB Power Delivery.
Wireless. Apple’s specifications list wireless charging that works with Qi chargers and say Qi wireless chargers are sold separately. Apple does not list MagSafe or Qi2 for this model. Apple’s iPhone 17e announcement says the 17e supports MagSafe and Qi2 for up to 15W compared with 7.5W Qi wireless charging on the iPhone 16e. In practice that means a standard Qi pad works but charges slowly, and a magnetic MagSafe accessory will not snap on as it does on other iPhones. See Qi explained and the wireless charger guide. For a checklist on adapters, read which charger is safe for my phone.
The screen, explained
The iPhone 16e has a 6.1-inch all-screen OLED display, branded Super Retina XDR, at 2532-by-1170 pixels and 460 ppi, with 800 nits typical maximum brightness and 1200 nits peak for HDR. OLED means each pixel makes its own light, which is why dark areas can be very dark; see OLED explained. Apple lists no ProMotion or adaptive refresh rate for this model, so our table leaves the refresh rate blank; the refresh rate guide explains why the top-end iPhones list up to 120Hz. Apple does not use the term LTPO on the pages we checked; see LTPO OLED.
Performance, cameras and battery
The phone uses the A18 chip, and Apple’s announcement says it is the first iPhone with C1, the first modem designed by Apple. The camera system is a single 48MP Fusion Main (26 mm, f/1.6, optical image stabilization) that also enables a 12MP 2x telephoto at 52 mm; Apple calls it a 48MP 2-in-1 camera. The front camera is a 12MP TrueDepth camera.
Apple lists up to 26 hours of video playback, up to 21 hours of streamed video and up to 90 hours of audio playback. These are manufacturer figures.
Build and durability
The iPhone 16e has an aluminum design with a Ceramic Shield front and a glass back, in black or white. It is rated IP68, with a maximum depth of 6 meters for up to 30 minutes under IEC standard 60529. It measures 5.78 inches tall, 2.82 inches wide and 0.31 inch deep and weighs 167 grams. Apple lists 5G on sub-6 GHz bands with 4x4 MIMO, Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3, and no mmWave 5G.
How it compares with the iPhone 17e
Apple’s pages show what the newer budget iPhone changed. The iPhone 17e launched at the same $599 and keeps the 6.1-inch OLED display, USB 2 at up to 480Mb/s and a USB-C cable in the box. It moves from the A18 to the A19 and from Apple’s C1 modem to the C1X, keeps Wi-Fi 6, and adds MagSafe and Qi2 up to 15W where the 16e lists only Qi at 7.5W. Apple lists up to 26 hours of video playback for both. The 17e starts at 256GB, double the 16e’s 128GB entry storage.
What is in the box
Apple’s specifications list the iPhone, a 1 m USB-C charge cable and documentation, and say the iPhone 16e does not include a power adapter or EarPods. Apple encourages you to use any compatible USB-C power adapter.
Why the A18 and the C1 modem matter
Apple’s announcement describes the iPhone 16e as having the best battery life ever on a 6.1-inch iPhone at that time, lasting up to six hours longer than the iPhone 11 and up to 12 hours longer than all generations of iPhone SE. It credits the A18 chip, whose 6-core CPU Apple says is up to 80 percent faster than the A13 Bionic in the iPhone 11, and C1, which Apple calls the first modem it designed and the most power-efficient modem ever on an iPhone. Apple adds that the 16e has the toughest back glass in a smartphone and a Ceramic Shield front. These are Apple’s own comparisons against older iPhones, so they say more about upgrading from a phone several years old than about how the 16e compares with a current model.
Software features Apple highlights
Apple’s announcement says the iPhone 16e is built for Apple Intelligence. It names the Clean Up tool, which removes distracting elements from images, and natural language search in the Photos app, which lets you search for a photo or video by describing it. The announcement also describes an Action Button that can be set to open favorite features and unlock Visual Intelligence, and Face ID through the TrueDepth camera system to unlock the phone, authenticate purchases and sign in to apps. Apple’s pages for the newer iPhone 17e list the same Action button, so the control layout carries over.
Repair overview
iFixit has a device page for the iPhone 16e, with guides including battery removal and back glass removal. When we checked it showed no repairability score, so we show none. We link to iFixit and never copy its text.
Read our repair overview for the iPhone 16e, battery replacement basics, screen replacement basics and how to read repairability scores. Apple says a professional provider using genuine parts is the safest route for most battery repairs.
Video reviews
We have not verified individual review videos for this phone, so we do not list any. You can browse more video reviews of the iPhone 16e on YouTube.
Compatible accessories
Categories to look at: cases, 20W chargers, Qi wireless chargers and screen protectors. We do not have affiliate links yet; when we do they will be marked as paid links.
See the accessories hub, chargers and power banks, which have airline rules.
Who should buy it, and who might skip it
Facts that help you decide:
- You want a lower launch price. It launched at $599, below the iPhone 16’s $799.
- You want a modest charger. Apple’s fast-charge claim uses a 20W adapter.
- You want MagSafe. Apple does not list it for the 16e; the iPhone 17e does.
- You want a charger included. None is in the box.
- You want a phone Apple still lists. It is not on Apple’s main lineup page; look to the iPhone 17e.