Apple Debuts iPhone 16e

Check out the battery life!

> iPhone 16e has the best battery life ever on a 6.1-inch iPhone, lasting up to six hours longer than iPhone 11 and up to 12 hours longer than all generations of iPhone SE.

Their page comparing models claims the new 16e gets "26 hours video playback."

  iPhone 16e: 26 hours
  iPhone 16:  22 hours
  iPhone 15:  20 hours
  iPhone 14:  20 hours
  iPhone 13:  19 hours
  iPhone 12:  17 hours
  iPhone 11:  17 hours

The new battery life seems to be mostly due to their new Apple C1 cellular modem, replacing the Qualcomm modems in earlier models.

> Expanding the benefits of Apple silicon, C1 is the first modem designed by Apple and the most power-efficient modem ever on an iPhone, delivering fast and reliable 5G cellular connectivity. Apple silicon — including C1 — the all-new internal design, and the advanced power management of iOS 18 all contribute to extraordinary battery life.

It is an iPhone 16, inside iPhone 14 Body, Single Camera from iPhone 16, with iPhone 14 OLED Screen, Apple Modem, Without UWB, Minus 1 GPU Core on A18, 7.5W MagSafe Charging same as iPhone 14. Wifi 6 instead of Wifi 7 on iPhone 16.

However at $599, higher than the rumoured $499 or $549 pricing. iPhone 14 previously at $599 and iPhone SE at $429 are now gone. Getting rid of iPhone 14 and iPhone SE as they are both using Lightning and not USB-C.

The lineup is a little strange. Will iPhone 15, currently at $699 dropped to $599 when they announce iPhone 17?

The most interesting part is of course the Modem. We will have to wait and see how it perform.

At this point there’s only really one thing I want from an iPhone and that’s an option for a 12/13 mini sized device again. Surely those phones didn’t sell so few that it’s not worth doing at all?

Apple leans its weight heavily on controversial smartphone changes and defines trends for the rest of the industry, even when it's not the first company to do so. When it removed the headphone jack, introduced the screen notch, or added a camera bump, everyone followed afterward despite the grumbling.

So keeping that in mind, regarding the modem, I remember prior comments about it being near-impossible or extremely difficult for Apple to cut out Qualcomm because of the decentralized network of mobile towers, operators, proprietary information, legacy cruft, edge cases, hardware and geographical testing, etc., which Qualcomm handles as part of its value-add. If Apple starts spearheading changes in how phone modems work, could we imagine mobile towers playing along and converging? Or is it more entrenched than that?

Prior discussion

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41287977

Let's see... it's replacing the SE, which is no longer on Apple's website. It's more expensive than the SE, at $599 vs $429. It's a pretty substantial hardware upgrade over the SE, including something like 75% more battery life by Apple's numbers, but it's also noticeably bigger.

Apple's own comparison tool is useful: https://www.apple.com/iphone/compare/?modelList=iphone-16e,i...

Think of the QC modem as an API and that API is limited to what QC wants apple or anyone else using their modem to do. The firmware is pushed by QC and then apple can use it to update it’s modems of QC when it does it’s now updates.

Now with C1 that API is designed at apple and in a way that their soc team wants to get the best battery life along. So the modem can be turned off / on updated request data signals etc in a more efficient manner with the soc. On top of that apple probably cleaned up parts of the modem that they probably didn’t feel were needed for their iPhones that maybe QC were obligated to include because of the way their modems had to be designed and sold.

Now do this to Bluetooth and Wi-Fi and put everything in the soc and you are going to be getting solid gains sooner than later.

This transition is very exciting cause I’m hoping this happens to MacBooks as well.

Would love a 5G MacBook with a data plan.

Very cool to see a new entry into the modem market. Obviously not available for anyone other than Apple, but I’m interested to see how it shapes up over time much like their SoC has done.

This has been a long time coming since Apple bought Intels modem division several years ago.

I’m also interested to see if it enables cellular in laptops. Afaik the limiting factor has been that Qualcomm charge a percentage of device rate , which would be exorbitant for a laptop. Having it be in house might allow for it now.

Is this a replacement for the "SE" line? It seems similar to the previous SE models in that it's cheaper, uses an older body, and is released in an off month. The marketing copy in the OP also compares it to the older SE phones.

I am guessing that's the end of the small phone line at Apple.

Whoa, shipping their own baseband modem for the first time, skipping the Qualcomm tax. That's huge, even for Apple.

USB-C connector with support for: USB 2 (up to 480Mb/s)

Can someone explain why they are pushing USB 2 speeds via USB-C connector in 2025? Can't believe it's cost... It's a shame.

The point here is to replace iPhone 15 which doesn't support Apple Intelligence without raising the lowest price point for an iPhone. Apple has made a bit of a blunder by selling hardware with such limited memory for so long, which gives them a large install base that doesn't support gen-ai tech. Of course, the urgency of upgrading depends on how bullish you are on gen-ai.

This device looks like a technology testing mule for apple, and with that price point it's guaranteed to sell boatloads.

I think being able to cram this amount of new tech (a new camera, a new modem) for a new device is good for apple. I believe this will play out well, and this tech will graduate the so-called flagships in a couple of years.

It seems that this will cannibalize iPhone 16 sales - it's $200 cheaper, same form factor and internals, with the only difference being the camera, which if you care about you go for the Pro model. However, the price makes for a much more appealing upgrade for anyone who has an older iPhone

> iPhone 16e will be available in white and black in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage capacities, starting at $599 (U.S.) or $24.95 (U.S.) per month for 24 months.

Wait a sec. 24 * 24.95 = $598.80

They'll pay you twenty cents to take the financing?

Pro: action button

Con(?): 60 Hz

And the price hike again shows that Apple is the master of the "for just a few hundred dollars more, you can get...“ upsell to bigger iPhones.

The death of Touch ID. Also huge.

6.1”

I used to think 4.7” was a bit too much. Holding onto SE 2016 till death do us part.

$599 for 128GB with this caveat..

>Available space is less and varies due to many factors. A standard configuration uses approximately 12GB to 24GB of space, including iOS 18 with its latest features and Apple Intelligence on-device models can be deleted if Apple Intelligence is turned off and use approximately 7GB of space. Turning on Apple Intelligence will download the models again. Apple apps that can be deleted use about 4.5GB of space, and you can download them back from the App Store. Storage capacity subject to change based on software version, settings, and iPhone model.

The e stands for electronic, marking a departure from traditional mechanical iPhones

> and the new Apple C1, the first cellular modem designed by Apple

This is the biggest announcement IMHO, it's been a long time coming for them to ship something after buying the patents from Intel. It makes sense to ship the first new radio in "not your flagship" and a good way to test it out.

I wonder if the iPhone 17 will have it or if they will wait another year to see how it does. I would imagine the 17 is pretty much locked down as of now so it's not like this phone is meant to test in the wild then use the tech in 17 since there isn't enough turnaround time.

Apparently the camera is "2 in 1" that does 2x zoom with "optical quality" but they never actually say it's true optical zoom. I'm guessing that it's just digital zoom with some fancy processing. Does anyone know for sure?

Have to wonder if the price would have been $499 if the tariffs/constant thread of tariffs over the next 4+ years wasn't there.

So glad it doesn't use the dynamic island which is so distracting as it becomes the foreground and makes the content into background.

Now they don't have any phones with the old-style rounded bezel. The SE was the very last of them. I have a 12 mini and thing I really hate about it is the sharp, orthogonal bezel. It's very uncomfortable to hold for longer periods of time.

I'm taking this as a sign from Apple that I use my phone too much and should probably stop.

Still happy with my iPhone 7. Replaced display and battery, at an Apple Store, last year. Gaming, AI and photography are curiosities I look at from afar. For the rest it drives me around on vacation via CarPlay and Apple Maps. Handles my home banking, pre paid card and Apple Pay without a hitch. Chatting and calling on too many apps. Manages my digital IDs, medical records, emails, notes and calendar. Translates my conversations and runs Automations. It will soon help me charge an electric car. What more can I expect from it.

What I really want Apple to release is a foldable like Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy’s flagship models.

The idea of having a normal screen on the front but then a second foldable screen inside is a great tradeoff between form and function.

Unfortunately I can’t see Apple releasing this because it harms their tablet sales. Hopefully I’m proven wrong though.

8Gb of ram, for those wondering.

> the first cellular modem designed by Apple

Whoah! Maybe Apple can now figure out how to put a cellular modem in a MacBook Pro.

Action button looks to me they finally realized how good the blackberry action button was. Only took 20 years. Can we have the optical pointer back as well so we don't have to jab all over the glass which is slow and imprecise?

can I get it without the AI slop?

Entry level 16e - one lens. Mid-tier 16 - two lenses. Top-tier 16 Pro - three lenses.

The segmentation is very visible.

I have a (regular) Pixel 8 and given that this is smaller and finally has USB-C I'm very tempted to try to jump to Apple again but I'm curious about the following:

1. Is there a terminal equivalent like termux?

2. Is there an open source wireguard client like the official wireguard client for Android?

3. Is it possible to upload mp4 videos to it to watch offline?

4. Is it possible to upload some of my mp3 collection to it to play offline?

5. I believe syncthing isn't officially supported. Are there any alternative syncthing implementations or workarounds?

Perhaps I'll finally update my 13 mini. I've been holding out hope that Apple will release another small form factor phone, but this may be the closest they will get.

Incredibly disappointing it’s so big. Bring back the small phones!!

You’ll have to pry the 13 mini from my cold dead hands…or just stop supporting it

I took myself off the every new iphone train at the 12 pro when it came out. My screen is pretty beat down at this point and the battery is 75% of a day. I keep thinking to get new one but a) my 12 pro is actually still very capable and I like the form factor a lot b) figuring out what iphone to get (including looking at acceptable older model) is totally overwhelming c) I really hate ewaste. If anyone has been in a similar situation and done the research I'm all ears. Thanks!

Video: https://youtube.com/watch?v=mFuyX1XgJFg

Is bluetooth reliable yet or is this model going to be plagued with the same persistent issues since the iPhone 14?

Can someone please explain the benefits of C1 chip?

I've never had even the slightest bit of interest in owning an iPhone, but if this is the testing ground for their new modem, I'm excited to see it come to the mac in the next few years.

They made their own modem, the right move but still brave, I bet there are a lot of 'Chestertons Fences' in those.

I had hopes for this to have an LCD screen, but alas. I will order a few iPhone SE today if it's still possible to find them.

For only $100 more, you can get an iPhone 15 without Apple Intelligence.

Apple has become a behemoth in chip design. I'm guessing Qualcomm won't be taxing them anymore since they're making their own modems

Anybody able to point me to a table that compares this with the other recent iPhone in terms of main hardware, screen, camera etc. ?

Is the iPhone "e" series going to be a yearly release now? Like the Pixel "a" series?

I sadly will pass. I know there was no Mini size coming..but still, one can hope. Anyway, I see absolutely ZERO reasons to switch from my iPhone 14 other than to help them beta test their new modem in the field. They already have been doing that with software releases (iOS specially) since iOS 12/13.

A Mini would not have been a diminished experience/purchase even with lesser features. This is a diminished experience even for what it would cost.

With disappearance of iPhone SE in United States you can no longer buy iPhone with physical SIM slot. But cross the border into Canada and you can buy exact same phone with the physical slot.

This is a sad day and not progress in any meaningful way (social engineering away physical SIM, causing loss of flexibility when traveling).

Too bad they killed the SE. Guess I'm on my last (and first) iPhone

I thought it was going to be an actual modem... like they had previously.

Still rocking my iPhone XR with zero plans to change or upgrade phones. If I did or were forced to upgrade I would most likely go for something like this or an older 12 or 14 with a few features as possible.

At least I can still buy a 700 eur phone when my 13 mini gives up.

Kinda disappointing on all three fronts I was hoping there could be some improvement: size, weight, price.

With medical conditions affecting my muscle strength, I wish phones would get a bit lighter. Glass sandwich form factor is unnecessarily heavy and fatigues my arms.

167g. Lighter than the 16, but still far too heavy.

Hopefully one they do a Pro Mini, fingers crossed.

Why can't they release another mini version? I don't want a large phone!

"All at an incredible value"? Are you really allowed to say that?

(Grammatically, I mean. I'm not asking for legal advice.)

This might replace my 12 mini. But I'll probably use my phone until it's dead or out of support because this phone just works for me from a form factor perspective.

It's unfortunate jumbotrons sell so well to the mindless masses that live on a phone. Otherwise the two main sizes would be the 5.42 and 6.3. Both reasonable for daily carry in a pocket. The 6.7 and 6.9" sizes are what are silly.

Does anyone else long for a new personal device (phone) maker/leader? A real AI phone where if you want you can have a full human like conversation (text, voice & video chat it recognizes gestures & emotions (facial expressions)) with your AI assistant from your lock screen.

I use chatGPT while driving in the car to get things done & as a knowledge base, but I have to open the app to use it (not safe when driving).

I have an iPhone 15 Pro and still with Siri's Apple Not-Intelligent I can only ask Siri one question at a time and I always have to say Hey Siri ask ChatGPT xyz and then to continue to learn more have to say that again with a follow-up question. It's such a terrible UX when compared to opening chatGPT and talking to it, yet again not safe to do so when driving!

How possible is it for there to be a "disruptor" to the smartphone market?

I think Apple's selling point is the app ecosystem, but I personally don't use apps all that much. Just a few big ones and they're all just for communication: FB Messenger, WhatsApp, SIM, SnapChat. And the web browser, maps. I'm 27.

Why can't someone just manufacture a screen, some buttons, little computer, then software for communication and make some good money?

Just seems Apple is a dinosaur nowadays Google too.

Great, another phone for giants. I’ll keep replacing battery in my 13 Mini, hoping for the best…

Seems nobody's mentioning that this model drops the sim slot completely.

It's a bummer, because it means that in case of need (broken phone) i cannot buy any new phone, drop my sim in and go.

It's a HUGE step back.

So goes the end of the mobile device, now all that’s sold are phablets.

This might be the new best price-quality iPhone after the 13 Pro.

Is this the new SE / Mini?

Edit: Nope. What's different from the 16? Action button? 1 less GPU core? Same camera but no ultra wide? Ahhh, it's just a cheapened 16.

Why do other manufacturers who debut phones don't get HN posts, but Apple does?

Xiaomi Poco X7 & X7 pro were released in Janunary, for example. Don't see a post about that.

$599, 128gb base model.

Welp rip any interest a bunch of us had in an iphoneSE4.

What a fucking waste of time. The sad thing is I can accept that apple continually wants miserable storage base tiers, that ship has sailed and they will never see 256gb as logical starting points on a phone so damn expensive when their computers start at that horrid storage point.

If it was $499 I would have contemplated finally upgrading. At $599 I'll let everyone else beta test apples new modem in case its another 'you're holding it wrong' type of response if it underperforms in speed, connection quality, etc.

cmd+f "jack" on Apple's page, got 0 results. Pass.

its pretty obvious they give u the singular camera circle so u will still feel a need for the 16 or 16 pro if u can afford it

I have only ever used Apple budget smartphones (5C and SE models), but I want/need lidar for mapping my house for WiFi networks.

Not sure if I want to upgrade.

Lack of MagSafe is disappointing. How much would it have cost to include? It's an intriguing feature that distinguishes iPhones from Android competitors. I wonder if the intention was to avoid cannibalizing its more expensive siblings.

I don’t now why the hell people want anything larger than the mini in screen size.

Sadly yet another phablet

iPhone SE: $429, 4.7-inch display, 5.45 x 2.65 x 0.29, 5.09 ounces

iPhone 16e: $599, 6.1-inch display, 5.78 x 2.82 x 0.31, 5.88 ounces

This is a major downgrade in every way for people who want the smallest possible iPhone.

Oh boy, a 6.1 inch screen. "Popular". Ugh. RIP any hopes of a small SE refresh.

Why are small phones not economical for major flagship phone developers? Obviously more expensive phones generate more revenue, but the reduced bill of materials on smaller phones should allow a better profit margin?

Mostly I just want a phone that is comfortable in my hands.

The C1 is (fingers crossed) probably going to be a big improvement on the security front, since historically, cellular modems have been chock full of remotely exploitable security flaws.

That said, if this is their "first gen" then there could be teething issues.

Starting at $599!.

300+ comments about a 'new' iPhone. Does it even fold? Lol

What does the e stands for? Eviscerated? :)

It would be nice to put the last few years of developments since his death into a silicon brain and ask the digital Steve Jobs his thoughts on the current state of affairs.

I need this.

Article reads like an ad.

WOW I LOVE IPHONE

Apple has fallen off in every product category.

Looks more and more that Apple is pushing AI inference to the edges, with this and the Mac Mini and it's very suspiciously placed power button which says "No, you don't need to shut this computer off. It has important work to do! (For everyone else)"

Will be interesting to see how Apple and Nvidia's approaches to AI compare and contrast over the coming months/years.