iPhone 16e - low price but not for the majority

The iPhone 16e was launched globally on February 19 and started hitting shelves in Vietnam from March 7. This is considered an upgrade of the iPhone SE 3, but the new name makes it the cheapest member of the iPhone 16 generation. In terms of configuration, the phone has some disadvantages compared to Android competitors in the same price range, but still has its own strengths with the familiar iOS operating system, strong ecosystem, compact design, and long battery life.

Many retail systems said they had predicted that the iPhone 16e's sales would not be as good as the iPhone 16 Pro or Pro Max because Vietnamese consumers have always favored expensive iPhone models over the years. However, the number of pre-orders still showed optimism when it was "significantly higher than expected". This shows that many Vietnamese consumers are still waiting for a low-cost, compact iPhone model like the previous SE lines.

In addition to those who need simple, easy-to-use features for the elderly, the iPhone 16e is also aimed at parents who want to buy a device for their children to use to unify the ecosystem, easily share data, and manage information within the family.

The iPhone 16e looks similar to the iPhone 13 with thicker bezels than the iPhone 16 Pro, and the old "rabbit ear" design instead of Dynamic Island. The screen is 6.1 inches in size, OLED Super Retina XDR panel. In terms of brightness, the iPhone 16e has a specification of 800 nits, up to 1,200 nits compared to the iPhone 16's 1,000 nits and 1,600 nits. The biggest advantage of this design is that it fits comfortably in the palm of your hand, even for women with small hands. The device has rounded corners but the sides are beveled at right angles with an aluminum frame, IP68 water and dust resistance.

The downside of the device is that the screen still has a 60 Hz refresh rate and lower resolution than Android phones in the same price range. However, for users who do not have high requirements, this is still a beautiful display, with bright colors and good viewing outdoors.

The minimalist back with a frosted glass back like the iPhone 16 but only has a single camera next to the LED flash. Unfortunately, this model supports wireless charging but does not have a MagSafe magnet. In actual testing, the device could not attract accessories that support this standard such as wallets and charging docks.

However, the iPhone 16e has the advantage that many previous generation iPhone SE users have been waiting for: battery life. While the SE, SE 2, SE 3 models were all complained about not having enough battery for a day, the new model has a longer battery life than the iPhone 16. According to Apple's announcement, the device can be used for 6 hours longer than the iPhone 11 and more than 12 hours longer than all generations of iPhone SE for each full charge.

This is also the first "cheap" iPhone model equipped with Face ID facial recognition instead of fingerprint sensor, making it different from Android phones. Face ID helps unlock the device, pay for Apple Pay wallet, and perform security tasks much more conveniently than fingerprint sensors, as well as being more secure than most facial recognition methods on Android phones.

However, the "rabbit ears" part is a controversial point because all iPhone 16 lines have used Dynamic Island.

Despite being a "cheap" model, Apple surprised everyone by equipping the latest A18 chip with 6 cores, 80% faster than the A13 Bionic on the iPhone 11. Thanks to that, the device supports AAA games that require high graphics and high-speed hardware ray tracing technology, for more realistic lighting and reflection effects. The 16-core Neural Engine is optimized for large generative models and runs machine learning (ML) models 6 times faster than the A13 Bionic.

Using "rabbit ears" like iPhone 13 but iPhone 16e has Action Button like iPhone 15 and later. Users can customize the button into other quick actions such as translation, flashlight, shortcuts or for Apple Intelligence feature.

The iPhone 16e is the first product to use an Apple-designed cellular modem called the C1, supporting 5G network connectivity. Previously, the company's products mainly used modems manufactured by Qualcomm. Major technology sites around the world that have tested the iPhone 16e's signal quality have rated it as very good. This could also be the equipment that helps the device have better battery life than previous generations.

The USB-C standard charging port is at the bottom, supporting fast charging like the iPhone 16, but Apple did not announce detailed specifications. The included accessories are also only a charging cable, no charger. Another parameter of the 16e that is different from other iPhone 16 models is that it uses Wi-Fi 6 instead of Wi-Fi 7.

The device has a single camera, but Apple calls it "two in one" because it uses a 48-megapixel Fusion sensor that allows for taking photos with a zoom like a regular 2x telephoto. Thanks to that, the device has a portrait mode that simulates depth of field as well as a narrow shooting angle similar to a device with a real telephoto camera. This is also the reason why the iPhone 16e has "one eye" but provides a more complete and better experience of taking pictures of scenes and portraits than previous generations of iPhone SE.

iPhone 16e compared with iPhone 16 Pro Max. The new model is significantly lighter and more compact. The starting price is also half that of the highest-end version of the iPhone 16 series.

The screen of the iPhone 16 Pro Max (left) is brighter and sharper than the iPhone 16e. If you are used to using a screen with a refresh rate of 120 Hz or higher, when you first experience the iPhone 16e, you will feel a slight "lag", the frame transition is not smooth despite the powerful configuration of the device.

The iPhone 16e was also a controversial product when it was launched because its specifications compared to its price were less competitive than Android phones. However, retail systems still believe that this model has its own customer base, who love simplicity, compactness, ease of use but must have good battery life, meeting the needs of a full working day.

The iPhone 16e comes in two colors, white and black, starting at VND16.99 million, with three storage versions of 128, 256, and 512 GB. The company also sells cases in five colors for VND1.2 million. Currently, most retail systems have lowered the selling price by about VND400,000-600,000 below Apple's listed price, plus promotions, old-for-new deals can be millions of dong lower.