Apple never publicly advertises the amount of RAM included in iPhones, but MacRumors has confirmed that the iPhone 16e is equipped with 8GB of RAM.
Given the iPhone 16e supports Apple Intelligence, it was widely expected that the device would have 8GB of RAM, as that is the minimum amount of memory required for Apple Intelligence. All other iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro models also have 8GB of RAM, while the iPhone SE that was replaced by the iPhone 16e is equipped with 4GB of RAM.
We confirmed the iPhone 16e's amount of RAM in Apple's developer tool Xcode, with assistance from MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris.
iPhone 16e pre-ordering begins this Friday at 5 a.m. Pacific Time in nearly 60 countries, and the device will launch on Friday, February 28.
With the launch of the new iPhone 16e, Apple discontinued the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, and iPhone SE, eliminating the last two iPhone models that were equipped with a Lightning port.
Apple no longer manufactures any iPhones with a Lightning port, and all models in the iPhone lineup feature USB-C. Apple does still sell refurbished iPhones that use Lightning, but its main website and retail locations only offer iPhones with USB-C connectivity.
The new 16e has a USB-C port, as do the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 models that Apple also sells. Apple started the transition away from Lightning with the iPhone 15 launch in 2023, and it has completed the move to USB-C in less than two years.
Apple has already overhauled the iPad lineup with USB-C, so Lightning is no longer used for any iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Lightning has almost been phased out entirely, but Apple continues to sell the original Apple Pencil and some legacy cables that have Lightning connectors.
Apple will need to offer a small selection of Lightning-based accessories for a few years to come, but we are close to the full sunsetting of the Lightning port and connector.
Following the launch of the iPhone 16e, Apple updated its iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia pages to give a narrower timeline on when the next updates are set to launch.
All three pages now state that new Apple Intelligence features and languages will launch in early April, an update from the more broader April timeframe that Apple provided before. The next major point updates will be iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS Sequoia 15.4.
Apple plans to make Apple Intelligence available in Chinese (Simplified), English (India, Singapore), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish language support with the April update, with more languages like Vietnamese coming later in 2025.
Apple hasn't yet released the first betas of iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS Sequoia 15.4, but we are expecting them any day now.
The April updates were supposed to include new Apple Intelligence Siri functionality, but Apple may need to delay the feature set to continue working out bugs.
Customers who purchase the new iPhone 16e will need to download a software update right after receiving the device to install the latest version of iOS 18.
The iPhone 16e models will ship with iOS 18.3, but Apple released iOS 18.3.1 on February 10, so new iPhone 16e buyers will need to install the iOS 18.3.1 update to migrate data from an older iPhone that is already running iOS 18.3.1.
iOS 18.3.1 didn't add any new features, but it does address a software vulnerability that Apple says was exploited in the wild.
Pre-orders for the iPhone 16e are set to begin this Friday, with a launch to follow on February 28.
The iPhone 16e is Apple's only iPhone with a single-lens rear camera, and while it has the same 48-megapixel Wide lens as the iPhone 16, it is lacking several of the iPhone 16 camera features.
With the 48-megapixel Fusion lens, the iPhone 16e camera has a standard 1x field of view, and a 2x zoom option. It has no Telephoto lens, so there are no other zoom options, nor is there an Ultra Wide camera for wide-angle shots and macro images. Since there's just one lens, there's also no option for spatial image and video capture.
It offers the same True Tone flash, Photonic Engine, Deep Fusion, and Smart HDR 5 options, but it does not support next-generation portraits with Focus Control or the latest Photographic Styles.
When taking Portrait shots, there is an option to adjust focus afterward, but there is no option to tap to change the subject of the photo like there is on the iPhone 16.
The newer Photographic Styles are also only for the iPhone 16, 16 Pro, and Pro Max. With Photographic Styles, the iPhone 16 models released in September feature an option to set an overall look for all images captured with the iPhone camera, but this doesn't exist for the 16e. Older style filters are available, however.
There are also several missing video recording features, including Cinematic mode and Action mode, but the new Audio Mix feature is supported.
As for the front camera, the iPhone 16 and 16e have an identical feature set with the exception of support for Cinematic mode, Photographic Styles, and Depth Control for Portrait shots.
Apple's new iPhone 16e adopts the design and display of the iPhone 14, which means it has an OLED display instead of an LCD display. With the debut of the iPhone 16e and the discontinuation of the prior iPhone SE, Apple has eliminated LCD displays from the iPhone lineup.
All of the iPhones that Apple sells have an OLED display, and LCD technology has been phased out.
Apple first began using OLED displays for iPhone models in 2017 with the launch of the iPhone X, and for the next few years, Apple released iPhones with a mix of OLED and LCD display technology. In 2020, Apple stopped using LCD displays for its flagship iPhone lineup, and the iPhone 12 models and subsequent iPhones all had OLED displays.
The iPhone SE has always been marketed as a separate, low-cost device that isn't part of the flagship line, and the two previous iPhone SE models used the design and components from the iPhone 8. The iPhone 8 had an LCD display, so Apple has kept around the legacy LCD technology for the more affordable iPhone SE, until this year's iPhone 16e.
Apple calls its OLED displays "Super Retina XDR displays" and compared to LCD, the OLED technology offers improved contrast, more vibrant and saturated colors, better brightness, and a higher resolution. OLED displays support HDR, so this is the first time a low-cost iPhone will offer HDR.
The iPhone 16e has the same display as the iPhone 14, featuring 800 nits max brightness and 1200 nits peak HDR brightness. It's a step down from the iPhone 16 display, which offers 1000 nits max brightness, 1600 nits peak HDR brightness, and 2000 nits outdoor peak brightness.
Apple's lineup of (PRODUCT)RED products continues to shrink. In fact, there are no longer any devices available in the charity-supporting color option.
Since 2006, Apple has partnered with the (RED) brand to raise money for The Global Fund, an organization that aims to combat diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria in Africa. Through this partnership, Apple has long offered a (PRODUCT)RED option for some products, but availability of the color continues to dwindle.
The latest example is the new iPhone 16e, which is not available in (PRODUCT)RED.
With the iPhone SE, iPhone 14, and iPhone 14 Plus now discontinued, the final devices that were available in (PRODUCT)RED are no longer on sale. The only (PRODUCT)RED products that remain available are a few cases for older iPhone models.
In addition, Apple has used different branding for newer Beats products available in red, such as Statement Red and Transparent Red.
All in all, (PRODUCT)RED seems to be on its way out, but Apple could always decide to revitalize the partnership in the future.
Apple's all-new iPhone 16e joins the lineup as a cheaper alternative to the iPhone 16. Despite sharing most of their features, there are still more than 25 differences between the devices to be aware of.
There is a $200 price difference between the iPhone 16e and iPhone 16. To justify this, the iPhone 16e misses out on features such as the Dynamic Island and MagSafe connectivity. However, it still features the A18 chip with Apple Intelligence support, the same main rear camera, and more. Here's everything that's different:
iPhone 16e (2025)
iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus (2024)
"Notch"
Dynamic Island
Ceramic Shield front
Latest-generation Ceramic Shield front
6.1-inch display
6.1- or 6.7-inch display
800 nits max brightness (typical)
1,000 nits max brightness (typical)
1,200 nits peak brightness (HDR)
1,600 nits peak brightness (HDR)
2,000 nits peak brightness (outdoor)
1 nit minimum brightness
Glass back
Color-infused glass back
Available in White and Black
Available in White, Black, Ultramarine, Teal, and Pink
Camera Control
12-megapixel Ultra Wide camera
1x or 2x optical zoom options
0.5x, 1x, or 2x optical zoom options
Optical image stabilization
Sensor-shift optical image stabilization
Portrait mode with Depth Control
Next-generation portraits with Focus and Depth Control
Photographic Styles
Latest-generation Photographic Styles
Macro photography
Spatial photos and videos
Cinematic mode for recording videos with shallow depth of field (up to 4K Dolby Vision at 30 fps)
Action mode
A18 chip with 4-core GPU
A18 chip with 5-core GPU
Apple C1 modem
Qualcomm Snapdragon X75 modem
Wi‑Fi 6 connectivity
Wi-Fi 7 connectivity
Thread connectivity
Ultra Wideband chip for Precision Finding
26-hour battery life
22 or 27-hour battery life
Qi wireless charging up to 7.5W
Qi2 wireless charging up to 15W
MagSafe wireless charging up to 25W with 30W adapter or higher
Compatible with MagSafe cases, wallets, wireless chargers, and more
Starts at $599
Starts at $799
At a markedly more accessible price point, the iPhone 16e will be the go-to iPhone for many customers, especially those buying on a budget. Unlike the iPhone SE that came before it, the iPhone 16e has very few compromises and offers almost all of the iPhone 16's most important features. In fact, it has considerably better battery life.
Many customers may not care about the lack of an Ultra Wide camera, camera control, additional color options, or Wi-Fi 7. However, the lack of MagSafe, a brighter display, the Dynamic Island, and a large array of camera capabilities may be a dealbreaker for some. As a result, those who want a little more out of their iPhone, especially when it comes to the rear camera, should consider the iPhone 16 over the iPhone 16e. That being said, most prospective customers should opt for the iPhone 16e over the pricier iPhone 16, unless the larger display of the iPhone 16 Plus is essential.
The iPhone 16e includes Apple's new custom C1 5G modem chip, which Apple says improves battery efficiency. The iPhone 16e offers up to 26 hours of video playback, which is the longest battery life in the 6.1-inch form factor.
Along with up to 26 hours of video playback, the iPhone 16e supports up to 21 hours of streaming video and up to 90 hours of audio playback.
Comparatively, the prior-generation iPhone SE 3 offered up to 15 hours of video playback, while the similarly sized iPhone 16 offers up to 22 hours of video playback, which is four hours less than the 16e.
The iPhone 16 and 16e have the same A18 chip inside with the exception of the GPU (4-core vs. 5-core for the 16) and the same display, so the main difference with power draw is the C1 modem chip. The standard iPhone 16 has Qualcomm's modem chip, so it seems that Apple's modem offers some notable improvements to battery.
While the iPhone 16e adopted a number of features from the iPhone 16 models, MagSafe is one curious exclusion. Fast charging is supported with USB-C, but wireless charging is limited to 7.5W Qi speeds and there is no magnetic connection.
Apple did away with the 64GB storage option for the iPhone 16e, which means all iPhones now start with at least 128GB of storage.
Unfortunately, more storage means the iPhone 16e has a $599 starting price instead of a sub-$500 price, but at least iPhone buyers will no longer have an unreasonably low amount of storage to work with.
Apple's sole remaining product with a 64GB storage tier is the iPad, but that will likely be phased out when the iPad 11 launches later this year.
While the iPhone 16e starts with 128GB of storage, there are also 256GB and 512GB options available for a higher price. The iPhone 16e is set to launch on Friday, February 28.
Google is rolling out new tricks for the Lens visual search feature within its Chrome and Google apps on iOS, allowing users to search for content directly from their screen without taking screenshots or opening new tabs.
In Chrome for iOS, users can access the new Lens functionality through the three-dot menu by selecting "Search Screen with Google Lens." Google says it plans to streamline this process in the coming months by adding a dedicated Lens icon to the browser's address bar, similar to the desktop Chrome implementation launched last year.
The Google app for iOS is getting similar functionality. Users will be able to initiate screen searches by tapping the three-dot menu and selecting "Search this Screen." The feature supports various interaction methods, including drawing, highlighting, or tapping to select content for visual searches while browsing articles, shopping, or watching videos.
Google is also expanding its AI-powered search capabilities within Lens. The company says it is introducing AI Overviews, which will appear more frequently in Lens results without requiring users to formulate specific questions. As a result, Lens should be able to provide detailed information about novel or unique images beyond its existing object recognition capabilities.
The screen search features are rolling out globally this week for both Chrome and the Google app on iOS. The AI Overviews expansion will initially be available to English-language users in supported regions through the Google app for Android and iOS, with Chrome desktop and mobile support coming soon.
Visual Intelligence, an Apple Intelligence feature that has thus far been tied to the Camera Control button on the iPhone 16 models, is available on the iPhone 16e even though it does not have the dedicated button for activating the camera.
On its website, Apple says that the Visual Intelligence can be activated on the iPhone 16e using the Action button or the Control Center.
"With a press, you can use visual intelligence, call your best friend, launch your favorite app, and more," reads the description of the feature.
Tying Visual Intelligence to the Camera Control button was a convenient way for Apple to explain why the feature wasn't added to the iPhone 15 Pro models, but it's clear the feature can work on the older iPhones if it can be used with the Action button on the 16e.
It's possible that Apple will add Visual Intelligence support to the iPhone 15 Pro models in an upcoming iOS update, but it's also equally possible that it will remain an iPhone 16 feature.
With the discontinuation of the iPhone SE today, Apple no longer sells any "small screen" smartphones.
The smallest iPhone Apple now sells is 6.1-inches, with the iPhone 15, iPhone 16e, and iPhone 16 all coming in this display size. The iPhone 16 Pro has a 6.3-inch display, the iPhone 15 Plus and iPhone 16 Plus are available with 6.7-inch displays, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max features a 6.9-inch display.
All of the discontinued iPhone display sizes with the device that introduced them are listed below:
With no iPhones left on sale with a display smaller than 6-inches and no rumors about any smaller devices in the pipeline, Apple seems to have abandoned the small-screen smartphone market entirely.
Ahead of the launch of the iPhone 16e, rumors suggested that Apple would target a price point at or below $500 to stay within the range of prior low-cost iPhone options and to encourage sales, but Apple opted for a higher starting cost.
The iPhone 16e is priced starting at $599 for 128GB of storage, and it is now Apple's cheapest iPhone option, even in countries like India where more affordable iPhones often sell well.
The now-discontinued iPhone SE started at $429, so it has become $170 more expensive to get an entry-level iPhone.
Apple raised the price of the iPhone 16e because it has a modern design, more expensive A18 chip with Apple Intelligence support, an Action Button, Face ID, and a higher starting storage. The increase in cost will improve Apple's average iPhone selling price, but it could put the device out of range of some customers.
Here is Apple's new pricing lineup, with the iPhone 16e included:
This means accessories such as MagSafe cases, chargers, battery packs, and wallets will not work with the device. None of the silicone cases for the iPhone 16e are MagSafe cases. Despite this omission, the iPhone 16e continues to feature standard Qi wireless charging up to 7.5W.
This makes the iPhone 16e the first iPhone with a "modern" design to miss out on MagSafe. MagSafe was introduced with the iPhone 12 lineup in 2020 as a new accessory ecosystem.
iPhone 16 features include a 6.1-inch OLED display with a notch for Face ID, an A18 chip that enables Apple Intelligence support, a single 48-megapixel rear camera, a USB-C port, an Action button, Apple's all-new C1 modem for 5G, and more.
Read our iPhone 16e announcement post for more details about the device, which is available to pre-order starting Friday at 5 a.m. Pacific Time.
The new iPhone 16e unveiled today features Face ID instead of Touch ID. As a result, Apple no longer sells any new iPhone models with a Home button, for the first time since the original iPhone launched all the way back in 2007.
After debuting in 2007, the Home button gained Touch ID fingerprint authentication when the iPhone 5s launched in 2013. Apple began phasing out the Home button when Face ID debuted on the iPhone X in 2017, and now that the previous iPhone SE with a Home button is discontinued, that process is now complete.
Touch ID is no longer available on any current iPhone models as of today, but it remains built into the power button on the latest iPad Air, iPad mini, and entry-level iPad models. Touch ID also remains a feature on the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air.
Apple today announced its first custom cellular modem with the name "C1," debuting in the all-new iPhone 16e.
The new modem contributes to the iPhone 16e's power efficiency, giving it the longest battery life of any iPhone with a 6.1-inch display, such as the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16.
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.
No other Apple devices contain the C1. All other iPhone models use modems from Qualcomm. Similar to how Apple Silicon allowed Apple to move away from Intel processors, Apple's 5G modem allows the company to reduce its reliance on Qualcomm.
