MacRumors

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming visionOS 2.4 update to developers for testing purposes, with the beta coming almost a month after the launch of visionOS 2.3.

visionOS 2.4 can be installed by going to the Software Update section of the Settings app on the Vision Pro and opting into Beta Updates. A developer account is required.

visionOS 2.4 will be one of the most significant visionOS updates to date, because it brings Apple Intelligence to the Vision Pro for the first time. Apple started rolling out ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac last year, but the Vision Pro was not included until now.

"Apple Vision Pro is helping users communicate, collaborate, and experience entertainment in entirely new ways -- and we're continuing to push the boundaries of what's possible in spatial computing with visionOS 2.4," said Mike Rockwell, Apple's vice president of the Vision Products Group. "With Apple Intelligence, Vision Pro users will be able to take their productivity and creativity to new heights using features like Writing Tools, Image Playground, and Genmoji. And we're excited for users to discover and share incredible new experiences with Spatial Gallery."

Apple Intelligence features that are accessible on the Vision Pro include Writing Tools for generating, proofreading, and summarizing text, Genmoji for creating custom emoji characters, an Image Playground app for generating images, Memory Movie for creating custom slideshows, smart reply for generating quick responses to texts and emails, Priority Notifications and Notification Summaries, ChatGPT Siri integration and new ‌Siri‌ features, and Image Wand for adding images to the Notes app, complete with gesture support.

Apple is debuting a dedicated Spatial Gallery app for the Vision Pro, which includes a curated selection of spatial videos, spatial photos, and panorama images from artists, filmmakers, and photographers. Apple plans to offer a range of content featuring sports, culture, arts, lifestyle, nature, travel, entertainment, and more. Content at launch includes images and experiences from Cirque du Soleil, Red Bull, Porsche, Samba Diop, and Jonpaul Douglass, along with behind the scenes content from Apple TV+ shows.

For Vision Pro management, there is a new Vision Pro app that's available on the ‌iPhone‌. The Vision Pro app is designed to help Vision Pro users discover new content, and it has a number of features. Users can get Vision Pro support and feature help, download apps to the Vision Pro, add content to a watch list, and get device info like serial number. The app will automatically download for iOS 18.4 users who have a Vision Pro headset, but it can also be downloaded from the App Store.

The Vision Pro app has a discover page that provides curated recommendations for new and noteworthy experiences. Users can see popular apps and games, including Apple Immersive titles.

Most notably, an ‌iPhone‌ can now be used to set up the Guest Mode on the Vision Pro, which is a much more useful way to let people demo the headset than having to set it up on the Vision Pro itself. When a guest is ready to use the Vision Pro, a prompt will appear on the ‌iPhone‌, and the Vision Pro user can select what the guest can access and see what the guest is doing using AirPlay to provide navigation guidance and content suggestions.

Guests are able to save their eye and hand setup for up to 30 days after their last use.

Apple plans to release visionOS 2.4 to the public in April.

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming macOS Sequoia 15.4 update to developers, with the new update coming a month after Apple released ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.3.

Registered developers can opt-in to the ‌macOS Sequoia‌ beta through the Software Update section of the System Settings app. An Apple ID associated with an Apple Developer account is required to get the beta.

It's not yet clear what's included in ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.4, but the update is expected to feature new emoji characters and Apple Intelligence in additional languages. When we learn what's new in ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.4, we'll update this article.

macOS 15.4 is set to be released in April.

Apple today provided developers with the first betas of upcoming watchOS 11.4 and tvOS 18.4 updates for testing purposes.

The betas are available to registered developers, and can be downloaded from the Settings app on each device.

There is no word yet on what's included in the new software, but should any new features be found, we'll update this article.

This week we saw the return of a big sale on Apple Watch Series 10, plus numerous record low prices on iPad Pro, iPad Air, Apple Studio Display, and Apple Pencil Pro.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

AirPods 4

• What's the deal? Take $30 off AirPods 4
• Where can I get it? Amazon
• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

The best AirPods deal this week was on the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation, which is available for $148.99, down from $179.00. This is just about $10 higher compared to the lowest-ever price.

Apple Watch Series 10

• What's the deal? Take $70 off Apple Watch Series 10
• Where can I get it? Amazon
• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Amazon this week has numerous all-time low prices on Apple Watch Series 10, including both GPS and cellular models. You'll find $70 off both 42mm and 46mm GPS Series 10 models in multiple case colors and band styles, and this time the deals do not require any coupon codes.

Apple Pencil Pro

• What's the deal? Take $30 off Apple Pencil Pro
• Where can I get it? Amazon
• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Another all-time low price available on Amazon this week was on the Apple Pencil Pro, and it's still available for $99.00 today, down from $129.00.

Apple Studio Display

• What's the deal? Take $299 off Apple Studio Display
• Where can I get it? Amazon
• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

The Apple Studio Display returned to its all-time low price of $1,299.99 this week on Amazon, down from $1,599.00. This is the Standard Glass model of the Studio Display, and right now it's the only model hitting a record low price.

iPads

• What's the deal? Take up to $200 off iPad Pro, and iPad Air
• Where can I get it? Best Buy
• Where can I find the original deal? Right here

Amazon and Best Buy introduced numerous discounts across the iPad Air and iPad Pro lineup this week, with the return of best-ever prices on multiple models. iPad Air tablets start at $499.00 and reach up to $200 off, while iPad Pro tablets start at $849.00 and also reach up to $200 off. You can find more details about all of these deals in our original post.

If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

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The iPhone 16e will join the four other iPhone 16 models in being made in India, Apple has revealed.

In a response to a query from India's Economic Times, Apple said that "the entire ‌iPhone 16‌ lineup, including ‌iPhone 16e‌, is being assembled in India for Indian consumers and for export to select countries."

In recent years, Apple has significantly increased its production footprint in the country. Nikkei Asia suggests that the share of iPhones made in India will rise from around 15% today to 25% by 2027. The 16e is reportedly likely to be assembled on the same Indian production lines as the iPhone 14.

The iPhone 16 Pro and ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ Max are the first high-end ‌iPhone‌ models to be made in India. Apple's ‌iPhone‌ exports from the country reached nearly $6 billion in the six months leading up to September 2024, representing a 33% increase compared to the same period last year. Apple is expected to begin production of AirPods in India for the first time later this year.

A new Apple Store will be opening March 1 at the Trafford Centre shopping mall outside of Manchester, in the United Kingdom.

Apple's existing store at the mall will be permanently closed starting February 27.

Apple has not shared photos or details about the new Trafford Centre store, but you can expect a modern design that will likely include an Apple Pickup station for in-store pickup of orders that customers have placed on Apple's online store.

Apple Trafford Centre originally opened in 2005.

In other store news, Apple recently opened a new store in Miami, and it says another store in Downtown Detroit is coming soon.

(Thanks, Filip Chudzinski!)

On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we unpack Apple's announcement of the all-new iPhone 16e.

The ‌iPhone 16e‌ is the newest member of the iPhone lineup, offering a massive upgrade over the now-discontinued third-generation ‌iPhone‌ SE. It features a 6.1-inch OLED display with a notch for Face ID, a Ceramic Shield front cover, a USB-C port, and an Action button, and much more.

It is powered by an A18 chip, enabling support for Apple Intelligence features, such as notification summaries and Genmoji for creating custom emoji. It also supports Visual Intelligence.

In the ‌iPhone 16e‌, the A18 chip has a 6-core CPU and a 16-core Neural Engine, but a binned 4-core GPU, making it slightly less powerful than the iPhone 16 and ‌iPhone 16‌ Plus. It also has IP68-rated water resistance, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.3.

The device is equipped with an Apple-designed 5G modem called the C1, whereas other iPhones have a Qualcomm modem. Apple says its own modem is so power efficient that the ‌iPhone 16e‌ offers the longest battery life of any 6.1-inch ‌iPhone‌ model ever at up to 26 hours.

On the back of the ‌iPhone 16e‌ is a single 48-megapixel Fusion camera, which provides a 2x "optical-quality" Telephoto option, according to Apple. On the front, there is a 12-megapixel camera with autofocus. The device does not have the Camera Control button that was introduced across the rest of the ‌iPhone 16‌ lineup last year. It also lacks MagSafe.

‌iPhone 16e‌ supports Apple's satellite features. When outside of cellular and Wi-Fi coverage, the ‌iPhone 16e‌ supports Emergency SOS, Roadside Assistance, Messages, and Find My via satellite.

The device is available in white or black, and with 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB storage capacities. In the U.S., pricing starts at $599.

We talk through how the ‌iPhone 16e‌ compares to the iPhone 15 and ‌iPhone 16‌, which sit at $699 and $799, respectively. We also contemplate what the discontinuation of the ‌iPhone‌ SE line means for the rumored third-generation Apple Watch SE, which is rumored to launch later this year. The MacRumors Show has its own YouTube channel, so make sure you're subscribed to keep up with new episodes and clips.

You can also listen to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, or your preferred podcasts app. You can also copy our RSS feed directly into your podcast player.

If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up for our discussion about the imminent Apple product "launch" that is widely expected to be the fourth-generation ‌iPhone‌ SE.

Subscribe to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ for new episodes every week, where we discuss some of the topical news breaking here on MacRumors, often joined by interesting guests such as Kevin Nether, Jon Prosser, Luke Miani, Matthew Cassinelli, Brian Tong, Quinn Nelson, Jared Nelson, Eli Hodapp, Mike Bell, Sara Dietschy, iJustine, Jon Rettinger, Andru Edwards, Arnold Kim, Ben Sullins, Marcus Kane, Christopher Lawley, Frank McShan, David Lewis, Tyler Stalman, Sam Kohl, John Gruber, Federico Viticci, Thomas Frank, Jonathan Morrison, Ross Young, Ian Zelbo, and Rene Ritchie.

‌The MacRumors Show‌ is on X @MacRumorsShow, so be sure to give us a follow to keep up with the podcast. You can also head over to The MacRumors Show forum thread to engage with us directly. Remember to rate and review the podcast, and let us know what subjects and guests you would like to see in the future.

Apple has confirmed that its custom-designed C1 modem in the iPhone 16e has nothing to do with the device's lack of MagSafe support, according to Macworld.

Following the launch of the iPhone 16e, there was some speculation online about how MagSafe magnets might have interfered with the C1 modem's cellular connectivity performance, and this was considered to be a potential reason for the device not supporting MagSafe. But, that explanation is not true, according to Apple.

From the report:

Update 11:18am ET: Apple has confirmed to Macworld that the C1 modem is not responsible for the decision to leave MagSafe charging off the new iPhone 16e.

A well-known iPhone case maker told MacRumors that it completed testing that confirmed MagSafe cases do not impact the C1 modem's performance.

So, why does the iPhone 16e lack MagSafe? Apple has not disclosed its actual reasoning, but we would wager that it simply comes down to pricing considerations.

iPhone 16e pre-ordering started today, and the device launches Friday, February 28.

Apple has withdrawn its Advanced Data Protection iCloud feature from the United Kingdom following government demands for backdoor access to encrypted user data, according to Bloomberg. The move comes after UK officials secretly ordered Apple to provide unrestricted access to encrypted iCloud content worldwide.

Customers who are already using Advanced Data Protection, or ADP, will need to manually disable it during an unspecified grace period to keep their iCloud accounts, according to the report. Apple said it will issue additional guidance in the future to affected users and that it "does not have the ability to automatically disable it on their behalf."

The UK government's demand came through a "technical capability notice" under the Investigatory Powers Act (IPA), requiring Apple to create a backdoor that would allow British security officials to access encrypted user data globally. The order would have compromised Apple's Advanced Data Protection feature, which provides end-to-end encryption for iCloud data including Photos, Notes, Messages backups, and device backups.

"We are gravely disappointed that the protections provided by ADP will not be available to our customers in the UK given the continuing rise of data breaches and other threats to customer privacy," Apple said in a statement. "ADP protects iCloud data with end-to-end encryption, which means the data can only be decrypted by the user who owns it, and only on their trusted devices."

Apple's decision to pull the feature rather than comply with the UK's demands is consistent with the company's previous statements that it would consider withdrawing encrypted services from the UK rather than compromise security. Apple has long opposed creating backdoors in its products, maintaining that such access points would inevitably be discovered by malicious actors.

The UK order was particularly controversial as it would have required Apple to provide access to data from users outside the UK without their governments' knowledge. Additionally, the IPA makes it illegal for companies to disclose the existence of such government demands.

US security agencies, including the FBI and NSA, have been advocating for increased use of encryption to protect against Chinese cyber threats, creating potential conflicts between UK and US security interests.

"Enhancing the security of cloud storage with end-to-end encryption is more urgent than ever before,” said Apple on Friday, per Bloomberg. The company added that it "remains committed to offering our users the highest level of security for their personal data and are hopeful that we will be able to do so in the future in the United Kingdom."

Note that the loss of Advanced Data Protection in the UK does not affect the existing end-to-end encryption of several other Apple features available in the country, including iMessage, FaceTime, password management and health data.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Earlier this week, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said all four iPhone 17 models will be equipped with Apple's first-ever custom-designed Wi-Fi chip. He did not say which Wi-Fi version the chip will support, but it appears that it will be Wi-Fi 7.

All four iPhone 17 models will feature an Apple-designed Wi-Fi 7 chip, according to Jeff Pu, an analyst who covers companies within Apple's supply chain. He shared this information in a research note with GF Securities earlier this month.

The entire iPhone 16 lineup already supports Wi-Fi 7, so this is not much of a surprise, but the fact that the chip will be designed by Apple is notable. Apple recently debuted its custom-designed C1 modem in the iPhone 16e, for cellular connectivity, and now the company is expected to debut an in-house Wi-Fi chip in the iPhone 17 models later this year. By designing more of its own chips, Apple can reduce and eventually eliminate its reliance on external suppliers, including Qualcomm for modems and Broadcom for Wi-Fi chips.

Wi-Fi 7 allows for data transmission over the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz bands simultaneously with a supported router, resulting in faster Wi-Fi speeds, lower latency, and more reliable connectivity. Wi-Fi 7 can provide peak speeds of over 40 Gbps, a 4× increase over Wi-Fi 6E, if a device supports the maximum specifications.

Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 lineup in September.

Apple plans to move away from Qualcomm modems in the Apple Watch while bolstering its new in-house alternatives, according to The Information's Wayne Ma.

Later this year, Apple plans to eliminate the Qualcomm modem used in the Apple Watch Ultra. Rather than using the C1 modem or another custom Apple chip, Apple plans to switch from using Qualcomm units to MediaTek ones. MediaTek is one of the few companies capable of designing 5G modems.

In 2026, Apple will debut a new custom modem with support for mmWave 5G. The C1 does not have this capability. The modem with mmWave support will be used in iPhones and "at least one iPad." This project has the codename "Ganymede."

The C1 currently falls short of Qualcomm's performance, and the report suggests its direct 2026 successor will be the same. It will not be until a third generation in 2027 that Apple will "finally be able to exceed the performance of Qualcomm's modems." This project is codenamed "Prometheus."

While this information appears to have been sourced independently, it corroborates previous rumors. In December, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple's second-generation 5G modem will add mmWave support and debut in the iPhone 18 lineup in 2026 and come to the iPad Pro by 2027.

He said the second modem will achieve theoretical download speeds of up to 6 Gbps, compared to up to 4 Gbps for Apple's first modem. He also alluded to Apple's wish for its third-generation modem to surpass Qualcomm's modems in terms of performance and AI features in 2027.

Another Bloomberg report mentioned Apple's plan to transition to MediaTek modems in the Apple Watch. MediaTek's modem adds support for 5G RedCap, a 5G service that's designed for connected devices and wearables that don't need standard 5G speeds. The current cellular Apple Watch models still use 4G LTE.

The Information's full article details Apple's tumultuous relationship with Qualcomm and how it developed the all-new C1 chip.

Apple earlier this week announced the iPhone 16e, and pre-orders for the device went live this morning. As is typical for an iPhone launch, you can already find early discounts and offers from popular cellular carriers, and we've rounded up all of the best deals below.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

AT&T

• iPhone 16e: $5.99 per month with any Unlimited plan, no trade-in required
• iPhone 16 Pro: Free when trading in an iPhone 13 Pro or later in any condition

AT&T's offer has the iPhone 16e at $5.99 per month on any Unlimited plan of your choosing, and you don't need to trade in your old device to get this offer. The carrier is also updating its iPhone 16 offers with the iPhone 16 Pro at no cost when trading in an iPhone 13 Pro or later in any condition.

Verizon

• iPhone 16e: $5.00 per month after purchase on any plan
• iPhone 16: Free when adding a new line and available online only
• iPhone 16 Pro: Free when adding a new line and available online only

At Verizon, you can pay $5.00 per month for the 128GB iPhone 16e when you purchase the smartphone on any plan. You'll need to add a new line and pay a one-time activation fee of $35 to see this offer.

Visible

• iPhone 16e: Get $25 per month in service credits for 24 months
• iPhone 13: Free when purchasing a year of Visible+

Visible is offering customers a chance to get $25 per month in service credits for 24 months when you purchase the new 128GB iPhone 16e. In total, that represents $600 in savings on the latest iPhone, which covers the cost of the 128GB model.

Visible has a few other iPhone offers running right now, including a free 128GB iPhone 13 when purchasing a year of the Visible+ service. You'll need the code SWEETDEAL to get this offer at checkout.

T-Mobile

• iPhone 16e: Free when trading in a device on Magenta Max, Go5G Plus/Next, or when trading in/adding a line on Go5G or most plans

T-Mobile's deal has the iPhone 16e at no cost when you trade in a device on Magenta Max, Go5G Plus or Next, or when trading in and adding a line on Go5G (or most other plans). Depending on your trade-in value, you can get up to $830 off with this offer.

If you want to buy an iPhone 16e for you and your family, you can get four iPhone 16e devices at no cost and four new voice lines for $25/line per month when trading in four eligible devices. T-Mobile is also offering free next day shipping and free activation when pre-ordering the iPhone 16e.

The iPhone 16e will launch on Friday, February 28 in 59 countries and regions, and it's available in white or black, with 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB storage capacities. If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

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Apple Vision Pro users can watch a new six-minute Apple Immersive Video today via the Apple TV app. It's the second episode in the company's "Boundless" series.

"Arctic Surfing" lets viewers "paddle into icy waters with a group of intrepid surfers and feel the rush of riding Norway's wintry waves."

The previous episode in the series is "Hot Air Balloons," offering viewers a journey above Türkiye's iconic rock formations. Another new episode, "Deep Water Solo," is arriving next Friday.

The new Apple Immersive video content is available from the Apple TV app in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, France, Germany, Japan, Singapore, the U.K., and the U.S. Users in China can watch the content through the Migu Video and Tencent Video apps.

Apple is now accepting orders for the new iPhone 16e through its online storefront and through the Apple Store app. The ‌Apple Store‌ app is often the quickest way to get a pre-order in as typically comes online ahead of the website.

Pre-orders are being accepted in more than 59 countries and regions around the world. Pricing on the ‌iPhone 16e‌ starts at $599 in the United States. The device is available in white or black, and comes in 128GB, 256GB ($699), and 512GB ($899) storage capacities. Apple is also promoting carrier deals from AT&T, Boost Mobile, T-Mobile, and Verizon in the US.

The iPhone 16e features a larger 6.1-inch OLED display, replacing the iPhone SE's 4.7-inch LCD. It has a notch for Face ID, marking the end of Touch ID on Apple's iPhone lineup.

Powered by the A18 chip, the iPhone 16e supports Apple Intelligence features like notification summaries and Genmoji. It has a 6-core CPU, 16-core Neural Engine, and a 4-core GPU, whereas the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus have a 5-core GPU.

Apple's custom C1 5G modem replaces Qualcomm's, improving power efficiency. Apple claims it offers the longest battery life of any 6.1-inch iPhone, with up to 26 hours of video playback, compared to 22 hours on the iPhone 16.

The device features a single 48MP Fusion camera with a 2x "optical-quality" Telephoto option and a 12MP front camera with autofocus.

Other features include an Action button with Visual Intelligence, USB-C, a Ceramic Shield front, IP68 water resistance, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.3. However, it lacks MagSafe and the Camera Control button found on other iPhone 16 models.

In the US, it has no physical SIM slot, but it remains available in other countries. It also supports Apple's satellite features, including Emergency SOS, Roadside Assistance, Messages, and Find My, with availability varying by region.

Customers who pre-order an ‌iPhone 16e‌ can expect to begin receiving their new devices on Friday, February 28, which is the official ‌iPhone 16e‌ launch date.

Google will imminently launch a new, more affordable YouTube "Premium Lite" tier in a bid to appeal to viewers who don't really watch music videos, Bloomberg reports.

The lower-priced version of YouTube's paid video subscription service will function largely without ads, though music videos on the platform will continue to include them for viewers on the Lite tier.

YouTube Premium is the service's existing $13.99-a-month plan in the US that lets subscribers watch everything on the service, including music videos, without ads.

"As part of our commitment to provide our users with more choice and flexibility, we've been testing a new YouTube Premium offering with most videos ad-free in several of our markets," a YouTube spokesperson told Bloomberg. "We're hoping to expand this offering to even more users in the future with our partners' support."

The Verge reports that the Premium Lite plan has been tested in international markets for months. Now, it's set for a wider launch, including its debut in the US, Australia, Germany, and Thailand. The new tier will be announced soon, according to Bloomberg's sources.

The new follows YouTube's claim earlier this month that viewing figures for the platform on TV have now surpassed mobile and become the primary device for YouTube viewing in the United States.

The iPhone 16e reportedly supports USB-C fast charging up to 29W, according to a regulatory filing published in China (via MySmartPrice).

If accurate, this is broadly in line with the iPhone 16 models. Last year, ChargerLAB found that the iPhone 16 Pro models achieved maximum sustained charging speeds of around 30W. PhoneArena saw similar results with the standard iPhone 16, although under heavy load the phones would start charging at 38W. We'll have to wait for testing in the wild to confirm the iPhone 16e wattage figure given in the Chinese regulatory filing.

Apple supply chain analyst Jeff Pu has said the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will all support up to 35W wired charging speeds. He did not reveal wireless MagSafe charging speeds for any iPhone 17 models. iPhone 16 models can charge at up to 25W with MagSafe, a feature that the iPhone 16e lacks.

Apple is opening pre-orders for the iPhone 16e today at 5:00 a.m. Pacific Time, with the $599 device officially launching on Friday, February 28.

Apple's online store is down ahead of iPhone 16e pre-orders, which are expected to be available at 5:00 a.m. Pacific Time in the United States.

Apple has been doing 5:00 a.m. pre-orders for the last several years instead of the 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time pre-orders that it used to have.

Customers in 59 countries and regions, including Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, South Korea, Türkiye, the UAE, the UK, and the U.S., will be able to pre-order iPhone 16e when the store comes back online.

The iPhone 16e is Apple's new entry-level $599 iPhone, and the next-generation version of the iPhone SE. It is the most affordable iPhone that Apple sells at the current time.

The iPhone 16e is an amalgam of the iPhone 14 and the iPhone 16 in terms of design, featuring a 6.1-inch OLED display with a notch for the TrueDepth camera system, an aluminum frame with squared-off edges, a Ceramic Shield display, a single-lens rear camera, and an A18 chip with Apple Intelligence support.

With the iPhone 16e, Apple phased out several older technologies. There are no longer iPhones with Lightning ports, LCD displays, or 64GB storage options, and 6.1 inches is now the smallest display size that Apple offers. In the U.S., pricing starts at $599. The device is available in white or black, and with 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB storage capacities.

The first Geekbench score for Apple's new iPhone 16e has surfaced, revealing the performance impact of Apple's decision to use a binned version of the A18 chip with fewer GPU cores compared to the standard iPhone 16 models.

According to Geekbench 6 Metal benchmark results spotted by MySmartPrice, the iPhone 16e scored 24,188 points in graphics testing, which is around 15% lower than the more expensive iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus. This performance difference is likely due to Apple's use of a chip-binned A18 chip. Chip binning is a common industry practice where chips with disabled or non-functional components are repurposed for lower-tier products. This approach helps manufacturers maximize yield and reduce waste while offering products at different price points.

In this case, the A18 chip in the iPhone 16e features a 4-core GPU configuration, compared to the 5-core GPU found in the standard iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus. However, as the Geekbench test shows, the 6-core CPU count remains unchanged.

Despite the reduced GPU performance, the iPhone 16e is expected to maintain strong overall performance, especially for its $599 starting price point. The Geekbench test also corroborates our previous finding that the iPhone 16e has 8GB of RAM, which is a minimum requirement of Apple Intelligence. The device tested was running iOS 18.3.1.

Of course, further benchmark results and real-world testing will be needed to fully assess the impact of the reduced GPU core count on everyday tasks and gaming performance. Apple will be accepting pre-orders for the iPhone 16e starting today at 5 a.m. Pacific Time, and the device launches on Friday, February 28 in 59 countries and regions.