MacRumors

The iPhone 16e and iPhone 15 now sit at the bottom of Apple's iPhone lineup at $599 and $699, respectively. While the 16e shares many important features with the ‌iPhone 15‌, there are still 30 significant differences between the devices to be aware of–not least Apple Intelligence support.

There is a merely $100 price difference between the ‌iPhone 15‌ and ‌iPhone 16e‌. To justify this, the ‌iPhone 16e‌ misses out on features such as the Dynamic Island and MagSafe connectivity. However, there are some areas where the 16e is actively better than the 15, such as the Action button, chip, and battery life. Here's everything that's different:

Choosing between the ‌iPhone 15‌ and ‌iPhone 16e‌ is not a wholly straightforward decision. While the ‌iPhone 15‌ is $100 more expensive than the ‌iPhone 16e‌, it misses out on the Action button, Wind noise reduction, Audio Mix, Spatial Audio recording, the A18 chip and ‌Apple Intelligence‌, Visual intelligence, the C1 modem, and six additional hours of battery life.

Instead, the $100 jump is seemingly justified by the ‌Dynamic Island‌, brighter display, Ultra Wide camera, sensor-shift image stabilization, next-generation portraits, Macro mode, Cinematic mode, Action mode, Thread and Ultra Wideband connectivity, ‌MagSafe‌, and color options–which may not be important to some customers.

The ‌iPhone 15‌'s lack of ‌Apple Intelligence‌ support is a major omission and it is difficult to recommend a device that is more expensive, less powerful, and less future proof. The ‌iPhone 16e‌ is a better long-term investment since it is likely to support future ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features, offering a better long-term experience and more desirability in the second-hand market. Its markedly better battery life is also worth noting when it comes to the long-term view of using the device. The ‌iPhone 16e‌ is almost a year and a half newer than the ‌iPhone 15‌.

If the large display of the 6.7-inch ‌iPhone 15‌ Plus is essential, then it is likely still worth opting for this option over the ‌iPhone 16e‌. Likewise, if an Ultra Wide camera or ‌MagSafe‌ are absolutely essential, the ‌iPhone 15‌ is the only way to go. Otherwise, most customers should save the $100 and buy the ‌iPhone 16e‌.

Amazon today has a pair of returning record low prices on two popular Apple products, including the Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Studio Display. Both deals have been applied automatically and do not require you to clip an on-page coupon.

Apple Pencil Pro

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

Starting with the Apple Pencil Pro, you can get this accessory for $99.00, down from $129.00. This is a match for the record low price on the Apple Pencil Pro, and it's a deal that doesn't typically stick around long on Amazon, so if you've been waiting for it to return, be sure to check it out soon.

Apple Studio Display

Amazon is also back with an all-time low price on Apple Studio Display, available for $1,299.99, down from $1,599.00. This is the standard glass version of the Studio Display with the tilt adjustable stand, and right now it's the only model on sale at Amazon.

The Studio Display features a 27-inch 5K Retina display with a 5120 x 2880 resolution and up to 600 nits of brightness. Apple says that the standard display is engineered for "extremely low reflectivity," but for rooms where there is a lot of glare, Apple suggests the nano-texture glass option with even less reflectivity.

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.

Apple's new iPhone 16e, announced on Wednesday, supports Visual Intelligence despite having no Camera Control button, and now Apple has confirmed that the Apple Intelligence feature is coming to the iPhone 15 Pro as well in a future software update.

On iPhone 16 models, Visual Intelligence lets you use the camera to learn more about places and objects around you. It can also summarize text, read text out loud, translate text, search Google for items, ask ChatGPT, and more.

The feature is activated via the Camera Control button that's exclusive to iPhone 16 models. It was thought that the extra button was necessary to activate the feature, but the new iPhone 16e lacks such a button. Instead, Visual Intelligence can be assigned to the device's Action button or enabled via Control Center.

Now, Apple has told Daring Fireball's John Gruber that Visual Intelligence is coming to the iPhone 15 Pro "in a future software update." Like the iPhone 16e, the iPhone 15 Pro doesn't have a Camera Control button, but Apple says the function will be able to be launched in the Control Center interface or via the Action button once the update drops.

Apple would not confirm whether the update in question is iOS 18.4, beta releases for which are expected any day now. But given that the iPhone 16e will become available to buy on February 28, iOS 18.4 seems like the most likely update that will bring Visual Intelligence to the iPhone 15 Pro. Following yesterday's debut of the iPhone 16e, Apple updated its website to indicate that iOS 18.4 will be released publicly in early April.

Now that Apple has announced its new more affordable iPhone 16e, our thoughts turn to what else we are expecting from the company this spring.

There are three product categories that we are definitely expecting to get upgraded before spring has ended. Keep reading to learn what they are. If we're lucky, Apple might make a surprise announcement about a completely new product category.

M4 MacBook Air

Apple plans to refresh the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models, updating them with more powerful M4 chips. Design changes are not expected, with the focus being on the chip refresh. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has reported that new MacBook Air models are "coming soon," suggesting they are likely to arrive later in the spring. However, Apple's inventory of MacBook Air models is running low at its retail stores, indicating that refreshes for the devices could be just around the corner.

iPad Air

The iPad Air is set to get updated with either an M3 or M4 chip, and it could debut alongside a new lower-cost Magic Keyboard that Apple is developing for the more affordable iPad models. Some rumors have suggested the iPad Air will have the M3 chip that's a step behind the M4 in the iPad Pro, but Gurman said in January that Apple could opt for the M4 instead. A leaker who has provided reliable information in the past also said in January that the iPad Air 7 will use the M3 chip, not the M4 chip. No other major hardware or design changes are expected. Like new MacBook Air models, the iPad Air is said to be coming soon, according to Gurman.

Low-Cost iPad

Apple is believed to be working on an 11th-generation iPad with a faster chip and support for Wi-Fi 6E. The tablet is also expected to feature Apple's custom-designed C1 modem chip that just debuted in the iPhone 16e. Gurman has said the next low-cost iPad will use the A17 Pro chip – the same one that's in the iPhone 15 Pro models and the iPad mini 7. The A17 Pro chip supports Apple Intelligence, so presumably that means the new iPad will come with at least 8GB of RAM, which is the minimum requirement for Apple's suite of AI features. Apple's supply chain began shipments of the new devices in December, according to one report.

Smart Home Command Center

Apple is working on a new Home accessory that is designed to serve as a central hub or "Command Center" for smart home management. Apple's upcoming iPad-like smart home accessory could be released as soon as early 2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman‌. However, he recently said that Apple might not be able to launch it until later in the year due to its reliance on features coming in iOS 18.4 and iOS 19. Kuo believes the device will not be released until the second or third quarter of 2025. In February, Gurman said that the smart home hub launch is "still months away."

Apple's first custom-designed modem chip, the C1, has finally made its debut in the iPhone 16e, which Apple announced on Wednesday. It's a significant milestone in the company's efforts to reduce reliance on external suppliers like Qualcomm. However, the C1 lacks support for ultra-fast mmWave 5G technology, and the chip's limitations are expected to extend to the upcoming ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air.

While touted by Apple as their most power-efficient cellular chip to date, the C1 modem currently supports only sub-6GHz 5G networks. This means users won't have access to the exceptionally fast speeds that mmWave technology can provide in specific locations such as stadiums, airports, and dense urban areas.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone 17 Air will utilize the same C1 modem, suggesting it too will lack mmWave support. Meanwhile, the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max are expected to continue using Qualcomm modems, so they will retain access to the full spectrum of 5G capabilities, including mmWave.

The distinction between mmWave and sub-6GHz 5G is worth noting. While mmWave offers ultra-fast speeds at short distances, making it ideal for crowded urban environments, sub-6GHz 5G provides broader coverage with slower but still capable speeds. In many countries, sub-6GHz networks remain more prevalent than mmWave installations.

According to Gurman, Apple is already developing its second-generation 5G modem, which will include mmWave support. This improved chip is expected to debut in the iPhone 18 lineup in 2026, promising theoretical download speeds of up to 6 Gbps, which is a significant increase from the C1's reported 4 Gbps capability. In 2027, Gurman expects Apple to release its third-generation modem. Apple is apparently aiming for this modem to top Qualcomm's modems in terms of performance and AI features.

• iPhone 17 Air Design, Specs, and More: All the Rumors So Far

Apple's current agreement with Qualcomm extends through 2026, giving Apple ample time to perfect its modem technology while it has access to Qualcomm's modems for its premium iPhone models.

Apple's unveiling on Wednesday of the iPhone 16e, which replaced the iPhone SE line, marked a strategic shift in the company's flagship smartphone lineup. Starting at $599, the iPhone 16e offers a 6.1-inch OLED display, Face ID, an A18 chip, and a USB-C port, positioning it as a more affordable alternative within the iPhone 16 family. Does that mean we should expect an iPhone 17e to be added to the upcoming iPhone 17 series?

Apple's iPhone 17 lineup is expected to feature four models: iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and a new ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air that replaces the existing Plus model. The iPhone 17 Air is rumored to have a significantly thinner design with an aluminum chassis and a 6.6-inch display, aiming to offer a balance between portability and performance.

Given this lineup, it's unclear whether Apple will continue the "e" series with an iPhone 17e. Indeed, as of now, there are no specific rumors or reports suggesting that Apple will release an iPhone 17e this year or next. The introduction of the iPhone 17 Air may represent Apple's approach to providing a mid-tier option, potentially replacing the need for an "e" variant. However, without official confirmation or credible leaks, the existence of an iPhone 17e remains speculative.

One possibility is that Apple releases an iPhone 17e next year around the same February window, using the model's launch as a way to reinvigorate its flagship lineup mid-cycle. Apple could choose to do this each year. It's a more exciting strategy than simply offering new iPhone colors in the spring, which Apple has done in the past. Alternatively, it may opt to release "e" series iPhone models based on a non-linear roadmap, similar to the iPhone SE. The first-generation iPhone SE was released on March 2016, while the second-generation model arrived in April 2020, and the third-generation iPhone SE came in March 2022.

As Apple continues to evolve its iPhone strategy, the success of the iPhone 16e in the coming months may ultimately determine whether we'll see future "e" variants alongside the main iPhone lineup. In that sense, iPhone 16e sales figures and user feedback may be the best gauge as to where Apple might head next.

Smart home company Aqara today announced the global availability of its Camera Hub G5 Pro, which is designed specifically for outdoor surveillance. The G5 Pro integrates with the Apple Home app and it supports HomeKit Secure Video.

Available in two colors, the G5 Pro provides 2.6K Quad HD recording with True Color Night Vision that Aqara says provides clear images even at night. The True Color Night Vision feature supports 1520p resolution and offers a 133 degree field of view with an f/1.0 aperture that captures more light than traditional f/2.0 lenses.

A built-in neural processing unit allows for on-device AI object detection and sound detection, so the camera is able to analyze footage and alert homeowners of potential threats like an individual lingering or a stolen package, plus it can send alerts when the lens is obstructed and packages are detected. The AI can also be used to set up an automation that will deter intruders, and the camera has a 100-decibel speaker and a dimmable spotlight.

The G5 Pro is a Matter Controller, Thread Border Router, and it connects to Aqara Matter bridges, so it can improve smart home networking connectivity. Live and recorded video is end-to-end encrypted, and stored footage is synced to iCloud or Aqara's cloud services. It can also be set up to sync footage to a local NAS system.

Both Power-over-Ethernet and dual-band Wi-Fi are supported, with PoE offering an option for uninterrupted connection. With the on-device AI, the camera is able to record critical events and trigger automations even when the internet is out.

The Camera Hub G5 Pro is priced starting at $180 and it can be purchased from the Aqara website or from Amazon.

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 continues to support The Global Fund through its annual Apple Pay donation program, which ran from November 29 through December 8 last year.

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:

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.