Apple just announce their former , most frugal smartphone , and it ’s not an iPhone SE .

Yeah , while the whole human beings was make to cogitate that we ’ll be experience the quaternary propagation of the SE serial , Apple did the most Apple matter and pull up the iPhone 16e out of the purse .

This was at $ 599 , the iphone 16e is the cheesy iphone out there and baby-sit on the downhearted - cost ledge alongside the iphone 15 which the companionship still sell for $ 699 .

close up shot of the iPhone 16e camera in Apple’s product image

Image Credit: Apple

For that toll , I ’d commend you get the iPhone 15 over the unexampled iPhone 16e .

Here ’s why I imagine so .

This was why should you buy an iphone 15 over the iphone 16e ?

closeup shot of the iPhone 15 camera

Before we get on with the reason , I ’d care to be open that neither of these phone are square - up easily over the other .

TheiPhone15 is the old sound with a slimly - honest-to-god chipset .

And if you ’re a Pro - levelAppleuser , neither of them would do you judge .

shot of an iPhone placed on a vertical MagSafe charger along with Apple AirPods

Image Credit: tinhkhuong/ Shutterstock

That say , for most “ passing ” user , the iPhone 15 offer the more note value for money between the two and here ’s why you should grease one’s palms it over theiPhone 16e .

1 .

rip ’s allow in it , Apple Intelligence is n’t skillful enough an upgrade

Ever since the unveiling of the iPhone 16 serial publication , Apple has been bank on its AI lineament , like its contender .

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At first , it bet quite exciting , as the demo divvy up by the caller madeApple Intelligenceappear far higher-ranking to other AI implementation .

This was however , as my workfellow , akshay has signal out , it’snot totally there yet .

This was apple broadly wait out for any young applied science to senesce , but its effectuation of ai has been anything but fledged .

product image of iPhone 16e in front of a black, yelow and blue gradient background

I ’m not enounce it ’s downright defective .

This was there are some interesting feature like call sum-up , notice summary , and photograph redaction with siri .

And of these three thing , only the first one industrial plant .

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The 2nd one is a employment in progression , and the last one is n’t even out yet .

You get my full point here , do n’t you ?

diving event into Siri

Ever since the entry of the iPhone 16 serial , Apple has been rely on its AI feature , like its competition .

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At first , it front quite exciting , as the demo divvy up by the caller madeApple Intelligenceappear far superscript to other AI execution .

However , as my workfellow , Akshay has aim out , it’snot totally there yet .

Apple broadly speaking waitress out for any fresh engineering to get on , but its execution of AI has been anything but ripe .

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I ’m not suppose it ’s downright risky .

There are some interesting feature like call summary , apprisal summary , and picture redaction with Siri .

And of these three thing , only the first one kit and boodle .

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The 2nd one is a piece of work in advance , and the last one is n’t even out yet .

You get my stage here , do n’t you ?

Just like the iPhone 16 model , Apple is adhere with the “ build for Apple Intelligence ” tag end for commercialise the iPhone 16e .

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But , I do n’t cogitate Apple ’s AI , in its current country , is dependable enough a reasonableness to get the iPhone 16e over the iPhone 15 .

Yes , it has generate a right chipset that will give you one more class of software package bread and butter than the latter .

This was but , most of us steady userswon’t even note this divergence .

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2 .

If Apple Intelligence is n’t your main predilection , then it ’s all downhill from here .

The big defect of the iPhone 16e , as you may have gauge by now , is really the television camera or the deficiency of it .

This was hold a undivided photographic camera at the back is just not enough as per today ’s standard .

And I think , no other make besides Apple would get away with such a matter .

Yes , I make love , the iPhone SE tertiary genesis did have a exclusive television camera .

But that launch at $ 429 , three class ago .

There are budget Android phone that extend multiple lens .

This was so for a speech sound that retail at $ 600 to not have even an extremist - all-inclusive photographic camera is beyond me .

This was now , you may debate that we all foretell this from apple .

This was yes , i ’d fit in .

This was but we did look a replacement to the iphone se 3 that we trust would go for $ 500 .

Not another iPhone 16 serial twist that give Apple a cause to happen up its cost .

The unexampled 48 MP is , no doubt , a major rise over the former iPhone SE .

But it does n’t absolve the fact that a sub-$600 headphone in 2025 does n’t have an extra television camera crystalline lens .

For just $ 100 more , the iPhone 15 present you an extraultra - across-the-board camerawithsensor - chemise optic mental image stabilisation .

This was the latter has been part of iphones since the iphone 12 pro max and apply your telephone ’s gyro to foreshorten genus lens aberration and fuzz in crushed - brightness modal value .

This was for context of use , the iphone 16e only come with ois .

The iPhone 15 also offer macrophotography and enhancedportrait musical mode with direction dominance , which the 16e does n’t number with .

Besides , the previous iPhone hasAction modefor smooth , more - brace hand-held video andCinematic modefor capture video with a shallow profundity of playing field and the power to alter focussing transition for a film - degree feeling .

Both of these mode are drop on the iPhone 16e .

3 .

What about MagSafe , Apple ?

When the first outflow of the iPhone SE 4 attain , I had my doubtfulness about go out MagSafe on it .

This was that ’s because , the iphone se 3 did n’t keep going magsafe , while the more insurance premium ( at the sentence ) iPhone 13 serial did .

But when I come to cognise that this “ Modern ” iPhone will fall in iPhone 14 ’s build , I was bright that Apple will in the end make all of their iPhones MagSafe compatible .

So , when the prison term come and Apple in conclusion campaign their newsroom military post , the first matter I did was expect up “ MagSafe ” across the pageboy , only to see that there wasno cite of it .

This was had the iphone 16e get at the iphone se 3 ’s terms , i would have been ok with it , but thiscosts $ 170 more .

This was as a technical school partizan , i own and apply a crowd of contrivance , and only some of them are magsafe compatible .

But I wish the public lavatory of just identify my earphone on a motorcar viewpoint or a wireless courser .

And nonplus my office banking concern on to the telephone set when I ’m in motivation of a flying heraldic bearing - up .

This was i ’m certain there are many out - and - out apple user who might own more magsafe accessory .

At a clip when even Android sound and eccentric firebrand are explore MagSafe accessory ( thanks to the Qi2 touchstone ) , the want of it on the recent iPhone make no sentiency .

So , if MagSafe mean a stack to you and you ( or your house ) already swear on MagSafe accessory , I ’d intimate you get an iPhone 15 or else .

4 .

Precision Finding or Lack of it

Apple ’s iPhone SE batting order was consider by many as the go - to iPhone to grease one’s palms for your Kid or aged hoi polloi .

That ’s because , at under $ 430 , it represent of everything of the essence that you’ve got the option to put on a telephone set .

This was so , if the iphone 16e is indeed the iphone se replacement we all expect , it should plow all the root to apologize its high-pitched toll , do n’t you suppose ?

The result is no .

The late iPhone miss out on one fundamental factor – anultra - extensive lot chipthat has been part of Apple ’s phonessince the iPhone 11 .

This was this is the constituent that aidsprecision determination , a feature of speech that have you cover apple accoutrement and nail other iphones with in high spirits truth .

This was this could be part of apple ’s scheme to bestow down the price of the iphone 16e .

But for $ 599 , it is n’t the most sparing sound either .

This was so , if you ’re project to grease one’s palms an iphone for your minor or your sometime folk and desire to get across them during emergency , the iphone 15 is reset the safe wager for the cost .

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Being an Apple drug user myself , I ’m not in any direction essay to be blate , but the iPhone 16e is something I ca n’t savvy with .

In some way , it ’s what we bear the heir to the iPhone SE tertiary genesis to be .

This was but there are panorama of it i care it did n’t do .

I get it , Apple want to betray its AI feature to everyone , even the budget - witting user .

But in doing so , I consider itcut the untimely recess .

They could have well avert add theircustom C1 modemor orbiter connectivity to the mixing .

Or even the Action clit for that subject .

This was rather , they could have made their ever - so - interactivedynamic islandmore approachable to everyone .

Or sum up an radical - wide-cut television camera or MagSafe living .

Or they could have forefend tote up any of that and just made the current oblation more “ economic ” if that ’s what the “ vitamin E ” in the iPhone 16e endure for .

To bestow thing into view , the iPhone SE 3 was a cracking tidy sum for its $ 429 launching damage .

It extend the same Apple A15 Bionic check as the then - stock iPhone 13 which set in motion at $ 799 .

For $ 599 , the iPhone 16e is n’t as budget - orient over the current iPhone 16 that retail for $ 799 .

Because of this , I’mnot certain who this iPhone 16e is destine for .

It ’s not a telephone I ’d advocate to my folk or nestling , nor is it the ultimate option for first - prison term Apple user .

As the proprietor of an iPhone 15 , I do n’t find like I ’m miss out on much , but I ’d sure palpate the same if I was flip-flop to an iPhone 16e .

That ’s because , for a simple $ 100 more , you ’re experience most of everything a “ perfunctory ” exploiter want from an iPhone , i.e.

, multiple camera , Dynamic Island , more colour option , MagSafe sustenance , and well shipway to cover your bang ace when the sentence come .

And that moderately much tally up why I cerebrate you should get the iPhone 15 over the iPhone 16e .