Here's how the iPhone 16e compares to iPhone 12, 13, and more

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Yesterday, Apple launched the new iPhone 16e, the cheapest new iPhone model in the lineup. It brings Apple Intelligence, Face ID, USB-C, the 48MP Fusion camera, and much more – all down to a starting price of just $599.

Obviously, the iPhone 16e is a noteworthy upgrade over the iPhone SE 3. However, there’s an easy comparison to be made to previous generation entry-level iPhones, such as the iPhone 12, 13, 14 and even iPhone 15 – for many great reasons. We’ll be diving into that here.

iPhone 12 vs iPhone 16e

iPhone 12 was the first iPhone redesign since the iPhone X, introducing the boxy design language that lives on in the iPhone lineup to this day. It was the first iPhone with 5G, using a somewhat-inefficient early generation Qualcomm 5G modem. On the other hand, iPhone 16e uses Apples first in-house 5G modem, with large power efficiency gains.

Between USB-C, the smaller notch, Apple Intelligence, and the larger camera sensor – iPhone 16e is nearly a no-brainer upgrade.

iPhone 13 vs iPhone 16e

There’s a number of noteworthy upgrades with the iPhone 16e over 2021’s iPhone 13. For the most part, this is a universal improvement, other than the fact that you’ll be losing out on an ultrawide camera on the rear. However, since the iPhone 16e features the 48MP camera sensor from iPhone 15, you’ll be able to take photos with 2x zoom and still receive “optical quality,” something that the iPhone 13 cannot do.

iPhone 14 vs iPhone 16e

Given the similarities between iPhone 13 and iPhone 14, there aren’t too many notable differences to point out here, but here’s a full breakdown:

iPhone 15 vs iPhone 16e

iPhone 15 was a notable upgrade over iPhone 14, bringing USB-C and Dynamic Island to Apple’s entry-level iPhone. It also brought over the upgraded 48MP wide angle lens from iPhone 14 Pro, which the iPhone 16e also takes advantage of.

Wrap up

Essentially, the common theme here is that iPhone 16e will be an overall upgrade from any iPhone older than the latest-generation iPhone 16 – presuming you don’t mind the lack of official MagSafe support.

You gain USB-C, support for Apple Intelligence, as well as a suite of other upgrades, primarily at the cost of an ultra-wide lens. The main exception to this rule is the iPhone 15, where you’ll also be losing the Dynamic Island. Regardless of what iPhone you’re coming from, you’ll also gain the best battery life in any 6.1-inch iPhone.

Brought to you by Uniq: Check out the new rugged cases from Uniq including the glow in the dark Combat Active iPhone case featuring a textured grip for ultimate control and a reflective lanyard. And the Stride SE, a high-performance Apple Watch sports band built tough with durable FKM.

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