iPhone 16E vs. iPhone SE (2022): How Has Apple Upgraded Its Budget Phone?

Three years have passed between the release of the third-generation iPhone SE and the iPhone 16E, Apple’s latest budget phone. That’s a relatively long time for mobile developments to evolve — and for the sticker price to rise alongside those improvements.

The 2022 iPhone SE touted a $429 starting price, while the iPhone 16E starts at a notably higher $599. Apple has removed the older, cheaper iPhone SE from its store, so you’ll either have to buy it secondhand or flock to a third-party seller before it’s out of stock. Preorders on the iPhone 16E have begun, with availability starting Feb. 28.

So, what improvements will you find on the iPhone 16E, and how does it compare to its predecessor? Here’s everything to know.

Display and build

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While the 2022 iPhone SE had a 4.7-inch LCD display, the iPhone 16E levels things up with a 6.1-inch OLED display (still with a 60Hz refresh rate, though; sorry). With the 16E, you still won’t get some features found on Apple’s pricier flagship phones like Dynamic Island or a Camera Control button, but you will get an Action button.

Perhaps the biggest design change is that, with the switch to a full front screen, Apple has scrapped the home button on the iPhone 16E, opting instead for Face ID to match the rest of its current phones. The 16E has also been upgraded to a USB-C port, spelling the end for Lightning. Neither phone has a headphone jack.

Both the iPhone SE and iPhone 16E have aluminum frames, with the larger size of the 16E giving it a bit more weight: 167 grams, versus the SE’s 144g. The iPhone SE has an IP67 rating for water resistance, while the 16E bumps that to an IP68 rating.

The iPhone SE comes in black, white and Product RED. The iPhone 16E comes in black and white.

Camera comparison

The iPhone SE and iPhone 16E each have one rear camera: a 12-megapixel wide camera on the SE and a 48-megapixel wide on the 16E. The 16E also upgrades the front-facing camera from 7 megapixels to 12 megapixels.

Both phones shoot 4K video at 60 frames per second.

Battery and charging

Apple has been touting improved battery on the iPhone 16E, which the company says can support up to 26 hours of video playback, versus 15 hours on the iPhone SE. That longer battery life is largely due to the iPhone 16E packing Apple’s first-ever 5G modem, called the C1. The company calls it the “most power-efficient modem ever in an iPhone.”

Both phones support 20-watt wired charging and 7.5-watt wireless charging.

Processor, Apple Intelligence and storage

The 2022 iPhone runs on the A15 Bionic chip, while the iPhone 16E is powered by the A18 chip — just like the $799 iPhone 16. That means Apple’s latest lower-priced phone can also support Apple Intelligence, just like the iPhone 16 lineup and the iPhone 15 Pro models. It also supports Emergency SOS and satellite connectivity, so you can message emergency services and your loved ones, even when you don’t have a cellular connection.

While the iPhone SE comes with 64GB, 128GB, or 256GB of storage, the iPhone 16E offers a larger 512GB storage option, as well as 128GB and 256GB options. Neither phone has expandable storage.

Check out the spec chart below for more details on each phone.