Was setting up an iPhone 16e for my girlfriend the other day that we managed to get at a good price, and couldn't help thinking how much I actually like the phone.
I have a 16 pro max personally, the base 256GB one, but when I was using the 16e, I realised I couldn't help but appreciate how simple it was. Nice, compact, fast, and just the essentials that you need in a phone.
I found the battery to be really good as well, and that's been consistent since after the setup, I also prefer the speakers the 16e, which I believe someone else here said at one point.
So, I remembered a lot of people saying on here that they were interested in getting one, the question is, did you get one? If so, how are you finding it and what do you think of it?
I'm thinking my next phone may be a pro and not a pro max.
By danno5, 24 March, 2025
Forum
iOS and iPadOS
Comments
love the 16 E
I downgraded from a 15 Pro Max and love the 16 E. These will be my phones for the foreseeable future.
Downgrading
There's a tiny tiny part of me that wants to go from the 16 pro max to the 16e, but not sure if that would be the best idea in this case
Similar Findings as Danno5
I have an iPhone 16e on loan from Apple for review, and my findings have been exactly as you describe. The battery life is incredible for a phone its size, and the speakers are leaps and bounds better than the 16 Pro Max. There is more bass and audio clarity, especially at lower volume levels. If the iPhone 16e were $100 less, it would not only be a good phone, but a tremendous value.
Thoughts from a very Satisfied iPhone 16e Owner
Hello,
Like others who have already commented, I am part of the "downgrade" club. I sold my iPhone 16 and purchased the 16e. Once I found out there was no dynamic island, (ya don't realize how much that thing got in the way until you realize how much it got in the way), no extra camera control button, and only one camera bump instead of two, I was sold! I don't miss alerts as I did before with the dynamic island, (I understand why it was introduced- to view information at a glance, such as status of ride-share pick-ups and drop-offs, sports scores, and so on), outside of those specific situations, it was a square of space that took up valuable screen real-estate and wasn't adding anything to the user experience, from a Voiceover user's perspective, anyway.
The battery life is excellent! I can charge my phone every other night if needed, the speakers are good, and I still have the ability to use Apple Intelligence if desired. It seems like the perfect compromise of simplicity from older iPhones, including modern aspects such as Apple and Visual Intelligence, while not sacrificing any camera capability. The phone is fast, doesn't have extra features I don't personally use, (I know some may find the lack of MagSafe a dealbreaker), but I'm ok plugging my phone into a charger if needed. All in all, I find I am really enjoying the phone, and though I certainly wasn't Apple's target market with it, they've got a fan here.
upgraded to iPhone 16E
I also upgraded from an iPhone 13 mini to the iPhone 16E and I switched to USMobile for my cell phone company and plan, I am happy with both.
I really don't think you can go wrong with the 16E
I don't think you can go wrong with it. I also agree with the person who doesn't miss the Dynamic Island. It just got in the way and is useless.
I am in the upgrade club
I’ve been very blessed to have a church who is willing to give me an iPhone 16 E. The only thing that I have not been able to do effectively is set up by Face ID so it works reliably. I know other blind people have been able to do so, but for some reason, I keep accidentally moving my face out of the view of the camera, and it starts completely over. Other than that, I love the phone the fact that it feels so nice in the hand and the fact that it is so responsive. One more thing I love the fact that I now have access to the writing tools in Apple Intelligence I believe this feature alone will help blind people in a lot of ways so we don’t look so idiotic to our side peers and how we write.
keep trying you will get it
You will get it keep trying.
Writing blind
Glad you're all enjoying the 16e, I've stolen it again this morning, so its being used to reply here haha.
Just a fair point, as Dennis says, you'll get Face ID but it may take a while.
Also, writing like an idiot isn't exactly a thing, I think people just don't check what they've written when relying on dictation, as a personal preference, I don't use it, I just find I spend more time editing my text than if I just use BSI. But I don't feel like dictation has improved much, I find it still makes the same silly little mistakes all over the place. But that does bring me to that I've decided to add here haha, how has dictation been for any of you on the 16e?
using dictation
This is a software thing. I generally don't use it. I will write what I want and use writing tools to check my grammar to make sure it is correct.
An update to my comment I posted earlier
First off, I made some changes and now I have a good scan for Face ID. It seems to be working great! Second, my comment about blind writing was actually about how dictation works on iOS. I think Android does it better, but I’m not switching because of privacy concerns.
Whatever works for you
Yeah, good to have a choice on how you can type, I find dictation useful if I can't spell a word haha.
Glad you managed to sort your face ID though
Just helped my cousin set up the iPhone 16e last weekend
Just helped my cousin set up the iPhone 16e last weekend — honestly surprised how much I liked it too. Super lightweight, snappy, and definitely easier to handle than the Pro Max I’m using. Battery life was solid during setup and testing, and Face ID felt faster for some reason?
One thing that stood out: the 16e made an awesome travel phone. We popped in an eSIM using eSIMo.io for a quick U.S. trip, and setup was almost instant. Having a phone that just works, no frills, with great battery — kind of refreshing.
If Apple keeps refining that size and performance balance, I might seriously consider switching to a smaller model too.