Apple has finally revealed the iPhone 16e and, while it might not be everything we expected, it is looking like a major upgrade over older models.
We have compiled comparisons between the iPhone 16e vs the iPhone 15, and the iPhone 16e vs the iPhone 16. However, iPhone 14 users are one of the groups that have the most to consider when it comes to upgrading to the next generation of iPhone.
We’re already very familiar with the iPhone 14. It was one of the best phones back in 2023 when it was first released, though it has since been upstaged by the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16. Despite this, it still has a lot of great qualities like strong battery life, good cameras and solid performance — and can be found at a reasonable discount due to its age.
So, the question is if everything coming with the iPhone 16e is enough to push you to upgrade to the next Apple mid-range phone, or should you wait for the iPhone 17?
iPhon 16e vs iPhone 14: Specs
iPhone 16e vs iPhone 14: price and availability
Apple officially announced the iPhone 16e on February 19, with pre-orders going live on Friday, February 21. Apple has stated that the iPhone 16e will officially be released on February 28.
One of the surprising revelations was that the iPhone 16e is going to be a fair bit pricier than the older models. The base iPhone 16e with 128GB of memory costs $599, while the 256GB model will cost $699 and the 512GB model will cost $899.
At a base cost, the iPhone 14 and the iPhone 16e both cost the same, although you can certainly find a lot of iPhone 14 deals, as well as several second-hand deals. However, the number of features coming on the new iPhone 16e likely far outweighs any savings you might get.
iPhone 16e vs iPhone 14: Design and Display
While it was originally expected that the iPhone 16e would resemble the iPhone 14, it has taken more than a few cues from the iPhone 16. Firstly, both phones feature a 6.1-inch display, flattened sides and a notch over the Dynamic Island seen in the iPhone 16.
However, while it might lack the dynamic island, the iPhone 16e does come with the Action button introduced with the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The Action button can be changed to perform different functions, from turning on the torch to silencing the phone.
What this means is that the iPhone 16e sits as the perfect in-between model between the iPhone 14 and the iPhone 16. The addition of an action button might not be the biggest selling point, in truth, it spends more time as the new silent mode toggle, but it has its uses.
iPhone 16e vs iPhone 14: Cameras
When it comes to cameras there's no doubt that the iPhone 14 fell by the wayside, especially compared to the iPhone 14 Pro Max. The baseline iPhone 14 launched with a 12MP wide camera, a 12MP ultrawide and a 12MP selfie. It was okay for the time, but the iPhone 14 Pro Max saw its main camera bumped up to 48MP.
While the iPhone 16e only has one camera, it has several advantages that help push it ahead of the older iPhone 14. However, the 16e features not only a 48MP camera, with the ability to shoot as a 2x telephoto but also all the AI improvements granted by Apple Intelligence.
iPhone 16e vs iPhone 14: Performance
There's little doubt that the iPhone 16e has the advantage when it comes to performance, although clearly all the advances pushed the price up a fair bit. For reference, the iPhone 14 launched with the A15 chipset and 6GB of RAM. It was a decent setup for the time, but it has fallen by the wayside.
Meanwhile, the iPhone 16e comes with the A18 chip, as well as 8GB of RAM. Added to this is a 16-core Neural Engine for enabling Apple Intelligence features. This is also the first iPhone with Apple’s own C1 5G modem. Now, we don't have the test results for how fast the phone will be, but can make an accurate guess by comparing the iPhone 14 vs the iPhone 16's performance.
Considering the iPhone 16e has the same chip and RAM as the iPhone 16, it is reasonable to assume they'll have similar scores. As we can see, the A18 chip and the increased RAM blow the iPhone 14 out of the water.
what this means for the average user is that your phone will be fast, blindingly so if compared to the older models. So, expect much better response times when using the web or trying to retrieve information.
iPhone 16e vs iPhone 14: Battery and Charging
It is worth noting that the iPhone 16e's full battery capacity hasn't been revealed just yet, so we don't have a full number to offer. However, Apple has stated that the phone will last 12 hours longer than the iPhone SE (2022). As such, we would expect there to be a similar difference between the iPhone 14.
One thing to note is that the iPhone 16e uses a USB-C cable, rather than a lightning cable. Although, the iPhone 16e does not support MagSafe, something you can find in the iPhone 14. This might turn some users who make constant use of the feature off.
iPhone 16e vs iPhone 14: Software and Apple Intelligence
The biggest advantage coming with the iPhone 16e is access to Apple Intelligence, alongside iOS 18. iOS 18 alone brought a more powerful Home Screen, Control Center customization and a new look for the Photos app.
At the moment you can access iOS 18 on the iPhone 14, but you can use all the AI features like notification summarization, image and emoji generation tools and a smarter Siri are already available to use. Not only that, the iPhone 16e also has access to the iPhone 16's Visual Intelligence, although we don't know how it will work with the lack of a camera control key just yet.
iPhone 16e vs iPhone 14: Outlook
At the end of the day, you have two phones that cost the same, but one offers a vastly improved experience over the other. While you could consider moving from the iPhone 14 to the iPhone 16, you would be paying a premium to do so.
However, at it's lowest cost there's something to be said for access to all the modern iPhone features at a $100 cheaper than the mainline iPhone series. So, if you feel you have to upgrade, the iPhone 16e might be the perfect model is you're looking to save a bit of cash.
