Apple recently announced the launch of the iPhone 16e, a budget-friendly model from the iPhone 16 lineup that features artificial intelligence capabilities at a more affordable price.
“iPhone 16e delivers fast, smooth performance and breakthrough battery life, thanks to the industry-leading efficiency of the A18 chip and the new Apple C1, the first cellular modem designed by Apple,” said the company. The C1 chip marks a major shift from chips made by Qualcomm.
iPhone 16e will be available in two matte finishes, black and white. Customers in 59 countries and regions, including the UAE, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, South Korea, Türkiye, the UK, and the U.S., will be able to pre-order iPhone 16e beginning at 5 a.m. PST on February 21, with availability beginning February 28.
The 16e will cost $599, a $170 increase from the previous SE model. In the UAE, it will be available starting from AED2,599.
Latest-generation A18 chip to power the 16e
iPhone 16e will feature Apple Intelligence and a 48MP Fusion camera with an integrated 2x Telephoto. The phone is powered by Apple’s latest-generation A18 chip, which enables fast, smooth performance, power efficiency and Apple Intelligence. The company said that the 6-core CPU is up to 80 percent faster than the A13 Bionic chip on iPhone 11, handling both every day and intensive tasks.
“iPhone 16e packs in the features our users love about the iPhone 16 lineup, including breakthrough battery life, fast performance powered by the latest-generation A18 chip, an innovative 2-in-1 camera system, and Apple Intelligence,” said Kaiann Drance, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide iPhone Product Marketing.
ChatGPT access
ChatGPT is also integrated into several features like Writing Tools and Siri. Users can access ChatGPT for free without creating an account, and privacy protections are built in. Users can choose whether to enable ChatGPT integration and are in full control of when to use it and what information is shared with ChatGPT.
Aside from having no wide-angle camera lens, one missing button and a slightly different display, the 16e looks very similar to the 16 base mode. Apple left out a camera control button that can adjust camera settings which is available on the main iPhone 16 series. SE models were known for their smaller screen size, but the 16e comes with a 6.1-inch display, the same as the least expensive iPhone 16 model.
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Visual intelligence
The iPhone 16e also features the Action button, allowing users to easily access a variety of functions. The Action button also unlocks a new visual intelligence experience that builds on Apple Intelligence to help users learn about objects and places. Visual intelligence can summarize and copy text, translate text between languages, detect phone numbers or email addresses with the option to add to contacts, identify an animal or plant, and more.
The feature also allows users to search Google so they can see where they can buy an item, or benefit from ChatGPT’s problem-solving skills. Users are in control of when third-party tools are used and what information is shared.
