Apple has officially unveiled its much-anticipated “budget-friendly” iPhone, the iPhone 16e. While rumours previously suggested it might be named “iPhone SE 4,” Apple has opted for a new moniker for its entry-level offering.

The iPhone 16e features an A18 SoC with four GPU cores (instead of five), likely paired with 8 GB of RAM, ensuring compatibility with Apple Intelligence features. As predicted, the design takes cues from the iPhone 13 era, with a 6.1-inch OLED display boasting a 460 ppi pixel density and a 12 MP TrueDepth camera with Face ID support. The mute toggle switch has been replaced with the new action button, and the phone incorporates Apple's first in-house 5G modem, the C1, promising significant efficiency gains.

The iconic notch remains, and on the back, there's a single 48 MP camera. Other notable features include a USB-C port (albeit with USB 2.0 speeds), an impressive 26 hours of video playback (up from 22 hours on the iPhone 16), an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, and emergency SOS via satellite.

The iPhone 16e starting price is $599 for the 128GB model and will be available on February 28th. While this represents a price increase compared to the now-discontinued iPhone SE 3, which started at $429 for the 64 GB model, the iPhone 16e's array of new features and increased base storage arguably justify the premium.

KitGuru says: Were you waiting for Apple to launch a new “entry-level” smartphone? Are you planning on upgrading your current smartphone, or do you think Apple is asking too much for an “entry-level” device?

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