Apple iPhone 16e review

Design, build quality, handling

We know that many are describing the iPhone 16e as an iPhone 14 refresh, probably because of the iPhone 14 resemblance over at the back - the clean matte glass, being the most obvious similarity. But, let's be honest, apart from the finish, all 6.1-inch vanilla iPhones are iPhone 13 copycats so it's more like we see a rehashed version of the iPhone 13 here rather than the 14.

The iPhone 16e has a solid, premium build, and everyone will appreciate it right from the start. The screen is protected by a flat Ceramic Shield - first generation in case you were wondering. The back panel is also a flat sheet of glass, but with a cool frosted finish that is incredibly fingerprint and smudge resistant. And it looks absolutely stunning on the white model.

The aluminum frame has a matching matte finish to the back panel. It comes in either a natural aluminum color for the white model or a black color for the black version. As we already mentioned, the iPhone 16e is available only in classic Black or White color versions.

The iPhone 16e is IP68-rated for dust and water resistance (1.5m for 30mins), but just like other Apple phones, the 16e is advertised for its enhanced protection for up to 6m water submersion.

The 16e measures 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8 mm and weighs 167 grams, which is the same as the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14, and 1mm shorter than the iPhone 16.

The iPhone 16e also has a similar footprint and weight as the Galaxy S25. However, the Galaxy S25 has a larger 6.2-inch display, which immediately reveals that the 16e has thicker screen bezels than the Galaxy.

iPhone 16e (left) next to Galaxy S25

The front of the new iPhone is familiar - it houses the 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED with a long notch to make way for the earpiece (also a stereo speaker), the 12MP front camera and the Face ID scanning tech. This is the reduced notch from the iPhone 13 and not the large one we saw for the last time on the iPhone 12.

We appreciate that Apple has put the most recent selfie camera with autofocus and possibly OIS. It should make for some nice selfies. And Face ID is working as fast as ever. But not having a Dynamic Island is a bit disappointing for sure.

The screen bezels are of the same size as on any vanilla iPhone and thicker than those on the Pro models.

The back is super clean with a frosty finish and a glossy Apple logo. There is as single camera here - a 48MP one - accompanied by a LED flash and a microphone.

The camera is surrounded by a metal ring that's sticking out of the back. It is quite thin, though, and is a departure from the large camera housing we've used to see. The wobbling on a desk is minimal.

Finally, the aluminum frame is also flat with a matte finish.

The bottom of the iPhone has a USB-C connector, the other speaker, and the mouthpiece.

The SIM tray is on the left side, together with the volume keys and the customizable Action button. The iPhone 16e supports one nano-SIM card, but eSIM is also available.

The iPhone 16e is a compact smartphone by today's standards, lightweight, too. And given its advanced durability, the 16e is nothing short of a premium device with a flagship build.

Its handling is also a lovely experience - the 16e is super comfortable to hold, handle and operate, even with one hand. And the grip is secure enough, even if not ideal.

As far as looks, build and operation are concerned, the iPhone 16e gets an excellent mark. Though, we are already too used to the iPhones having a Dynamic Island for the FaceID tech, so the notch feels as quite the step back in time.