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Apple took the wraps off iPhone 16e — a surprise new addition to its iPhone 16 lineup — last week.
This handset combines the same cutting-edge internals found inside the iPhone 16 and Apple Intelligence featureswith an older case design and a single 48MP rear-facing camera. According to the team at Apple, iPhone 16e offers "breakthrough" battery life and a "more affordable" price.
iPhone 16e arrives on shelves on February 28, 2025. Ahead of its release, several mobile networks and stores are offering preorder deals to ensure you're close to the front of the queue when the iPhone 16e releases.
One of the best iPhone 16e deals comes from Mobiles.co.uk.
This online store, which is owned by Currys, offers pay monthly and SIM deals from iD Mobile and Vodafone. It's listed as the entry-level iPhone 16e from £28.99 per month. For that, you'll unlock 100GB of fast 5G data from Vodafone, unlimited calls and unlimited text messages. This iPhone comes with 128GB of built-in storage for your apps, videos, and music. There's also a one-off £9 upfront fee.
iPhone 16e offers several features that were previously exclusive to pricier iPhone models from Apple
APPLE PRESS OFFICEVodafone also includes roaming in 50 destinations worldwide. At the end of the two-year contract, you'll have spent at least £704.76.
If you want to buy the iPhone 16e SIM-free — you'll need to spend a minimum of £599 at the Apple Store, Currys, Amazon UK, or any of the other stores that stock this all-new handset. That means you'll effectively spend just £4.50 a month for 100GB of 5G data, unlimited calls, and unlimited text messages.
Get iPhone 16e ahead of release with 100GB of 5G data for under £30
Upgrade to the brand-new iPhone 16e ahead of the UK release date with this incredible offer from Vodafone. Only available via Mobiles.co.uk, this blockbuster deal comes with 100GB of 5G data that can be used in the UK and 50 other countries, thanks to the included roaming. There's also unlimited calls and text messages. Even with the £9 upfront cost, this costs just £100 than buying just the iPhone SIM-free
The exact amount will be slightly more since Mobiles.co.uk will raise the monthly fee to £30.49 from April 2026. Depending on when you sign-up for the two-year contract, that overall total will be slightly different.
Nevertheless, you'll be able to pocket the iPhone 16e, with two years of 5G data (that can be used across Europe, thanks to the bundled roaming), unlimited calls and text messages, for less than the cost of a SIM-free iPhone 16, which starts from £799.
What is the iPhone 16e? How does it compare to other iPhone models?
iPhone 16e replaces two models from the shelves of your nearest Apple Store — iPhone 14 and iPhone SE.
With these handsets gone, Apple no sells any smartphones that rely on its iconic Home Button, which had a built-in fingerprint sensor to unlock the device and authenticate contactless payments. Not only that, but the arrival of the iPhone 16e means every handset now relies on USB-C to charge and sync.
iPhone 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max, iPhone 16, 16 Plus, iPhone 15, 15 Plus, and iPhone 16e is the complete lineup available in the Apple Store
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The only iPhone models on-sale from Apple are now:
- iPhone 16e | From £599
- iPhone 15 | From £699
- iPhone 15 Plus | From £799
- iPhone 16 | From £799
- iPhone 16 Plus | From £899
- iPhone 16 Pro | From £999
- iPhone 16 Pro Max | From £1,199
The tech giant said its newest phone has many of the same key features as the rest of the iPhone 16 range, but will be “more affordable”. So how does the 16e compare to the rest of the iPhone line-up?
With its emphasis on local on-device processing, Apple Intelligence is limited to the latest — and most powerful — iPhone models APPLE PRESS OFFICE Performance
Apple said the new 16e is powered by its own A18 processor – the same chip that powers the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus – and has the same 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display as the 16.
Powered by the latest operating system (iOS 18) alongside the A18 means the 16e can run Apple Intelligence, the suite of artificial intelligence tools that until now was only accessible to iPhone users with a 16 or a 15 Pro.
Apple claims the battery life on the 16e is the best it has ever achieved on an iPhone of this size, with owners able to watch videos for 26 hours between recharges.
Camera
Unlike the flagship iPhone 16 devices announced in September, the 16e does not come with a multi-camera system, and only has one rear camera lens. Apple calls this two-in-one camera system with a 48-megapixel Fusion lens and an integrated 12-megapixel telephoto lens.
However, this short of the dual camera system available on the next cheapest iPhone, the 16, which as well as the two-in-one camera also has a 12-megapixel ultra-wide lens. The 16 Pro models have an even more powerful triple camera system.
Apple has included an Action Button, the customisable switch that replaces the classic mute slider found on earlier iPhone models, and can be assigned to launch the camera, silence notifications, or trigger Apple Intelligence
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Other hardware
As is now the norm for iPhone models, the 16e comes with a USB-C connector for charging and wired data transfer, the same as on most other electronic devices these days, including Apple Mac computers and the iPad.
However, the iPhone 16e does not support the “floating” Dynamic Island at the top of the screen which houses the front-facing camera and can also show small snippets of information, which is found across the rest of the 16 range.
Instead it has the older “notch” at the top of the screen, which still houses the front-facing camera but cannot display any animations or information.
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But it does include the Action Button, also found in the iPhone 16 range, which can instantly open a favourite feature instantly, and can be used to launch Visual Intelligence, Apple’s image-based AI search tool for finding out more about subjects and objects spotted through the camera.
UK Price
Starting at £599, it the 16e is £200 cheaper than the next cheapest device, the base model iPhone 16.
Prices rise to £899 for an iPhone 16 Plus, £999 for a 16 Pro and £1,199 for the flagship 16 Pro Max.
