- Apple has launched the iPhone 16e, their next generation budget phone with a familiar design and high-end internals.
- It includes a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED panel, A18 processor, 8GB RAM, and a 48MP rear camera.
- The phone starts at $599 for a 128GB variant and is available in three colors.
Last week, Apple CEO Tim Cook teased that they will be announcing a new member to the family. This was much anticipated to be the iPhone SE 4, but now Apple has gone a different route and calling it the iPhone 16e. With the official announcement now out, let’s discuss everything the iPhone 16e brings to the table, along with its price and availability.
iPhone 16e: Specifications
As is tradition with the SE devices, the latest iPhone 16e comes with a similar outer casing as the iPhone 14 series. Albeit, a few noticeable changes. To start with, it only sports a single camera lens with a massive bump. It will also include the USB-C port for charging, which came first with the iPhone 15. That said, the iPhone 16e borrows the customizable Action Button instead of the mute switch.
Image Credit: Apple
So there’s a lot of blend of the new and old here, which is good as it makes the phone future-proof. It’s the same story when we dive into internals, as it comes with the latest Apple A18 processor along with the new C1 modem . This is a 3nm CPU that’s also available in the iPhone 16, and it will come with at least 8GB RAM to support Apple Intelligence features . So you can play console-quality games without much sacrifice here.
Given the new aesthetics, the 16e gets an upgraded 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED panel. This also has Face ID support, but Apple has taken a step back and gone with the notch-style design instead of the latest Dynamic Island. The single rear shooter on the iPhone 16e is the same primary 48MP lens seen on the iPhone 16. The front has a 12MP selfie snapper that takes 4K 60FPS videos.
Price and Availability
Image Credit: Apple
The iPhone 16E is available in two different color options and will come out starting with a 128GB storage variant and going all the way up to 512GB. This seems reasonable given it is a midrange phone. The price of the iPhone 16e starts at $599 for the base variant. Apple says the pre-order will commence on February 21 at 5:00 a.m. PST and the phone should start shipping by February 28.
With over 4 year of experience under the belt, I cover all facets of consumer tech, from smartphones to other consumer electronics, our favorite social media apps, as well as the growing realm of AI and LLMs. As an Apps and AI writer app Beebom, I provide my expertise in all these areas, weaving stories that help you get familiar with the tech around you. But you will find me playing NYT daily puzzles in my free time.
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- Apple’s upcoming iPhone 17 Pro Mac is set to get a “metalens” technology for Face ID.
- This tech will equip an optical lens with microscopic nano-structures to control light, thus resulting in a smaller Dynamic Island.
- The new Face ID technology will also arrive on the next generation of iPad Pro models, as well as the “folding iPad”.
We’re six months past the release of the iPhone 16 series, and as is the case, all eyes are set on the upcoming lineup. We know Apple has prepared substantial changes in the iPhone 17 lineup, with plans to refresh the overall design and camera setup . Then, there’s the much-anticipated release of the iPhone 17 Slim (or Air) that could be Apple’s ultra-premium iPhone yet. We now have new information on the iPhone 17 Pro Max, and it’s regarding the Dynamic Island it’s going to come with.
As per renowned leaker Digital Chat Station ( via Weibo ), Apple’s upcoming Pro Max model could use a new “metalens” technology for Face ID. This new tech will integrate both the transmitter and receiver elements in one. It’ll thus minimize the size of the Face ID components at the top of the iPhone. This change should result in a smaller Dynamic Island on the iPhone 17 Pro Max display.
This new metalens tech will essentially be an optical lens with microscopic nano-structures. It would be able to manipulate light , unlike the curved lenses on the current set of iPhones. The reduction is size owes to the optical lens itself, which is lightweight and can be flat in nature.
The leaker also revealed that this upcoming Face ID tech will become available on the next line of iPad Pro models, as well as the “ folding iPad “. The latter could be regarding Apple’s potential foldable iPhone , which we haven’t heard anything about recently.
Ultimately, Apple could be preparing to move all of its Face ID tech under the display. Similar to front cameras on phones like Samsung’s Z Fold 6. However, such a change could take years to perfect, and we might still be a few generations away.
If this report turns out to be true, it’ll be the first time in three years that the Dynamic Island gets a refresh. The display cutout has more-or-less remained the same since it debuted on the iPhone 14 Pro.
The iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to feature the same aluminum frame as the standard versions. Its cameras will take on the same design choices, with a rectangular camera bump on an aluminum encasement. The cameras themselves will get a major upgrade, all three lenses will feature 48MP sensors.
Ajaay’s love affair with technology started young, with the Nokia N-Gage piquing his interest. Since 2016, he’s channeled his passion for tech into crafting explainers and guides on iOS, macOS, Android, social media, privacy & cybersecurity, and AI. When it’s time to unplug, Ajaay enjoys playing EAFC, unwinding to music on a pair of open-backs, building his dream audiophile gear, or watching Arsenal struggle to keep a clean sheet.
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- Apple and Google have officially confirmed their team-up for the next-gen Siri AI.
- The Cupertino Giant will be using Google’s Gemini for a more personalized Siri model as well as Apple Intelligence features.
- We can expect the next-gen Siri to come out with iOS 26.4, sometime in March or April.
Apple has officially confirmed joining forces with Google to use its Gemini AI model to power the next-generation Siri. It will offer a more personalized experience and will be coming out with the iOS 26.4 update. Apple also plans to leverage Gemini’s capabilities for other Apple Intelligence features as well, later down the line.
The Next-Gen Siri will be powered by Google’s Gemini AI
Apple officially confirmed that it will be partnering with Google in a statement to CNBC . Here’s what it stated, “After careful evaluation, we determined that Google’s technology provides the most capable foundation for Apple Foundation Models, and we’re excited about the innovative new experiences it will unlock for our users.”
Later, Google also shared a post on X confirming the tie-up, “Apple and Google have entered into a multi-year collaboration under which the next generation of Apple Foundation Models will be based on Google’s Gemini models and cloud technology. These models will help power future Apple Intelligence features, including a more personalized Siri coming this year.”
Image Credit: X/@NewsFromGoogle
Both statements clearly mention that the Cupertino Giant will be using Gemini to power its assistant Siri. This was already rumored, as Apple’s attempts to acquire Perplexity went nowhere. With Gemini, Siri will get a major AI update . It will be able to handle more nuanced conversations and provide better results. Something long-time Apple users have been asking for years.
The next-gen Siri will arrive with the iOS 26.4 update, which will launch sometime in March or April. And it is only going to be available for Apple Intelligence-supported devices .
Something else worth noting is how Google’s statement mentions that Gemini will power Apple Intelligence features. This leads us to believe that Apple could use Gemini’s multi-modal capabilities for its Writings tools , Image Playground , and Message summaries, too.
Elon Musk Not Happy With Apple and Google Tie Up
xAI CEO Elon Musk also responded to Google’s announcement post on X, sharing his thoughts on the matter by saying, “This seems like an unreasonable concentration of power for Google, given that they also have Android and Chrome.” Though we don’t expect either Apple or Google to respond to Elon, we will update the situation as it progresses.
It is worth noting that xAI is the company behind Grok, which is in hot water currently due to its inappropriate image generation fiasco , and has been getting backlash from multiple news outlets, X users, and even government authorities.
With over 4 year of experience under the belt, I cover all facets of consumer tech, from smartphones to other consumer electronics, our favorite social media apps, as well as the growing realm of AI and LLMs. As an Apps and AI writer app Beebom, I provide my expertise in all these areas, weaving stories that help you get familiar with the tech around you. But you will find me playing NYT daily puzzles in my free time.
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