Apple·phone
iPhone 16e
Based on 43 credible posts from Bluesky, Hacker News & YouTube. 29 filtered out as bot-like or off-topic.
Medium confidenceA solid sample; expect small shifts as more owners post. How we score
Scored September 27, 2026
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Owner reviews
Overall owner mood
Most owners are happy with it: 60% of 43 reviews are positive and 23% negative. Praise centers on camera and price & value. The most common complaint is battery & charging (4 owners).
What owners like
Camera praised by 9 owners
“I bought an the product for the camera and came away impressed with the elegance of the entire package.”
Price & value praised by 5 owners
“Video review: I've been using the the product as my everyday phone since it launched three months ago, and it remains an excellent compromise between price and features.”
Battery & charging praised by 5 owners
“Ngl I got my 16e Saturday I do miss the multiple cameras but at the same time I don’t need them bcuz I don’t use them I love it so far great battery love camera awesome everything’s amazing so far love it🎉!!!!”
Build & durability praised by 2 owners
“it is not so heavy, the front screen is scratch free.”
What owners complain about
Battery & charging raised by 4 owners
“I bought an the product which I am about to sell, not only because of iOS 26 (horrific looking and battery drain), but I did not know they switched to only eSIMs.”
Price & value raised by 3 owners
“So by blowing money on the AI gold rush that they were too late for, will they ultimately ruin their products across the board?”
Camera raised by 3 owners
“I can't tell you how much I hate Dynamic Island and Camera Control.”
Software & AI raised by 3 owners
“I can barely use my the product after the liquid glass update so I will say for me, it was one year.”
What owners talk about
- Camera9 praise · 3 complain
- Battery & charging5 praise · 4 complain
- Price & value5 praise · 3 complain
- Software & AI2 praise · 3 complain
- Build & durability2 praise · 1 complain
- Display1 praise · 1 complain
- Sound1 praise · 1 complain
Built from the reviews themselves — every quote links to the owner who wrote it.
Full text of every credible post we scored. Bot-like and off-topic comments are hidden.
I can barely use my iPhone 16E after the liquid glass update so I will say for me, it was one year.
Video review: I've been using the iPhone 16e as my everyday phone since it launched three months ago, and it remains an excellent compromise between price and features.
Because 7 years from now, my iPhone will still have the latest OS and security updates. I also have the budget iPhone 16e. I also haven't broken a phone since I was 16. Not like cheap androids that are often abandonware by the device maker before they even hit the shelves. [...] At the time, even flagship androids were lucky to get 2 years of OS updates and security fixes. [...] But ultimately, an iPhone for me does come out cheaper over the lifetime of a device than cycling through cheap androids every 2 years.
[...] We can argue that Apple's anti-repair policies and anti-user-customization policies are their own evils, sure, but at least my phone works for its core tasks, and works phenomenally well at that. [...] This tradeoff was fine for fully owning my data and being able to install absolutely anything I wanted on my phone. With arbitrary APK installation disappearing, and unlocked bootloaders to install a less hostile fork of Android becoming such a rarity these days, I may as well at least not fear looking at my phone the wrong way when the moon is in alignment with the wrong star. [...] of those deGoogled) - iPhone 16e.
[...] I hate typing on my phone (iPhone 16e). It actually never occurred to me that maybe I'd have a better time with a larger screen. Although I don't remember ever feeling the disdain I have for typing back when I had an iPhone 3GS which had a much smaller screen than the one I have now.
It's strange that happened. I had no issue loading it on my iPhone 16e in Safari or Chrome... Could it be somehow your browser prevent Javascript from loading?
[...] I know that the Facebook app used to be a battery killer roughly a decade ago. The battery on the Pixel 6a should be good enough to make the phone run a whole day with no problem. It's almost exactly the same size as the battery in my iPhone 16e that has excellent battery life.
[...] I am amazed at the battery life of my iPhone 16e. I have no need for daily battery swaps. (Apple claims something like 21 hours of video streaming on a full charge -- that's on Apple's own streaming service but it is still many hours on Netflix and Youtube.) The "fast charger" is a tiny 20W USB-C charger that I no longer remember if I bought separately or not. [...] They also degrade slower than older batteries, among other reasons because we have better (and cheaper and greener) additives now. [...]
What Apple does best lies at the combination of hardware, software, physical materials, and human-computer interface design. [...] I purchased an iPhone 16e thinking it would be like the iPhone SE, but what I got was worse than an SE. [...]
There was a promo from Straight Talk wireless, that a bunch of users on slickdeals used, for a $360 iphone 16e (+1 month service) with the intention of buying and unlocking to be used on another carrier. [...] You sadly can't sue for breaching FCC policies in small claims, that requires hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of lawyers. [...] It's a continuation of them ignoring this policy after users were buying cheap phones to use on other carriers and waiting 60 days. [...]
[...] The title now says they will allow side-loading and it sounds like good news but everyone in here is still complaining. I do not mind this extra step and I think it is way better than what my POS iPhone 16e with Liquid@ss is offing me. "Based on this feedback and our ongoing conversations with the community, we are building a new advanced flow that allows experienced users to accept the risks of installing software that isn't verified. [...]
[...] And the battery drain on my iPhone 16e on Glass was horrific. [...] Even a modest about of extra battery use and degradation will mean more upgrades in the future. But I think $500 billion is a lot of money for AI: Apple accelerates AI investment with $500B for skills, infrastructure Imagine using $500 for the operating system and squashing bugs or making the system even more energy efficient? [...]
[...] So far all they are showing in that presentation is that I can have "the ability to transform 2D photos into spatial scenes in the Photos app, or generating a Persona — operate with greater speed and efficiency." And by making Apple AI (which is something I do not use for many reasons, but mainly because of Climate Change) their focus, I am afraid they are losing and making their operating Systems worse. [...] So by blowing money on the AI gold rush that they were too late for, will they ultimately ruin their products across the board? I am currently attempting to sell my iPhone 16E and my M1 Macbook Air to move back to Linux because of all of this.
I bought an iPhone 16e which I am about to sell, not only because of iOS 26 (horrific looking and battery drain), but I did not know they switched to only eSIMs. [...] Plus, I know when I take out my SIM there is no way any one is tracking my phone. [...]
the iphone 16e does not have a physical sim card port, it uses esim. the esim was wiped in order to perform a logic board transfer repair. the phone now asks that i verify my log-in with my phone number OOPS
[...] I got the iphone 16e. Its the perfect iphone, there is no reason to get any of the more expensive models. The lack of zoom after 2x is hardly noticeable.
[...] The average person just wants a phone that works, most only take photos of their pets and maybe a meal when they’re out dining. A basic camera that takes great shots for those is all you need. [...]
I went from an i Phone 7 to 16e and it works just fine no problem! Just have a lot more things to turn off to cut down in tracking thats about all. Great phone for the price!👍⚡
omg i love this phone so much i just got this 2 months ago and its still really good, i dont really care about all the features and the price is kinda bad but its worth it.
I’ve had the iPhone 16e for a couple months and I love it. The battery is phenomenal, and it’s nice to see a budget phone with Apple with Apple Intelligence, and USB-C which is nice, and the performance has been solid, and good for me. [...]
Just bought a 16e coming from the iPhone 11. So I’m really not gonna be a complainer, this is great😂 a millions times better than what I had before
I bought one few weeks ago as an upgrade from the 13 which is my secondary phone. I love it. It fits all my needs and the battery life is fantastic.
I have 16e and I love it,battery life is amazing,probably the best battery I’ve ever had on iPhone, it does everything I need. Camera is brilliant,
As soon as the 16e came out I got it. I had the se3 before, I really like apples minimalistic phones, I hate all the crazy extra cameras and bumps on phones, I like a sleek simplistic phone.
iphone 16e is the best phone they released, for casual users, for work. [...] the battery is great. [...] i dont even use the magnetic charging because that degrades battery life. it is not so heavy, the front screen is scratch free. [...]
Ngl I got my 16e Saturday I do miss the multiple cameras but at the same time I don’t need them bcuz I don’t use them I love it so far great battery love camera awesome everything’s amazing so far love it🎉!!!!
Honestly, this phone fits me perfectly. A basic iPhone design with the latest bionic chip, decent camera, and no dynamic island 😂. Like I just bought the base iPhone 14 months ago becaue it looks like an ordinary iPhone and when I heard about this phone having a smaller camera, latest iPhone chip, without having dynamic island, man I just gave my younger sister an early birthday gift ( my iPhone 14 ) 😂
I made the first photo last night on my iPhone 16e. [...] That’s when I got my D850 and made the second photo, which is accurate to the scene. [...]
[...] I have been an Apple user for from my iPad to my Mac MacBook Pro
If 16e had promotion it would be the best seller. I got mine white and it is amazing. I miss my old s21 fe sometimes but it feels 10x premium.
Sold my iPhone 15. And bought this 16e for the aesthetics. Haha. Literally looks like an ipod touch from the back. 😅 No regrets. Loving it infact.
I don’t get why people chase after the extra specs on a mobile phone just to never use them… i got an iPhone 16e and it’s the perfect phone for me and my needs…
[...] I can't tell you how much I hate Dynamic Island and Camera Control. Also I hate the giant camera bumps on those phones
I purchased my 128 GB 16e at Boost Mobile for 250 dollars that includes unlimited 5G Data service for 26 dollars per month. I have no complaints.
I’ve had the 16e since it debuted; I love it! I’ve always had an SE or mini the last 10 years. It has everything i need in a phone; I don’t need the extra camera, extra $, etc… I am looking forward to the 17 Air for its size, I think that is the optimal one with all of the basic necessities.
I bought an iPhone 16e for the camera and came away impressed with the elegance of the entire package. My story on @macstories.net: www.macstories.net/news/the-e-i...
I don't know your definition of "rolled in", but the actual successor to the SE is the e line (iPhone 16e, 17e, etc). [...]
[...] My iPhone SE (1st gen) ended up being pushed apart from the inside last year because the battery had swelled up. [...] A fresh new battery would not have upgraded the CPUs or the RAM. Li-ion batteries have improved since 2016 so I expect the battery in my iPhone 16e to outlast the useful life of the CPUs and RAM in it. [...] I don't see how replaceable batteries would have prevented my iPhone SE from becoming trash or have prevented my iPhone 16e from becoming trash in the future. [...] Edit 2: used the past tense by mistake ("expected the battery in my iPhone 16e").
[...] These worked: - iPhone 16e iOS 18.3 - iPhone 13 Pro Max iOS 18.0 - iPhone 15 Pro Max iOS 17.5 - iPhone 13 iOS 16.3 These failed to produce sound: - iPhone 15 Pro iOS 17.1 - iPhone SE 2022 iOS 15.4 I'm baffled - there doesn't appear to be any consistency around this bug. As others have pointed out (though I doubt it) - you might see if you have the hardware mute, Do not disturb, silence mode, battery savings, etc. that might be causing it not to produce sound. [...]
[...] Personally I feel like phone OS releases need to slow down to a 2-3 year cycle and lock in on bug fixes. My iphone 16e has some of the most glaring bugs I've seen in an iOS release in quite some time (Slow motion capture crashes the camera app unless you set it to 120fps first in settings, 240fps is broken). I feel like we could all use a break from the update cycle for software to actually get patched and optimized.
iPhoneDuo 2027 might be enough to make me sell my iPad, MacBook Pro, and iPhone 16e, and go for a MacStudio plus Duo setup. But not this year.
[the iPhone 16e] used an old chip What? It has the same RAM size, same RAM speed, and same chip[0] (minus one (1) GPU core [6c, 4g, 16n]) as the iPhone 16 [6c, 5g, 16n] (and almost the same as the A18 Pro [6c, 5g, 16n] minus the enhanced memory bandwidth and video encoding, afaict.) (I mean, sure, it's an old chip compared to the 17 but then it's a generation older and saying "they used an old chip" is a nonsense truism.) [0]
[...] When the time comes, I'll probably look for a used iPhone 14/15 instead of a new iPhone 16e. To much money for my purpose.
The claims, and the evidence
Owners push back on 1 of 9 marketing claims.
What the brand claims
- A18 chipFew owner reports
- Apple-designed C1 modemFew owner reports
- 48MP 2-in-1 camera systemOwners agreeCamera: 9 of 12 positive
- 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED displayFew owner reports
- Action buttonFew owner reports
- Face IDFew owner reports
- Up to 26 hours of video playbackMixedBattery & charging: 5 of 9 positive
- IP68 water and dust resistanceMixedBuild & durability: 2 of 3 positive
- Built for Apple IntelligenceOwners disagreeSoftware & AI: 2 of 5 positive
What owners report
“Video review: I've been using the iPhone 16e as my everyday phone since it launched three months ago, and it remains an excellent compromise between price and features.”
after 3 monthsView on Bluesky“[...] We can argue that Apple's anti-repair policies and anti-user-customization policies are their own evils, sure, but at least my phone works for its core tasks, and works phenomenally well at that. [...] This tradeoff was fine for fully owning my data and being able to install absolutely anything I wanted on my phone. With arbitrary APK installation disappearing, and unlocked bootloaders to install a less hostile fork of Android becoming such a rarity these days, I may as well at least not fear looking at my phone the wrong way when the moon is in alignment with the wrong star. [...] of those deGoogled) - iPhone 16e.”
“I can barely use my iPhone 16E after the liquid glass update so I will say for me, it was one year.”
after 1 yearView on Hacker News“[...] I hate typing on my phone (iPhone 16e). It actually never occurred to me that maybe I'd have a better time with a larger screen. Although I don't remember ever feeling the disdain I have for typing back when I had an iPhone 3GS which had a much smaller screen than the one I have now.”
Common iPhone 16e problems
Issues at least two owners independently report.
- Software & AI3 mentionsView on Hacker News
“I can barely use my iPhone 16E after the liquid glass update so I will say for me, it was one year.”
- Battery & charging4 mentionsView on Hacker News
“[...] And the battery drain on my iPhone 16e on Glass was horrific. [...] Even a modest about of extra battery use and degradation will mean more upgrades in the future. But I think $500 billion is a lot of money for AI: Apple accelerates AI investment with $500B for skills, infrastructure Imagine using $500 for the operating system and squashing bugs or making the system even more energy efficient? [...]”
- Price & value3 mentionsView on Hacker News
“There was a promo from Straight Talk wireless, that a bunch of users on slickdeals used, for a $360 iphone 16e (+1 month service) with the intention of buying and unlocking to be used on another carrier. [...] You sadly can't sue for breaching FCC policies in small claims, that requires hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of lawyers. [...] It's a continuation of them ignoring this policy after users were buying cheap phones to use on other carriers and waiting 60 days. [...]”
- Camera3 mentionsView on Hacker News
“[...] Personally I feel like phone OS releases need to slow down to a 2-3 year cycle and lock in on bug fixes. My iphone 16e has some of the most glaring bugs I've seen in an iOS release in quite some time (Slow motion capture crashes the camera app unless you set it to 120fps first in settings, 240fps is broken). I feel like we could all use a break from the update cycle for software to actually get patched and optimized.”