I decided to downgrade from my iPhone 16 Pro to the iPhone 16e for a week. There were specifically four features that I was worried about losing.

Apple's iPhone 16e makes some trades to hit a lower price, but it makes a case for itself as the cheapest phone that will last the longest.

Apple delivered its latest budget handset, the $599 iPhone 16e, without pomp. There was no big event in person, nor was there one online. No journalists

You may also have seen in Apple's comparison tool that the iPhone 16e lacks “DC-HSDPA,” even though it's available in its pricier siblings. This is a 3G carrier aggregation technology that isn't as common these days, since 3G networks are being deprecated, so it shouldn't be an issue.

The iPhone 16e is Apple's cheapest phone right now, but it's definitely not cheap. However, with the upcoming Apple Intelligence and Visual Intelligence support, it seems like a great entry point into the ecosystem.

Before the iPhone 16e’s arrival, the best budget iPhone option was the SE, which had a decade-plus-old design and a tiny IPS screen with a lower resolution and an IPS panel. Replacing the SE with a product with modern design, top-tier specs, and Apple Intelligence is a major leap forward for Apple’s entry-level smartphone.

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Macworld At a glance Expert's Rating Pros ・Exceptional speed ・Superbly future-proofed ・Good battery life Cons ・Outdated camera setup ・No MagSafe ・Apple Intelligence is half-baked Our Verdict In many ways the iPhone 16e is astonishingly good,