Apple’s new iPhone 16e packs many of the modern features of the iPhone 16 into a more budget-friendly package that could be enticing to upgraders—especially those using an iPhone 14. Here’s a full iPhone 16e vs 14 comparison.
iPhone 16e vs 14: Almost all upside
The iPhone 14 is only a little over two years old, and until recently Apple still sold it starting at $599.
Now, the iPhone 16e is Apple’s new $599 model—and it’s better in almost every way.
Here are the 16e’s biggest advantages over the iPhone 14:
| iPhone 16e | iPhone 14 | |
| Chip | A18 | A15 Bionic |
| Main Camera | 48MP Fusion with 2x optical | 12MP |
| Button | Action Button | Ring/Silent switch |
| AI | Apple Intelligence support | No AI |
| Battery | 26 hours video playback | 20 hours video playback |
| Charging | USB-C port | Lightning port |
| RAM | 8GB | 6GB |
| Photos | Smart HDR 5 | Smart HDR 4 |
| Video | Audio Mix and wind noise reduction | No fancy audio features |
As for features that stay the same, the iPhone 16e and 14 carry a lot of similarities. The following features are practically identical:
- Display: Super Retina XDR display (OLED)
- Size: 6.1-inch display with identical overall measurements
- Notch: Both have a notch rather than Dynamic Island
- Front camera: Same basic 12MP front camera
- plus plenty of other niche details where the phones offer identical features
Looking at the lists above, for many users with an iPhone 14, the iPhone 16e will be a no-brainer upgrade.
But there are a few small regressions the 16e has compared to the 14.
Short but important list of iPhone 16e’s drawbacks
Since the iPhone 16e in many ways is the successor to the iPhone SE, it comes with some drawbacks in typical SE style.
For upgraders from the iPhone 14, there are a few things you’ll lose.
The iPhone 16e has:
- No Ultra Wide camera (or Macro photography)
- No MagSafe support (wireless charging is supported, but it’s slower)
- No Cinematic mode or Action mode for video
- No Ultra Wideband chip
- 1 fewer GPU core
Depending on your needs, the above list could either contain a dealbreaker or two, or be a complete non-issue.
If you use your Ultra Wide (0.5x) camera a lot, or have beloved MagSafe accessories, it’s unfortunate that an iPhone 16e upgrade will come with sacrifices.
iPhone 16e vs 14: wrap-up
Overall, the iPhone 16e offers a ton of value for iPhone 14 upgraders. The two devices carry a lot of similarities that will make the transition feel easy, but the 16e boasts some powerful capabilities not found on the 14—namely better performance and Apple Intelligence support, an improved camera, and longer battery life.
Do you plan to upgrade from an iPhone 14 to iPhone 16e? Let us know in the comments.
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