{"id":1219696,"date":"2025-02-21T07:19:44","date_gmt":"2025-02-21T12:19:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.prime-wow.com\/?p=1219696"},"modified":"2025-02-21T07:19:44","modified_gmt":"2025-02-21T12:19:44","slug":"the-morning-after-apple-reveals-its-new-cheapest-iphone-whats-missing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.prime-wow.com\/?p=1219696","title":{"rendered":"The Morning After: Apple reveals its new cheapest iPhone. What\u2019s missing?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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If you couldn\u2019t stomach $800 for a new iPhone with Apple Intelligence, don\u2019t worry: Apple just announced the iPhone 16e<\/a>. At $599, it strikes a balance on specs, which is the soft and cosy way to say it doesn\u2019t have everything.<\/p>\n

It has a lot, though. With a 6.1-inch screen, it\u2019s a much bigger device than the 4.7-inch iPhone SE, with a notch for FaceID (no more TouchID), USB-C (adios, Lightning) and the company\u2019s A18 processor. There\u2019s also an action button<\/a>, which arrived with the iPhone 15 series, but no Camera Control.<\/p>\n

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That\u2019s the same processor as the $800 iPhone 16, so you\u2019ve got access to what seems to be the full gamut of Apple Intelligence. That includes generative AI writing tools, Genmoji, Image Playground, Visual Intelligence and ChatGPT integration. So yeah, a mixed bag.<\/p>\n

The notable hardware standout might be the single<\/em> 48-megapixel Fusion camera, at a time when ‘pro’ iPhones have three. The last time I tested a single-camera smartphone was the Pixel 4a back in 2020. Oh, and the last iPhone SE.<\/p>\n

Apple has dropped both wireless charging and MagSafe\u2019s magnetic ring for the iPhone 16e too, which is a surprise. I\u2019m not a huge fan of wireless charging. It\u2019s slow, inefficient and confusing. Having said that, I hope this isn\u2019t the beginning of the end for Apple\u2019s wireless charging feature. I love the mag part of MagSafe, which has introduced far more elegant tripods and phone mounts that lock iPhones in place without needing a clamp or a plug. In recent years, we\u2019ve got unofficial MagSafe cases for other smartphones, so I can do the same with my Android phones.<\/p>\n

The iPhone 16e lands on February 28 in black and white, but don\u2019t worry, there will be fizzy color cases. Even if they don\u2019t have MagSafe.<\/p>\n

(And kudos to this hilariously timed discount on the Pixel 8a, now only $399<\/a>. I love a good troll deal.)<\/p>\n

\u2014 Mat Smith<\/p>\n