Apple iPhone 16e vs Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)
A spec-by-spec comparison of the Apple iPhone 16e and the Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation), taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.
Head to head
| Apple iPhone 16e | Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) |
|---|
| Our rating | 8/10 | 7/10 |
| Battery | 4,005 mAh | 2,018 mAh |
| Wired charging | 20W | 20W |
| Storage (max) | 512 GB | 256 GB |
| Screen size | 6.1 in | 4.7 in |
| Main camera | 48 MP | 12 MP |
| Weight (lower is lighter) | 167 g | 144 g |
| Released | Feb 2025 | Mar 2022 |
Summary: Apple iPhone 16e is ahead on our rating, battery, storage (max), screen size. Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) is ahead on weight (lower is lighter).
Display
| Apple iPhone 16e | Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) |
|---|
| Type | Super Retina XDR OLED | Retina HD IPS LCD, 625 nits (typ) |
| Size | 6.1 inches | 4.7 inches |
| Resolution | 2532 x 1170 pixels | 1334 x 750 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~326 ppi density) |
| Pixel Density | 460 ppi | — |
| Refresh Rate | 60Hz | — |
| Brightness | 800 nits (typical), 1200 nits (peak HDR) | — |
| Features | HDR display, True Tone, Wide color (P3), Haptic Touch | True Tone, Wide color (P3), Haptic Touch, 1400:1 contrast ratio (typical) |
| Protection | — | Ion-strengthened glass, oleophobic coating |
Platform
| Apple iPhone 16e | Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) |
|---|
| Chipset | Apple A18 | Apple A15 Bionic (5 nm) |
| CPU | 6-core (2 performance + 4 efficiency) | Hexa-core (2x Avalanche + 4x Blizzard) |
| GPU | 4-core | Apple GPU (4-core graphics) |
| Neural Engine | 16-core | 16-core |
| OS | iOS 18.3, upgradable to iOS 26 | — |
| Modem | Apple C1 cellular modem | — |
| AI Features | Apple Intelligence support | — |
Memory
| Apple iPhone 16e | Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) |
|---|
| RAM | 8GB | 4GB |
| Internal Storage | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB | 64GB, 128GB, 256GB (NVMe) |
| Card Slot | No | No |
Main Camera
| Apple iPhone 16e | Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) |
|---|
| Module | 48 MP Fusion, f/1.6, 26mm (wide) | — |
| Features | 2x optical-quality zoom (sensor crop), Autofocus, Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), Dual-LED True Tone flash, Portrait mode, Night mode | PDAF, OIS, LED flash, HDR, Panorama, Deep Fusion, Smart HDR 4, Photographic Styles, Portrait mode with Depth Control, Portrait Lighting |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60fps, 720p@30fps | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, HDR, OIS, stereo sound rec. |
| Resolution | — | 12 MP, f/1.8 (wide) |
Selfie Camera
| Apple iPhone 16e | Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) |
|---|
| Module | 12 MP TrueDepth, f/1.9, 23mm (wide) | — |
| Features | Autofocus | HDR, Portrait mode, Portrait Lighting, Deep Fusion, Smart HDR 4, Photographic Styles |
| Video | 4K@25/30/60fps, slow-motion video at 120fps | 1080p@30/120fps, gyro-EIS |
| Resolution | — | 7 MP, f/2.2 |
Battery
| Apple iPhone 16e | Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) |
|---|
| Type | Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion | Li-Ion 2018 mAh, non-removable |
| Capacity | 4005 mAh (15.55 W·h) | — |
| Video Playback | Up to 26 hours | Up to 15 hours |
| Audio Playback | Up to 90 hours | — |
| Charging | Fast-charging (up to 50% in 30 minutes with 20W adapter, sold separately), Qi wireless (up to 7.5W) | Fast charging 20W (50% in 30 min, advertised), Qi wireless charging |
Body
| Apple iPhone 16e | Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) |
|---|
| Dimensions | 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8 mm | 138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3 mm (5.45 x 2.65 x 0.29 in) |
| Weight | 167 g | 144 g (5.09 oz) |
| Build | Aluminum frame, Ceramic Shield front, glass back | Glass front (Corning-made glass), glass back (Corning-made glass), aluminum frame |
| SIM | Dual eSIM (US); Dual nano-SIM (mainland China); nano-SIM and eSIM (elsewhere) | Nano-SIM and eSIM |
| Colors | Black, White | — |
| Water & Dust Resistance | IP68 (maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes) | — |
| Durability | — | IP67 dust/water resistant (up to 1m for 30 min) |
Comms
| Apple iPhone 16e | Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) |
|---|
| USB | USB-C | Lightning, USB 2.0 |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou, NavIC | — |
| WLAN | — | Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) with 2x2 MIMO |
| Bluetooth | — | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| GPS | — | GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and BeiDou |
| NFC | — | Yes |
Launch
| Apple iPhone 16e | Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) |
|---|
| Announced | 2025, February 19 | March 8, 2022 |
| Status | Available. Released 2025, February 28. Discontinued March 2, 2026. | — |
| Released | — | March 18, 2022 |
| OS | — | iOS 15.4, upgradable to latest iOS |
Frequently asked questions
Which has the better battery, Apple iPhone 16e or Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)?
Apple iPhone 16e — 4,005 mAh for the Apple iPhone 16e versus 2,018 mAh for the Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation).
Which is lighter, Apple iPhone 16e or Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)?
Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) — 167 g for the Apple iPhone 16e versus 144 g for the Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation).
Which is newer, Apple iPhone 16e or Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation)?
Apple iPhone 16e — Feb 2025 for the Apple iPhone 16e versus Mar 2022 for the Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation).
Is the Apple iPhone 16e or the Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) rated higher?
We rate the Apple iPhone 16e 8/10 and the Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation) 7/10.
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