When do Apple iPhone 16e UK pre-orders start?
After weeks of rumours, the Apple iPhone 16e is finally here. Here's everything you need to know, including when you can pre-order.
Cast your minds back to 2016: it was the year that Britain left the European Union, Donald Trump won the US Presidency, and (in equal cultural significance) Apple released the first iPhone SE.
The first iPhone SE was introduced as a cheaper alternative to the flagship Apple iPhones of the time, which was the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Four years later, Apple released the iPhone SE (2nd gen) just months after the flagship iPhone 11 series. The 3rd generation Apple iPhone SE arrived in 2022, and now, three years later, we've been treated to the Apple iPhone 16e.
Here on the RadioTimes.com Technology team, we like the mid-range Apple iPhone SE series. The iPhone SE (3rd gen) wins the award for 'Best for iOS' in our best mid-range phone guide, and the award for 'Best for iPhone users' in our best smartphones for older people guide.
The iPhone SE is the most affordable iPhone, and it's been the talk of the town for weeks now. With its different name, new design, faster processor and upgraded camera, here's everything you need to know about the brand-new Apple iPhone 16e, including when you can pre-order the smartphone.
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Jump to:
- How to pre-order the new Apple iPhone 16e in the UK
- Where can I pre-order the Apple iPhone 16e in the UK?
- Apple iPhone 16e UK release date
- How much will the Apple iPhone 16e cost?
- Apple iPhone 16e design
- What are the new Apple iPhone 16e specs?
- Apple iPhone 16 vs iPhone 16e: What's the difference?
How to pre-order the new Apple iPhone 16e in the UK
The Apple iPhone SE is perfect for people who want to upgrade an older iPhone model yet are keen to avoid spending a fortune and dislike the size of the newer iPhone models.
The brand-new Apple iPhone 16e is available to pre-order from Friday 21st February, having been announced yesterday (Wednesday 19th February).
As per Apple's usual style, availability will begin next Friday 28th February.
Where can I pre-order the Apple iPhone 16e in the UK?
As always with our release date pages, such as the Samsung Galaxy S25 release date, we'll include all of the UK retailers and mobile networks where you can pre-order the new Apple iPhone 16e from, so stay tuned.
What is the Apple iPhone 16e UK release date?
The Apple iPhone 16e is available for pre-order from Friday 21st February.
This pre-order window will last until Friday 28th February, when the Apple iPhone 16e will become available to buy outright.
Have you heard the Sky Glass Gen 2 release date was announced last week?
How much will the Apple iPhone 16e cost?
The Apple iPhone 16e is priced from £599.
The current Apple iPhone SE 3 starts from £429, and due to its faster processor, upgraded camera and fresh design, the Technology team predicted an increase in price.
If you'd like to buy the previous Apple iPhone SE 3 model, there's great availability at the following UK mobile networks:
What's new about the Apple iPhone 16e's design?
So, what's new with the Apple iPhone 16e's design?
In comparison to the Apple iPhone SE 3, which has a 4.7-inch widescreen LCD multi-touch display with IPS technology, the iPhone SE 4 has a larger 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display with OLED technology.
The new Apple iPhone 16e is available in matte white and black finishes with a splash-, water-, and dust-resistant design, so you can be sure the iPhone will stay protected even if you're accident prone!
The Apple iPhone 16e is based on the appearance of the iPhone 14, making it more original looking than the previous iPhone SE line-up. However, unlike the iPhone 14 with its dual rear cameras, the Apple iPhone 16e has a two-in-one camera system, most notably, the 48MP Fusion camera.
Plus, the Apple iPhone 16e takes beautiful videos with the ability to record in 4K with Dolby Vision up to 60 fps.
For more on Apple and Apple alternatives, be sure to check out the best AirTag alternatives, Apple AirPods 4 release date and best AirPods alternatives.
What are the new Apple iPhone 16e specs?
The Apple iPhone SE (3rd gen) uses the same A15 Bionic chip that we saw in the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14, whereas the Apple iPhone 16e is powered by Apple’s latest-generation A18 chip, and it's compatible with Apple Intelligence (Apple's artificial intelligence system).
What's more, the Apple iPhone 16e has had a technological update in the form of the C1 chip; C1 is the first modem designed by Apple and the most power-efficient modem ever on an iPhone, meaning it delivers fast and reliable 5G cellular connectivity.
One of the biggest changes we've seen in the new Apple iPhone 16e has swapped from a fingerprint sensor built into the 'Home' button to a Face ID, like we see on the newer Apple iPhone models. This also means that the iPhone 16e will be the first iPhone SE to feature an all-screen front.
AI is all the rage at the moment, however, while ChatGPT is integrated into Writing Tools and Siri, you can choose whether to enable ChatGPT integration, and you're in control of when to use it and what information is shared with ChatGPT.
The new Apple iPhone 16e also runs on iOS 18. Plus, it's worth noting that the Apple iPhone 16e has the best battery life ever on a 6.1-inch iPhone, lasting up to six hours longer than the iPhone 11 and up to 12 hours longer than all generations of iPhone SE.
Does the Apple iPhone 16e have MagSafe?
No, the Apple iPhone 16e doesn't have MagSafe.
The Apple iPhone 16 case has built-in magnets that align perfectly with the flagship iPhone 16; the case offers faster wireless charging after attaching it.
In comparison, the Apple iPhone 16e doesn't support MagSafe accessories (despite having wireless charging).
Be sure to check out our guide on the best digital notebooks to buy today, plus our comparison articles on reMarkable Paper Pro vs Kindle Scribe and Kindle Scribe vs reMarkable 2.
Apple iPhone 16 vs iPhone 16e: What's the difference?
Speaking of comparisons... You already know the RadioTimes.com Technology team love a versus guide, whether we're comparing digital notebooks like in our reMarkable 2 vs Apple iPad (10th gen) and Kindle Colorsoft vs reMarkable Paper Pro guides, or smart rings like our Samsung Galaxy Ring vs Oura Ring 4 explainer. Now, we're turning our attention to the differences (and similarities) between the Apple iPhone 16 and new Apple iPhone 16e.
In comparison to previous Apple iPhone SE models — Apple's most affordable smartphones — the Apple iPhone 16e is interestingly named '16e' rather than 'SE 4' (a continuation of the SE line-up). This is because Apple is positioning the new Apple iPhone 16e as part of the iPhone 16 line-up, rather than the iPhone SE line-up.
Kaiann Drance, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide iPhone Product Marketing, speaks on this: "iPhone 16e packs in the features our users love about the iPhone 16 line-up, including breakthrough battery life, fast performance powered by the latest-generation A18 chip, an innovative 2-in-1 camera system, and Apple Intelligence".
The two iPhones come with the same storage options: 128GB, 256GB and 512GB, and the same A18 chip, which, for example, enables a fast and smooth performance, as well as stunning graphics when you're gaming.
However, with a significantly smaller price-tag (Apple iPhone 16e's £599 in comparison to Apple iPhone 16's £799), there are some differences.
The flagship iPhone 16 line-up comes in five colours (Black, White, Pink, Teal, Ultramarine) in comparison to the iPhone 16e's two. There's the option to purchase a smartphone with a larger 6.7‑inch OLED display with the iPhone 16 Plus. Plus, as we've already mentioned, the Apple iPhone 16e doesn't have MagSafe.
In terms of the camera, both the flagship Apple iPhone 16 and the iPhone 16e have a 48MP Fusion camera and a 12MP 2x Telephoto. However, the flagship smartphone is more advanced, with its dual-camera system which offers a 12MP Ultra Wide camera.
On the whole, these two Apple iPhones are relatively similar, so if the colourways and display size doesn't deter you, we'd recommend saving your money and opting for the new Apple iPhone 16e.
For more comparisons, be sure to check out our Amazon Music vs Spotify and Apple Music vs Amazon Music guides.
