Between the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16e, the iPhone 16 comes out ahead in antutu and wireless charging, while the iPhone 16e wins on battery capacity and weight. Overall, the iPhone 16 scores 57.4 and the iPhone 16e scores 58.6 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (57.4 vs 58.6). The decision isn't about overall quality — both clear the bar — it's about which specific trade-offs fit your use.
Pick the iPhone 16 if you push the hardware — gaming, on-device AI, heavy multitasking — and the extra compute headroom is worth the trade-offs. The biggest gaps in its favor are antutu, wireless charging.
Pick the iPhone 16e if your top frustration with your current device is running out of charge before the day ends — endurance is the lead spec here. Its strongest claims are battery capacity, weight.
Both ship with comparable ram, main camera, screen size, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: there is no wrong answer here — match the spec advantages to how you actually use the product. The Mars Score parity tells you both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Why Apple - iPhone 16 wins
- ▲AnTuTu — 2.53% more. 1620000 vs 1580000.
- ▲Wireless charging: 15 W vs 0 W.
Why Apple - iPhone 16e wins
- ▲Battery capacity — 12.47% more. 4005 mAh vs 3561 mAh.
- ▲Weight — 3.00 g less. 167 vs 170.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 | Apple - iPhone 16e |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 170 g | 167 glead |
| Thickness | 7.8 mm | 7.8 mm |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP68 | IP68 |
| Form factor | bar | bar |
Display
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 | Apple - iPhone 16e |
|---|---|---|
| Screen sizeⓘ | 6.1 " | 6.1 " |
| Pixel densityⓘ | 460 ppi | 460 ppi |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 60 Hz | 60 Hz |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 2000 nitslead | 1200 nits |
Performance
Cameras
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 | Apple - iPhone 16e |
|---|---|---|
| Main cameraⓘ | 48 MP | 48 MP |
| Front camera | 12 MP | 12 MP |
| Optical image stabilizationⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 | Apple - iPhone 16e |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 3561 mAh | 4005 mAhlead |
| Wired chargingⓘ | 20 W | 20 W |
| Wireless chargingⓘ | 15 Wlead | 0 W |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 | Apple - iPhone 16e |
|---|---|---|
| 5G supportⓘ | true | true |
| Headphone jack | false | false |
| microSD slot | false | false |
Operating System
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 16 | Apple - iPhone 16e |
|---|---|---|
| OS | iOS | iOS |
| Promised OS updates | 5 years | 5 years |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery, iPhone 16 or iPhone 16e?+
iPhone 16e has 12.5% more battery — 3561 mAh vs 4005 mAh.
Which is lighter, iPhone 16 or iPhone 16e?+
iPhone 16e is 3g lighter — 170g vs 167g.
Is iPhone 16 waterproof?+
iPhone 16 has an IP68 rating.
Does iPhone 16e support 5G?+
Yes, iPhone 16e supports 5G.
Which has a better camera, iPhone 16 or iPhone 16e?+
iPhone 16e has a 48 MP main camera vs 48 MP.
Spec-level deep dives
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