7 reasons the iPhone 16e is a huge improvement on the iPhone SE 3

If you saw the announcement of Apple’s iPhone 16e, you might be wondering what good it is to creatives. After all, with only one rear camera lens, there are surely better iPhones for photographers and videographers, at the very least. And while it’s true that the iPhone 16e’s camera abilities are outdone by other devices, there are actually a lot of reasons why it’s still a great choice for creatives.

Here, we’ve put together seven of the biggest reasons why it’s a huge improvement over the iPhone SE 3 and why it might still be worth considering for your needs. Whether you want to use it for your work or are just looking for something you can use to organise your day, the iPhone 16e is a massive step up over what came before.

01. The beautiful display

Up until recently, the iPhone SE was the only iPhone sporting a Home button and chunky bezels, and boy did it look outdated. Now, the iPhone 16e comes with an expansive 6.1-inch OLED display, instantly bringing Apple’s most affordable phone into the modern era.

It’s a massive boost for any creative who uses their phone to pay the bills. With more screen space, it’s much easier to view and perform your work, and with OLED goodness thrown into the mix, any projects you have on the go will look better than ever.

02. A18 power

Buying an affordable phone like the iPhone 16e doesn’t have to mean you get weak performance. No, Apple’s latest phone also comes with its latest chip, the A18, giving you one of the best mobile processors without breaking the bank.

It’s not the top-tier A18 Pro, but the A18 inside the iPhone 16e is still superb for creative tasks. It’ll chew through almost anything that comes its way, whether that’s photo editing, video rendering, artificial intelligence projects, or something else. That kind of power isn’t something you’d expect at this price, so it’s nothing to sniff at.

03. The all-new C1 chip

There was much speculation that Apple’s iPhone 16e would come with a custom-built modem chip, and that proved to be the case. The chip powers the 5G modem within the phone, which Apple says is “the most power-efficient modem ever on an iPhone.”

But how does that benefit creatives? Well, the clue is in Apple’s “power-efficient” quote, as one side effect of the new chip is improved battery life. Indeed, Apple says you’ll get 26 hours of video playback, 21 hours of streaming video, and 90 hours of audio listening. That’s even better than the pricier iPhone 16 and means you’ll have more fuel in the tank for your creative pursuits. Whether you’re shooting videos or snapping photos on set, you’ll now be able to do it for longer.

04. Face ID security

Previously, the iPhone SE used Touch ID within the Home button to securely log you in and verify purchases. It was good, but nowhere near as secure as the much more modern Face ID. Now, the iPhone 16e has been granted Face ID to keep your iPhone’s contents safer than ever.

That’s important for anyone who works on their iPhone. It means that your photos, videos, illustrations and wireframes are all kept firmly under lock and key, with a much stronger guardian at the gate than was previously on offer.

05. USB-C for better connectivity

Modern iPhones can do a lot on their own, and many people will never need to connect an accessory device. But there are times when peripherals really come into their own, especially when it comes to creative work.

The iPhone SE was stuck with the Lightning port, which severely limited what you could connect to your phone. Now, the iPhone 16e has a USB-C slot instead, opening up a world of possibilities. You can connect a battery pack to keep you shooting for longer or hook up a storage drive to offload your videos and free up space on-device. It’s a long overdue change, but a welcome one.

06. Apple Intelligence compatibility

The jury is still out on how well Apple Intelligence compares against rivals like ChatGPT and Gemini. Still, it has its uses in a creative context, and now that the iPhone 16e comes with the latest Apple silicon chip and 8GB of memory, Apple Intelligence is available for an affordable price.

Of course, we’re not suggesting that any AI tool should do your work or replace creatives in any way. But something like Apple’s Image Playground could be a useful way to whip up rough ideas before you get to work. Apple Intelligence can also help improve your copy and rewrite client emails to whatever tone you need. If used properly, it’s another tool at creatives’ disposal.

07. Lights, camera, Action

The Action button has been an iPhone feature for a couple of years, and it’s now made its way across to the iPhone 16e. This customisable button has all sorts of uses for both work and leisure, and there are a few ways it can be a boon to creatives.

For instance, you can assign simple tasks to it, such as quickly opening your favourite camera app in the heat of the moment. Or you can have it activate more complex workflows using Apple’s Shortcuts app, such as one that bulk processes a selection of images for you. Instead of doing all this manually, these workflows are now available at the press of a button.

For more on phones, see our best cameras phones buying guide.

What do you think of the iPhone 16e? Let us know in the comments below.