Is it worth replacing iPhone SE 3 for iPhone 16e — expert opinion

In the low-cost smartphone market, the iPhone SE 3 is still a popular option for those who want to dive into the Apple ecosystem but not spend all the money in the world. This year, the company released a continuation of the series in the form of the iPhone 16e, which offers modern features but at a higher price.

iTechua writes about whether it is worth switching from the iPhone SE 3 to the iPhone 16e.

Is it worth updating to the iPhone 16e when you have an iPhone SE 3?

Apple's newest iPhone has its modern design with an almost bezel-less 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display, which is significantly superior to the outdated 4.7-inch Retina LCD in the iPhone SE 3. In addition, the iPhone 16e is protected by a stronger Ceramic Shield glass.

The iPhone has long been equipped with the Face ID security system, while the SE 3 is equipped with the old Home button with Touch ID.

The iPhone 16e has the Apple A18 chip, which is almost identical to the one in the iPhone 16. It is much more powerful than the SE 3 with A15 Bionic. The new model also has 8 GB of RAM compared to 4 GB in the iPhone SE 3. The battery of the new model is almost twice as large — 4005 mAh versus 2018 mAh in the SE 3. In many autonomy tests, the iPhone 16e reaches the level of the iPhone 16 and is not inferior to even the iPhone 16 Pro.

The phones support wireless charging, but the iPhone 16e charges faster via USB-C compared to the outdated Lightning in the SE 3.

As for the cameras, the iPhone 16e has a single 48-megapixel module, compared to 12 megapixels in the iPhone SE 3. The new device takes clearer and better pictures in low light conditions and has advanced video capabilities. Although the SE 3 has a good camera, even by today's standards, it lacks detail. The selfie camera is also worse, with a resolution of 7 megapixels, while the iPhone 16e has 12 megapixels.

Given all the differences between the two devices, it's clear that the years of not updating the SE line have paid off. Since the release of the iPhone SE 3, technology has already made a significant leap forward, leaving behind most of the features that were innovative just 3 years ago.

The only advantage of the iPhone SE 3 over the iPhone 16e is its price. The difference between the two devices is about twice in favor of the SE 3 — it is cheaper.

As a reminder, Apple unveiled the iPhone 16e as the new model of the iPhone 16 line. Given the price of the new product, a reasonable question arises — isn't it better to invest and take the iPhone 16.

We also wrote that the release of the iPhone 16e attracted a lot of gadget fans due to its features and support for Apple Intelligence. However, there are current Android smartphone models that offer more for less.