Apple’s cheapest iPhone got a refresh and an unexpected name today. Instead of the widely anticipated iPhone SE 4, the company unveiled the new iPhone 16e, and it shifts to a full-screen design with Face ID while putting Apple Intelligence on an entry-level model for the first time. It also comes with an Action button, which debuted on the iPhone 15 Pro. You can pre-order the new model starting this Friday (February 21) ahead of its February 28 release date.

The iPhone 16e looks much like the iPhone 14, one of Apple’s 2022 models. The new phone has a much larger screen than previous iPhone SE — a spacious 6.1 inches — along with Face ID and swipe-based multitasking gestures. (The model it replaces had a Touch ID home button.) It has a notch at the top of the screen, not the floating Dynamic Island from higher-end iPhones.

Apple Intelligence is increasingly central to the company’s strategy, so don’t be surprised to see Apple’s iPhone SE marketing center around it. In addition to zippy performance, the phone’s A18 chip enables features like generative AI writing tools, Genmoji, Image Playground, Visual Intelligence, ChatGPT integration and notification summaries. The phone is the cheapest entry point into Apple Intelligence by hundreds of dollars.

The phone has a 48-megapixel Fusion “2-in-1” camera with a 2x telephoto system. Compared to the more expensive iPhone 16 and 16 Plus, the SE’s lack of extra rear cameras is one of the most noticeable things you’ll miss out on. 

The new iPhone 16e comes in 128GB, 256GB and 512GB storage tiers, and is available in white and black colors options. At $599, the iPhone 16e is also $150 more than previous iPhone SE models, which typically cost around $429. Meanwhile, the iPhone 16 starts at $799, and the additional $200 gets you an ostensibly more powerful chip, a better camera system and a more modern design.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/the-iphone-16e-was-just-announced-heres-when-to-pre-order-the-new-smartphone-162258599.html?src=rss

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