When new iPhone models come out, Sebastiaan de With, the developer behind the popular Halide camera app, does a deep dive into the new camera technology. Last month, Apple released the iPhone 16e with an all-new standalone 48-megapixel camera, and de With checked it out to see how it compares to the cameras in Apple's flagship iPhone 16 models.
On paper, the iPhone 16e, the iPhone 16, and the iPhone 16 Pro seem to have the same main camera, described as a 48-megapixel Fusion camera that's able to take both 1x and 2x shots, but when you drill down into the specs, there's a difference. The iPhone 16 Pro has a camera with an f/1.78 aperture, while the iPhone 16 and 16e have a camera with an f/1.6 aperture. The iPhone 16e does not have sensor-shift optical image stabilization, while the iPhone 16 does, so it's clear these are different cameras.
According to de With, what Apple has done with the iPhone 16e is pair current-generation image processing enabled by the A18 chip with a smaller, older camera component. With just a single Wide lens, there's no Macro mode, no spatial photo or video capture, no Night mode for Portrait images, and no Cinematic or Action mode options when capturing video. There also aren't pro features like ProRAW.
In an image test compared with the iPhone 16 Pro, the iPhone 16e trended toward warmer images and it had a narrower field of view. The smaller sensor captured less detail, which de With said was most noticeable in lower light. 2x photos with the smaller sensor were lower quality with unpleasant processing.
According to de With, the iPhone 16e isn't on par with the iPhone 16 Pro or even the iPhone 16, but it is on par with prior non-Pro iPhones and the iPhone 14 Pro. The fact that it has no sensor-shift stabilization was the biggest limiting factor because it cuts down on image quality in low light and in night shots.
De With felt that the iPhone 16e's sensor has a grainy, moody sensor that he enjoyed as an alternative to the iPhone 16 Pro's larger sensor. "As the kids would say today, it's a vibe," de With wrote.
De With's full review, complete with comparison images, can be read over on the Lux website.
