Featured Image Credit: Apple
Apple's latest iPhone release might have most of the bells and whistles of it's other flagship smartphone, but it's likely missing one key 'game-changing' feature that could leave your photography feeling stunted.
Now that the iPhone 16e - Apple's budget alternative to their flagship smartphone lineup - has finally been announced, it's certainly captured the attention of the wider tech space.
While obviously not as popular as the main line of iPhones, the SE devices have provided the Apple experience at a more palatable price point - albeit with quite a few clear restrictions and cutbacks.
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The fourth generation is looking to provide the biggest shakeup yet though, with Apple ditching the antiquated bezels and upgrading the overall package.
It features the same A18 chip as the standard iPhone 16, albeit with one less GPU core, and an identical 48MP main camera to ensure that your photos look as sharp as ever.
You unfortunately aren't getting any extra lenses like an ultra wide or telephoto, with the single lens offering a '2-in-1 camera system', but there's one key missing feature that could be make or break when it comes to how your photos look.
As reported by Tom's Guide, the iPhone 16e is seemingly missing the latest generation of 'Photographic Styles' that's part of why photos on Apple's newest devices always look so great.
Some have called these a 'game changer' in their latest format, and while the feature was initially released alongside the iPhone 13 in 2021, the latest updates give you so many different options.
Instead of applying filters on photos you've already taken, Photographic Styles adjust tone and warmth values as you're capturing images, giving you a more natural and consistent gallery. The latest generation of the tech has a far greater range of options, and can completely change how your photos look for the better.
Spotted by 9to5Mac, Apple's comparison breakdown between the iPhone 16, 16 Pro Max, and 16e show that while the former two have the 'latest-generation Photographic Styles', the budget alternative only has 'Photographic Styles' and is likely confined to the original four options with no unique photo-based preset selection.
This isn't strictly confirmed by Apple themselves, but it's hard to ignore the somewhat deliberate wording in the product breakdown here.
It's likely not a hardware issue either, as there's nothing to suggest that one fewer GPU core would make the latest generation of this feature incompatible with the 16e, and instead it appears to be a somewhat cynical act of gatekeeping to make their flagship devices more attractive and feature-rich.
iPhone 16e is missing:
— Dylan (@DylanMcD8) February 19, 2025
- MagSafe
- Ultra wide camera
- Ultra wideband chip (AirTags/AirPods precision finding)
- Camera Control
- Dynamic Island
- Color choices
- A good price
- A GPU core (iPhone 16 has 5, this has 4)
- Photographic Styles
- Current-gen Ceramic Shield
- Outdoor… pic.twitter.com/ZULAea68Ym
Other omissions when placed next to the iPhone 16 include MagSafe, color choices, the Dynamic Island and the current Ceramic Shield, among many others, leading some to think that it's a bit overpriced in the end.
"This is a repackaged iPhone 14 with less features but a new chip," argues tech developer Dylan on X. "If this were a $499 iPhone SE I'd be happy! But instead it's a $599 iPhone '16'."
On the subject of Photographic Styles, Dylan also adds that the latest generation of the feature is "entirely different (and much better)" and thus it's a big miss that it's not included.
