Bigger battery

Accordingly, the iPhone 16e uses a quick-release battery adhesive like other iPhone 16 models. This adhesive can be removed using a low voltage current.

Previously, another teardown video revealed that the iPhone 16e has a 15.55Wh battery, larger than the 13.83Wh battery of the previous model.

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The battery is larger because the iPhone 16e only has 1 rear camera. Photo: iFixit

iFixit said Apple could fit a larger battery thanks to the empty space left by the iPhone 16e's single rear camera.

Close-up of Modem C1

iFixit's teardown offers the closest look yet at Apple's new in-house developed C1 modem.

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The C1 modem on the iPhone 16e was developed by Apple itself. Photo: iFixit

In the iPhone 16e, this modem is located on the underside of the RF board and has the same package structure as the Qualcomm X71M modem, which includes the 4nm modem and DRAM. However, the 7nm transceivers are not placed in the same package as the modem.

Difficult to repair but has made significant improvements

iFixit says Apple's iPhone 16e is difficult to repair. For example, replacing the USB-C port requires removing the entire internal components of the device.

Some images of the iPhone 16e "dissected" to see the internal components (Source: iFixit)

However, iFixit says the iPhone 16e‌ has made some improvements in terms of repairability, such as Apple easing the component constraints in iOS and adding a metal bracket to protect the flex cable from being cut when opening the device.

Previously, in September last year, iFixit also "dissected" the iPhone 16 and rated this iPhone model at 7/10 points for ease of repairability, nearly double the 4/10 score of the iPhone 15 series.

iFixit said the changes on the iPhone 16 series are a big step forward for Apple, making the iPhone repair process more consistent.

However, with the iPhone 16e, iFixit is not satisfied with some of Apple's design decisions, especially in terms of repairability.

Worthwhile upgrades

The iPhone 16e supports all the new AI features, while the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus models, which launched just a year before Apple's AI arrived, do not.

Apple's latest low-cost iPhone model is also equipped with the A18 chip, which not only provides better performance but is also compatible with Apple Intelligence, capable of adapting to many other new features in the future.

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iPhone 16e. Photo: Allison Johnson/The Verge

According to Apple, the iPhone 16e has a battery life of 26 hours. For comparison, this is about 30% longer than the iPhone 15.

The Action button and 8GB RAM are also considered notable points in the iPhone 16e.

The Action button can be customized to perform a variety of actions, including: quickly opening the Camera app; activating Focus Mode; turning on the Timer; running Shortcuts; using Shazam to identify songs; activating features in Control Center.

The 33% increase in RAM compared to the iPhone 15 (6GB) not only helps the iPhone 16e support Apple Intelligence, but also helps smooth overall performance, especially when new iOS updates require more resources.

iPhone 16e has not been released yet, but information about iPhone 17e has appeared . Apple will most likely launch the iPhone 17e next year, around February, similar to the time of the iPhone 16e introduction, according to a new consumer report.