Apple has just given you a very tough choice to make the next time you walk into one of its popular retail stores. The US firm already offers the – now reduced – 2023 iPhone 15 range along with the latest and greatest iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro models.

Now, there’s another addition to Apple’s smartphone family, and it’s certainly tempting if you want bucketloads of features without paying the usual high price. The iPhone 16e is an all-new device and it’s like nothing Apple has really tried before.

Yes, there have been new colours – such as the iPhone 14 Yellow – added after previous launches but we’ve never seen a whole new phone suddenly appear out of the blue.

This is also not a replacement for the more budget-friendly and now discontinued iPhone SE. This is an iPhone 16 at heart with Apple simply removing a few of the bells and whistles to help bring the price down from the usual £799 to just £599 – that’s £200 less.

The big question is, is it any good, or are you simply better opting for the iPhone 16 or going back in time and popping an iPhone 15 or iPhone 14 (the 14 is only available at non-Apple retailers) in your pocket?

Express.co.uk has been putting the all-new iPhone 16e through its paces and there’s certainly lots to love about this lower-cost phone.

From the moment you pull it from the packaging you get the feeling of a very premium device in your hand with it covered in toughened Ceramic Shield glass and surrounded in aero-space grade aluminium.

Our white model (it also comes in black) looks surprisingly good with Apple applying a textured matt finish to the rear panel which also covers up those annoying mucky fingerprints.

Tap the power button, and the 6.1-inch Super Reina XDR screen will instantly light up. It’s a decent display that looks bright, colourful and packed with detail. No, there’s no speedy 120Hz refresh rate or always-on display option, and the bezels aren’t as skinny as you’ll find on the new Pro models, but the screen is perfect for a boxset binge, sending texts or doomscrolling on TikTok.

Cutting into the top of this panel is Apple’s Face ID technology which means the firm no longer sells any devices with ageing Touch ID fingerprint scanners.

Face ID makes unlocking super speedy, and it’s also so secure you can pay for things online using Apple Pay and log into apps and banking services using just your face.

It’s a nice addition to Apple’s cheaper devices, and that’s not all; it also comes with the latest A18 processor tucked inside.

This supremely powerful chip – which also drives the more expensive iPhone 16 – not only breezes through tasks without a hint of a stutter – and also extends battery life (more on that later) – but also offers full access to Apple Intelligence.

This software – which arrived in the UK late last year – can help you write emails, generate unique images, create fun Genmojis, retouch your photos with the clever Clean Up tool plus there is also improved Siri and full ChatGPT integration.

Visual intelligence is even included on the 16e, so you can point the camera at objects and places and instantly find out more about them.

Apple Intelligence is still in its infancy and how much you’ll actually use all of the features remains to be seen, but it will only get better over time, and the 16e is future-proofed for all the upgrades that are sure to be announced in the coming months and years.

That can’t be said for the iPhone 15 or the much cheaper iPhone 14, as these call makers aren’t powerful enough to run Apple Intelligence and will never get the upgrade.

Along with the A18 chip, another surprise inside this device is a new Apple C1 modem, which is the first time Apple has ever produced this technology in-house.

The C1 ensures the iPhone 16e keeps you connected to 4G and 5G data services, and during our tests, it appears just as good as tried and tested tech from Qualcomm found in other iPhones.

Even on the 23rd floor of the Canary Wharf tower in London we achieved downloads over 150Mbps – that’s double the average UK broadband speed. The C1 modem is also more efficient, and that brings us nicely to battery life.

Apple made some big claims about the 16e, and our tests have shown that the firm is right to brag.

We’ve easily been getting through a day with plenty of power left in the tank, and if you treat this device kindly, you might even squeeze a whole weekend out of it.

When it runs low, it can be fast-charged to 50 percent in 30 minutes using a 20W charger—which is not supplied in the box, so you’ll need to add that to your shopping basket.

It’s also worth noting that although it can be refilled wirelessly, it doesn’t support the brilliant MagSafe technology, which is a real shame.

We use this feature an awful lot as it makes devices such as the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro easy to snap to accessories such as in-car chargers, bedside docks and Apple’s own MagSafe Wallets.

Sadly, if you buy the iPhone 16e, you won’t get this handy upgrade.

Of course, along with power and battery life, another vital feature of any smartphone is the camera.

The iPhone 16e only has one rear lens but it is very good at snapping images for the family album.

The 48MP Fusion Camera – which Apple is calling a 2-in-1 camera – offers all the usual features such as Night Mode, 2x digital zoom, Panoramas and Portrait shots. The images we snapped on it are good and the phone copes well in both light and dark conditions.

SEE OUR CAMERA SAMPLES BELOW

Our only gripe is that the phone lacks an ultra-wide lens, so it cannot shoot wide-angle shots, and the zoom is nowhere near as good as that on rival devices.

If video is what you are looking for, then the 16e records in full 4K and offers extras such as Spatial Audio – to make things sound more immersive – auto Noise Reduction, and Apple’s clever Audio Mix function for a more Hollywood feel to your home movies.

Other premium features worth mentioning include SOS messaging, which sends a text to space when you can’t get a signal and it also gets life-saving Crash Detection, which can call emergency services after an accident.

The iPhone 16e is a very good phone, but what is missing from this device?

Well, unlike the standard iPhone 16 you don’t get Apple’s clever Dynamic Island notch which transforms when you use different apps and services, there’s no MagSafe and the Ceramic Shield glass isn’t the latest – and even stronger – version found on Apple’s more expensive models.

The single rear snapper isn’t as good as the other iPhone 16 models, and you don’t get the Camera Control shutter button, which is now found on its more expensive siblings.

And that brings us back to the difficult decision Apple fans (and those switching from Android) now need to make.

The iPhone 16e is cheaper, but it isn’t a cheap phone. For the same £599 price, you could buy a bigger iPhone 14 Plus or the award-winning Samsung Galaxy S24.

When you walk into an Apple Store now, you’ll have to choose between the still excellent iPhone 15—which will never get Apple Intelligence—the premium iPhone 16, or this new ‘e’ model.

All of these phones won’t let you down, offer several years of iOS updates and Apple’s pretty unbeatable support network of stores.

If you need a new iPhone or want to ditch Android for good, we suggest you make up a list of things you want and need. If you’re really not bothered by MagSafe, dual cameras, Dynamic Islands and Camera Control buttons then the iPhone 16e really is a solid purchase.

Just be aware of what it doesn’t include and make sure you are fully happy to live without those features before tapping the buy button.

Apple’s new iPhone 16e should definitely not be ignored. This is a great smartphone that packs quite a punch for a much cheaper price than its siblings.

No, it doesn’t get all of the features found on the iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Pro but if things such as Camera Control and MagSafe don’t really bother you then this is a solid device to consider.

What you do get is a beautifully made phone that is built for the future and the next generation of Apple Intelligence updates.

There’s no question that the iPhone 16 line-up is now one of the best and most expansive Apple has ever introduced, but it also makes choosing the right model tougher than ever.

You can’t go wrong with any of these iPhone models and the iPhone 16e’s lower price makes it seriously tempting.

Just be aware that its lower cost means fewer features.

You’ll need to decide what really matters to you and what compromises you are prepared to make.