Compare iPhone Air vs iPhone 16e

Which one is best for you?

The iPhone Air is part of the September 2025 release, compared to the iPhone 16e which was released earlier in the year (February 2025). So, while both phones have smart features like Apple Intelligence and Emergency SOS, the iPhone Air benefits from several hardware improvements. The best choice for you will depend on your priorities.  

The iPhone Air contains the most advanced Apple chip to date (A19 Pro) for smoother, faster performance while the iPhone 16e has the A18 chip. It also offers an Always On display and refresh rates up to 120Hz, features which are missing from the 16e. The iPhone Air has options for storage up to a massive 1TB, whereas the maximum capacity available with the iPhone 16e is just 512GB.   

Alongside these developments, the iPhone Air also offers a better photo and video experience compared to the iPhone 16e. It has a more advanced video stabilisation, and a Portrait mode with Focus and Depth Control and a 48MP Fusion camera system. The Air also has new selfie capabilities, such as Dual Capture, Centre Stage and ultra-stabilised video.  

Regarding the device frame and size, both phones are lightweight, weighing around 165 grams. The iPhone Air, however, has a larger display (6.9 inches) and the slimmest depth in an iPhone ever, at just 5.6mm. The iPhone 16e has a 6.1-inch display and is slightly deeper, at 7.8mm. Despite being incredibly thin, the iPhone Air is strong. It has a titanium frame, and a Ceramic Shield back compared to the iPhone 16e’s aluminium frame and glass back. The iPhone Air is also 3x more scratch resistant with its Ceramic Shield 2 front.  

The iPhone 16e is a lot cheaper than the iPhone Air, so if budget is the most important thing, it’s the better choice. However, if you want a more advanced smartphone experience go for the iPhone Air. It has superior processing power and camera capabilities, and a larger display with a slimmer build. 

Apple iPhone Air

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Apple iPhone 16e

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Battery
  • Non-removable
  • Fast battery charging
  • Qi2 wireless charging
  • Non-removable
  • Fast battery charging
  • Qi wireless charging
Body
  • Ceramic Shield 2 front, Ceramic Shield back, Titanium design
  • Dual eSIM
  • Splash, water and dust resistant (IP68)
  • Ceramic Shield front, Glass back and Aluminium design
  • eSIM
  • Splash, water and dust resistant (IP68)
  • Available
Camera
  • 48MP + 18MP
  • 48MP + 12MP
Camera details
  • 48MP (f/1.6, Main: 26mm)
  • 18MP (f/1.9, TrueDepth)
  • Advanced red‑eye correction
  • Auto image stabilization
  • Autofocus with Focus Pixels
  • Burst mode
  • Center Stage for photos
  • Customizable default lens (Fusion Main)
  • Deep Fusion
  • Digital zoom up to 10x
  • Dual Capture
  • Latest-generation Photographic Styles
  • Next-generation portraits with Focus and Depth Control
  • Night mode
  • Panorama (up to 63MP)
  • Photonic Engine
  • Portrait Lighting with six effects
  • Retina Flash
  • Sapphire crystal lens cover
  • Smart HDR 5
  • Tap to zoom and rotate
  • True Tone flash
  • Ultra-stabilized video
  • Wide color capture for photos and Live Photos
  • 48MP (f/1.6, Main: 26mm)
  • 12MP (f/1.9, TrueDepth)
  • Advanced red‑eye correction
  • Auto image stabilization
  • Burst mode
  • Deep Fusion
  • Digital zoom up to 10x
  • Hybrid Focus Pixels
  • Image formats captured: HEIF and JPEG
  • Night mode
  • Panorama (up to 63MP)
  • Photo geotagging
  • Photographic Styles
  • Photonic Engine
  • Portrait Lighting with six effects
  • Portrait mode with Depth Control
  • Sapphire crystal lens cover
  • Smart HDR 5
  • True Tone flash
  • Wide color capture for photos and Live Photos
Capacity
  • 256 GB/512 GB/1 TB
  • 128 GB/256 GB/512 GB
Colour
  • Sky Blue / Cloud White / Light Gold / Space Black
  • White / Black
Connectivity
  • 2G / 3G / 4G / 5G
  • Wi‑Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2x2 MIMO
  • Bluetooth 6
  • Precision dual-frequency GPS (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou, and NavIC)
  • NFC with reader mode
  • USB-C connector - USB 2 (up to 480Mb/s)
  • 2G / 3G / 4G / 5G
  • Wi‑Fi 6,802.11ax with 2x2 MIMO
  • Bluetooth 5.3
  • GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou, and NavIC
  • NFC with reader mode
  • USB Type-C (up to 480Mb/s)
Dimensions
  • 156.2 x 74.7 x 5.64 mm
  • 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8 mm
Display
  • 6.5 inch
  • 6.1 inch
Display details
  • OLED display, Super Retina XDR display
  • 2736 x 1260 pixels
  • Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating
  • Anti-reflective coating
  • Dynamic Island
  • Haptic Touch
  • HDR display
  • True Tone
  • 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio (typical)
  • 2532‑by‑1170-pixel resolution at 460 ppi
  • 6.1‑inch (diagonal) all‑screen OLED display
  • 800 nits max brightness (typical); 1200 nits peak brightness (HDR)
  • Display Zoom
  • Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating
  • Haptic Touch
  • HDR display
  • Reachability
  • Super Retina XDR display
  • True Tone
  • Wide color (P3)
Features
  • AAC, APAC, MP3, Apple Lossless, FLAC, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, and Dolby Atmos
  • Apple Pay
  • Barometer
  • High dynamic range gyro
  • High-g accelerometer
  • Proximity sensor
  • Dual ambient light sensors
  • MagSafe
  • Accessory Identification NFC
  • Spatial Audio playback
  • User‑configurable maximum volume limit
  • Voice Isolation and Wide Spectrum microphone modes
  • Voice over LTE (VoLTE)
  • Share experiences like movies, TV, music, and other apps in a FaceTime call with SharePlay
  • AAC, MP3, Apple Lossless, FLAC, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, and Dolby Atmos
  • Apple Pay
  • Barometer
  • Dual ambient light sensors
  • Face ID
  • High dynamic range gyro
  • High-g accelerometer
  • Proximity sensor
  • Screen sharing
  • Share experiences like movies, TV, music, and other apps in a FaceTime call with SharePlay
  • Spatial Audio and stereo recording
  • Voice Isolation and Wide Spectrum microphone modes
  • Voice over LTE (VoLTE)
  • Wind noise reduction
Memory
    Information not available
  • 8 GB RAM/8GB RAM
Platform
  • iOS 26
  • Apple A19 Pro
  • 6‑core CPU with 2 performance and 4 efficiency cores
  • 5‑core GPU
  • iOS 18
  • Apple A18
  • New 6‑core CPU with 2 performance and 4 efficiency cores
  • New 4‑core GPU
Weight
  • 165 g
  • 167 g
Video
  • 4K Dolby Vision video recording at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps
  • 1080p Dolby Vision video recording at 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps
  • 720p Dolby Vision video recording at 30 fps
  • Action mode up to 2.8K Dolby Vision at 60 fps
  • Slo‑mo video support for 1080p at 120 fps or 240 fps
  • Dual Capture up to 4K Dolby Vision at 30 fps
  • Time‑lapse video with stabilization
  • Night mode Time-lapse
  • QuickTake video up to 4K Dolby Vision at 60 fps
  • Sensor-shift optical image stabilization for video
  • Digital zoom up to 6x
  • Audio zoom
  • True Tone flash
  • Cinematic video stabilization (4K, 1080p, and 720p)
  • Continuous autofocus video
  • Take 8MP still photos while recording 4K video
  • Playback zoom
  • Video formats recorded: HEVC and H.264
  • Spatial Audio and stereo recording
  • Wind noise reduction
  • 4K Dolby Vision video recording at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps
  • 1080p Dolby Vision video recording at 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps
  • 720p Dolby Vision video recording at 30 fps
  • Audio Mix
  • Audio zoom
  • Cinematic video stabilization (4K, 1080p, and 720p)
  • Continuous autofocus video
  • Digital zoom up to 6x
  • Night mode Time-lapse
  • Optical image stabilization for video
  • Playback zoom
  • QuickTake video
  • Slo‑mo video support for 1080p at 120 fps or 240 fps
  • Spatial Audio and stereo recording
  • Take 8MP still photos while recording 4K video
  • Time‑lapse video with stabilization
  • True Tone flash
  • Video formats recorded: HEVC and H.264
  • Wind noise reduction
Operating system
  • iOS
  • iOS 26
    Information not available
WIFI calling
  • Available
  • Available
Box Contains
  • USB-C Charge Cable (1 m)
  • Documentation
  • USB‑C Charge Cable (1m)
  • Documentation
eSim
  • eSIM only
    Information not available