By JIM ROSSMAN

Tribune News Service

There was a lot of speculation about the next version of the iPhone SE — which has traditionally been Apple’s cheapest iPhone.

The 2022 third generation iPhone SE cost $399 and many of us in the media were wondering if Apple would keep the next version at that price level — spoiler alert — they did not.

Nor did they call it the fourth generation iPhone SE.

The new phone is called the iPhone 16e, and it went on sale at the end of February starting at $599.

So, what does $599 get you? And maybe just as important, what features did Apple decide to leave out?

Let’s talk features. The iPhone 16e looks pretty much like the iPhones of the last few years. It has a 6.1-inch OLED screen with no home button. There’ a notch at the top hiding the selfie camera and face recognition system.

It’s running on the latest-generation A18 chip with six CPU cores and four GPU (graphics) cores. This is one GPU core less than the iPhone 16, but the 16e is still plenty speedy and responsive.

The A18 makes the 16e the cheapest phone to run Apple Intelligence, the suite of artificial intelligence features integrated into the iOS 18 operating system.

The 16e has the longest battery life of any 6.1inch iPhone, with Appel reporting up to 26 hours of video playback on a single charge. Speaking of charge, the 16e uses USB-C to charge, meaning the Lightning connector has officially retired from the iPhone lineup.

Instead of a mute switch, there is a customizable Action Button, which acts as a mute button by default, but users can customize what happens when the button is pressed.

There is one camera on the rear which houses a 48-megapixel main Fusion camera. That sensor also acts as a 2x telephoto by cropping a 12-megapixel photo from the middle of the image. Apple says it’s like getting two cameras in one.

The 16e is the first iPhone with a cellular chip designed by Apple and not Qualcomm. The C1 chip is the most power efficient modem ever in an Apple phone. The 16e, like other iPhone 16 models can also communicate via satellite when there is no Wi-Fi or cellular coverage.

Users can send text messages, get roadside assistance, send emergency SOS messages and utilize the Find My network all via satellite if you have a clear view of the sky.

The 16e can also detect if you’ve been in a crash and automatically place an emergency call if you are not able to place a call yourself. It can also send live video to 911 dispatchers during 911 calls.

The iPhone 16e isn’t so much a continuation of the iPhone SE line as it is a slightly cheaper version of the iPhone 16, which is the same size and costs $200 more.

So, what’s not to like? To bring the phone’s price down, Apple did leave out some features that iPhone users ( like me) might miss.

The C1 cellular chip does not have support for the faster 5G mm-wave networks. The less-speedy 5G networks it does support (sub 6) perform just fine. I had no issue with the C1’s performance. In my living room a 5G speed test on Verizon’s network showed download speeds of 250 Megabits per second.

The 16e lacks a few other features of the other 16 models including the camera control button, dynamic island on the screen and ultra-wide camera.

Most importantly (for me, at least), the iPhone 16e doesn’t have Magsafe. Instead of high-speed wireless charging with the aid of magnets to make sure the charger placed correctly, the 16e does have wireless charging, but at a slower rate.

Coming from an iPhone 13 Pro Max, I have a lot of Magsafe accessories, including Magsafe charging in my car, as well as on my desk at work and on my bedside table.

The Magsafe chargers on my nightstand and desk also serve as phone stands, keeping the phone’s screen at a convenient and comfortable viewing angle. Without magnets in the 16e, I can’t use those chargers.

I also have a few external batteries with stick to the back of my phone with a magnet for wireless charging that I can’t use with the 16e.

To be fair, the iPhone SE models didn’t have Magsafe, and Apple says most SE (and 16e) users will charge with a cable, which makes sense, but I still think leaving out Magsafe was a mistake.

CONCLUSIONS If you are an iPhone SE user, you are certainly due for a new phone and the 16e would be a great choice. It brings you up-to-date with the latest iPhone CPU model and Apple Intelligence (my mom is a prime example of such a user). Are there more features that could have been added? Sure, but you can get them by spending another $200 on an iPhone 16.

Apple is betting there are a lot of us who want a fast iPhone for less money, and they’re probably right.

PRICING The 16e comes in black or white and starts at $599 for a configuration with 128 gigabytes of storage. You can bump the storage to 256gb for $699 or 512gb for $899.