Ryan Haines / Android Authority
At this point, there’s little doubt in my mind: Android will always rule the affordable smartphone game. It’s not because Apple hasn’t tried, nor is it because every cheap Android phone is really that good, but rather because I don’t think a cheap iPhone works anymore. At least, it doesn’t work in the way that Apple keeps trying to present it.
Put another way, the iPhone 16e is the least sensible phone of 2025, and I’m at a loss to understand why Apple thought it was a good idea. I’ve reviewed it alongside all of its closest Android rivals, and I think it’s best served as a reminder that copying Apple isn’t always a good idea. Here’s what I think it gets so wrong in the face of so many good Android options.
There’s not much to love about another stripped-down design
Ryan Haines / Android Authority
Before I get into a little end-of-year Apple bashing, I should make one thing clear: I already reviewed the iPhone 16e. This is by no means a second review, nor am I just here to pile on. That being said, Apple introduced its most affordable iPhone to the market early in 2025, effectively forcing me to compare it to Android rivals from 2024. Even then, it wasn’t great. Now that I have a fresh crop of options, though, the iPhone 16e looks even worse.
I mean, on the surface, it’s clearly an iPhone. There’s no getting around the flat sides and back panel, the simple black or white color options, or the Action Button that’s nestled on the left side of the frame — all of that, classic Apple. The thing is, though, none of that is enough to lift my pulse by even a single beat per minute, let alone make me reach for the iPhone 16e over, well, anything. It’s kind of like when Samsung decided to strip the personality out of its Galaxy A series, and I don’t say that with love.
It's better than an iPhone 8, but the iPhone 16e still feels four years out of date.
I mean, you probably remember those days. Samsung steadily erased every last bit of style from its cheapest phones, minimizing their camera bumps and flattening their sides until they looked like the generic Android devices that Apple would point to while trying to flex its iPhone muscle. It seemed to think it was above designs like this, yet here we are.
Don’t get me wrong, Samsung is still kind of here, too, but at least it’s making progress. Its mid-range Galaxy S25 FE doesn’t fall far from the (boring) flagship tree, but recent tweaks to the Galaxy A series have placed all three cameras on the Galaxy A56 in a single raised pill, and the subtle Key Island helps to break up the otherwise unremarkable brushed frame.
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