A quick 5-minute teardown video on YouTube from REWA Technology dives into the iPhone 16e, offering a closer look at its internals. On the surface, the iPhone 16e shares some design similarities with the iPhone 14, but it's what's inside that’s more interesting.
Most of the internal components are laid out similarly to the iPhone 15. The standout change, though, is in the rear camera. While the iPhone 15 has a dual-lens setup (wide and ultra-wide), the 16e features a single 48-megapixel wide lens, resulting in a noticeably smaller camera module. This compact design likely gave Apple the extra space needed to fit in a larger battery.
Speaking of the battery, the iPhone 16e is equipped with a 4005 mAh capacity—more than what earlier leaks suggested. For comparison, the iPhone 16 packs a 3561 mAh battery. The teardown also reveals that the iPhone 16e uses a low-voltage system to safely remove and replace the battery, making the process simpler and more secure.
As for Face ID, it’s essentially the same setup as the iPhone 14, with the iPhone 16e opting for a notch instead of the Dynamic Island.
The video also shows off the C1 chip, Apple’s first 5G modem. With a mix of 4-nanometer baseband tech and 7-nanometer transceiver tech, the modem delivers better efficiency and lower power consumption compared to the Qualcomm modems in other iPhones.
