Early tests confirm Apple’s new chip significantly boosts iPhone 16e battery life

By Bryan M. Wolfe Published February 27, 2025

A press image of the iPhone 16e. — Apple

The iPhone 16e will launch officially tomorrow, February 27. Today, the results from the first tests of Apple’s all-new C1 modem for this budget phone have been released, and the news is promising.

Chinese review site Geekerwan conducted various 5G tests on the iPhone 16e’s C1 modem, which is noteworthy because it is Apple’s first modem for the iPhone. The tests revealed that the iPhone 16e’s speeds and reliability matched those of the iPhone 16, which is equipped with a Qualcomm modem. Perhaps even more impressively, Geekerwan found that the C1 modem consumed much less power than its competitor.

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When the iPhone 16e was announced, Apple claimed that its modem was 25% more efficient than those in the iPhone 16 series. Geekerwan’s findings support this; under high signal strength conditions, the average power draw of the iPhone 16e was 0.67 watts, compared to 0.88 watts for the iPhone 16, resulting in a roughly 24% improvement. Under low signal strength conditions, the iPhone 16e still drew 0.67 watts, whereas the iPhone 16 used 0.81 watts, marking a difference of 17%.

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In a 5G video streaming test, the Geekerwa’s battery life was 7 hours and 53 minutes. In comparison, the iPhone 16 lasted 7 hours, while the iPhone 16 Pro lasted 6 hours and 54 minutes. The iPhone 16 Plus and the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which have larger batteries, provided around 8.5 hours of usage between charges in the same test.

The iPhone 16e’s and 16’s battery life is likely enhanced by the new phone’s more efficient modem and larger battery. The iPhone 16e features a 3,961 mAh battery, while the iPhone 16 has a 3,561 mAh battery.

The iPhone 16e was announced earlier this month. It replaces the iPhone SE 3 in the lineup. In many respects, however, it compares most closely with the iPhone 14, which was also discontinued with the iPhone 16e release. The new phone starts at $599.

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Mobile and A/V Freelancer

Bryan M. Wolfe has over a decade of experience as a technology writer. He writes about mobile.

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