Apple Inc.’s iPhone 16e is outpacing initial sales of the third-generation iPhone SE released a few years ago, but won’t be enough to reverse a China slide, according to analyst firm IDC.

Both the iPhone SE and iPhone 16E have aluminum frames, with the larger size of the 16E giving it a bit more weight: 167 grams, versus the SE's 144g. The iPhone SE has an IP67 rating for water resistance, while the 16E bumps that to an IP68 rating. The iPhone SE comes in black, white and Product RED. The iPhone 16E comes in black and white.

The most talked-about iPhone expected this year is beginning to come into focus. A new leak gives us a key clue as to what it will be like.

With a starting price of $599, Apple Inc.’s iPhone 16e is hardly a budget phone.Most Read from BloombergTrump DEI Purge Hits Affordable Housing GroupsElectric Construction Equipment Promises a Quiet RevolutionNYC Congestion Pricing Toll Gains Support Among City ResidentsOpen Philanthropy Launches $120 Million Fund To Support YIMBY ReformsProspect Medical’s Pennsylvania Hospitals at Risk of ClosureThis new handset replaces the $429 iPhone SE as the cheapest phone in Apple’s lineup.

One important addition to the 16e is FaceID, used to unlock the phone as well as for security in apps and for payment. The iPhone SE was the last handset to still use Touch ID, which scans your fingerprint. However, this is still also used by all iPads with the exception of the iPad Pro models, as well as MacBooks.

Apple has killed the SE line of iPhones and unveiled the iPhone 16e, the most affordable phone in the iPhone 16 family. At $599, it's designed after the iPhone 12, with the 6.1-inch display and lack of the Dynamic Island, but still carries Apple Intelligence and the action button just like its rich cousins.

Samsung Galaxy S24, iPhone 15, Vivo X200, and more smartphones to buy in place of the iPhone 16e at a similar price range.