Apple just announced the long-rumored iPhone 16E. With a starting price of $599 (up from the $429 SE), it’s now the most affordable smartphone in the iPhone lineup and offers the company’s latest A18 processor, Apple Intelligence software features, and a much better OLED display.

But if you’re mulling an upgrade from the now-discontinued iPhone SE or another smartphone, there are a few key points to consider — and some of them aren’t obvious.

• The iPhone 16E is eSIM-only (in the United States): Unlike the iPhone SE, which supported physical SIM cards, the iPhone 16E completes Apple’s transition to eSIM-only cellular connectivity. That’s at least true of the hardware that’ll be sold in the United States; in other markets, Apple still includes a traditional nano-SIM tray. But US customers will have to set up cellular data directly on the phone. The good news is that carriers have made this process much smoother over the last few years.
• Farewell, Lightning: Apple’s proprietary connector is finally relegated to history among the iPhone lineup with today’s introduction of the iPhone 16E, which uses USB-C for wired charging and data transfer. (Note that you’ll be limited to USB 2 data speeds; only the “Pro” iPhone gets faster USB 3 performance.)
• There’s no MagSafe: In another departure from most iPhones in recent memory, Apple is not including its magnetic connection technology in the iPhone 16E. There’s no mention of MagSafe on the phone’s tech specs page, and MagSafe is also absent in the description of the iPhone 16E’s silicone case. Wireless charging is still very much supported, but at least from the looks of it, your magnetic accessories won’t effortlessly attach to the 16E. That’s a real bummer of a cost-cutting measure. The iPhone SE never had MagSafe, but Apple made a very intentional decision to leave it out of this newer design.
• But you do get the Action Button: The ring / silent switch has been replaced by the customizable Action Button that first debuted on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. You can still choose to have it silence your phone, but there are numerous other capabilities — including the option to launch the camera-powered Visual Intelligence feature. My personal favorite remains the ability to quickly identify songs with Shazam just by pressing the button.
• This is the first iPhone to use Apple’s own modem: The company says its C1 modem leads to the best battery life ever in an iPhone of this size. But we still don’t know how Apple’s in-house modem will compare to Qualcomm when it comes to cellular reception, peak data speeds, and more. Stay tuned for our review of the iPhone 16E for more on this.
• The camera can’t do macro photography: The 48-megapixel Fusion camera in the iPhone 16E is certain to be a significant improvement over the last iPhone SE. But one shooting capability that buyers will miss out on is macro photography. Apple’s latest handset only has a single camera and lacks the secondary ultra wide lens that other iPhones use for close-up macro images.
• 512GB will cost you: That $599 starting price is very appealing. Unfortunately, customers who need the most storage available can expect to pay quite a bit more: $300 more, to be specific. The 512GB iPhone 16E sells for $899.
• It’s got a 60Hz display: No one was expecting the new budget iPhone to surpass the regular iPhone 16 and 16 Plus in refresh rate — and the target market for this phone is unlikely to care. But it’s still worth highlighting. Thankfully, rumors suggest this year’s iPhone 17 will finally standardize Apple’s more fluid ProMotion displays across the lineup.

Preorders for Apple’s iPhone 16E begin this Friday, and the phone’s release will follow a week later on February 28th. Check out our StoryStream for even more details, and keep your eyes peeled for The Verge’s full review in the coming days.