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Soon after the iPhone 16e was officially announced, I expressed doubt about the iPhone 16e camera competing against some of the best camera phones on the market. Namely, I feared that Apple’s decision to stick with a single rear camera would make the 16e less compelling compared to the dual and triple camera setups I see in many other similarly priced phones.
That’s why I’m doing this 10-round photo shootout with the iPhone 16e vs iPhone 16 vs iPhone SE 2022 — let's see exactly how good the new iPhone 16e is compared to some of the best iPhones.
On paper, I prefer the utility of the iPhone 16’s dual camera setup — which consists of a 48MP main shooter paired with a 12MP ultrawide. It inherently has an advantage because its ultrawide camera is more suitable for landscape photography and group photos. In contrast, the iPhone 16e features a single 48MP main camera, while the iPhone SE 2022 has just a 12MP main camera.
iPhone 16e vs iPhone 16 vs iPhone SE 2022: daytime
Starting with these sets of photos I snapped down by the beach near me, all the shots look fantastic. Upon closer inspection though, it’s hard to discredit the iPhone SE 2022 because zooming into the building in the far background reveals that it captures details just as well as its newer counterparts. However, it’s ultimately the iPhone 16e that gets my vote due to its warmer color temperature.
Winner: iPhone 16e
iPhone 16e vs iPhone 16 vs iPhone SE 2022: Dynamic Range
The photos above prove why the iPhone SE 2022 is still a capable camera phone in 2025, mainly because of its wide dynamic range performance.
With the sun nearly overhead, the shadowed areas of the gazebo and surrounding townhomes in the background are still visible with the iPhone SE 2022’s shot, but both the iPhone 16 and 16e better expose those shadowed areas.
It’s not a huge bump, but it's enough for me to notice when I zoom into the rocks underneath the gazebo.
Winner: iPhone 16 & 16e
iPhone 16e vs iPhone 16 vs iPhone SE 2022: Colors
Clearly, the iPhone 16e has a penchant for producing bolder color tones, which leads to noticeable saturation in the shots of the bruschetta above. I personally like the vibrant reds of the tomato pieces, but the iPhone 16’s colors are more true-to-life. The red has a more balanced tone, which is why I prefer its color science.
Winner: iPhone 16
iPhone 16e vs iPhone 16 vs iPhone SE 2022: Macro
One of the challenges with capturing macro photos with all three iPhones is trying to find their minimal focal distance. It’s rather tough to tell when I’m tapping the screen and trying to discern if the image is in focus where I want it to be.
What’s apparent is that I can get a lot closer to a subject with the iPhone 16, resulting in more detailed macro photos. You can see it in the shots above in how the iPhone 16 better defines the details in the exposed wood railing.
Both the iPhone 16e and iPhone SE 2022 can still capture outstanding looking closeups, but this one goes to the iPhone 16.
Winner: iPhone 16
iPhone 16e vs iPhone 16 vs iPhone SE 2022: Selfie
Both the iPhone 16 and 16e have 12MP TrueDepth front camera with f/1.9 aperture lenses, whereas the much older iPhone SE 2022 has a 7MP shooter with an f/2.2 aperture. Not surprisingly, the iPhone SE 2022 has the weakest performance with its softer tone.
Meanwhile, the iPhone 16 and 16e capture the same amount of definition with my facial features and the textures of my hoodie. The only noticeable difference is in my skin tone, with the iPhone 16e adding just a bit more saturation to get my attention.
Winner: iPhone 16e
iPhone 16e vs iPhone 16 vs iPhone SE 2022: Portrait
Using one of my colleagues as the subject in my portrait photos above, I captured shots at both 1x and 2x zoom. However, the iPhone SE 2022 only allows for 1x zoom in portrait mode. At 1x zoom, I like how the iPhone 16 does a much better job at isolating him from the background — resulting in a creamy, soft blur. Unfortunately, the effect is nowhere as strong with the iPhone SE 2022 and iPhone 16e.
At 2x zoom, the iPhone 16e does a better job with the subject-background separation, but the iPhone 16 still proves it’s a step above with an even better look that makes it seem like a professional captured it with a mirrorless camera.
Winner: iPhone 16
iPhone 16e vs iPhone 16 vs iPhone SE 2022: 2x zoom
Now comes the fun part: zooming. That’s because all three phones rely on their main camera for all zooming, but the iPhone 16 and 16e leverage special techniques that give their zooms optical-like quality.
Right away, it’s evident that the iPhone SE 2022 is at a big disadvantage with zooming because it’s effectively a digital zoom. The wooden sign in the photos above doesn't have the same amount of detail I see with the iPhone 16 and 16e’s shots. But between the two of them, I’m giving it to the iPhone 16e because of its warmer tone.
Winner: iPhone 16e
iPhone 16e vs iPhone 16 vs iPhone SE 2022: 10x zoom
Image processing truly becomes important at further zoom levels because it can expose details that are otherwise hidden in the shot. This is true for the iPhone 16e, since it’s able to catch more of the wooden textures of the sign at 10x zoom. I see it in the green painted portion of the wooden sign and the post to the right of the yellow emblem.
The iPhone SE 2022 tops out at 5x zoom, so it doesn’t have nearly as much definition.
Winner: iPhone 16e
iPhone 16e vs iPhone 16 vs iPhone SE 2022: Nighttime
I think all three phones are capable of delivering acceptable low light photos, but only when there are strong light sources in the scene. The shots above at the parking lot prove this as the much older iPhone SE 2022 manages to match its younger siblings in terms of overall brightness and exposure.
However, zooming into the scene reveals it’s not as good at neutralizing the exposure with the highlights — which I can see with the brightly lit signs in the background. The iPhone 16 clearly does the best job because most of the signs are still visible and not overblown like the iPhone 16e.
Winner: iPhone 16
iPhone 16e vs iPhone 16 vs iPhone SE 2022: Low light
Besides zooming, the other area where I see substantial differences in all phones is low light — and these shots prove it. In the near pitch dark conditions of my backyard, you can see how the iPhone SE 2022 fails at brightening up the scene. It doesn’t help when the details are muddy and indistinct.
In contrast, the iPhone 16 and 16e do an amazing job of brightening the scene. It almost looks like an ambient light source is shining on the tree, but this is the magic of their night modes. Even though the iPhone 16 has a slightly brighter exposure, zooming in reveals better definition and clarity with the iPhone 16e. And for these reasons, it gets my vote.
Winner: iPhone 16e
iPhone 16e vs iPhone 16 vs iPhone SE 2022: Verdict
I’m looking forward to capturing even more photos with the iPhone 16e in order to get a better feel of how it performs consistently. In this iPhone 16e vs iPhone 16 vs iPhone SE 2022 photo shootout, I’m surprised that the iPhone 16e wins more categories than the iPhone 16.
What impresses me the most is how the 16e actually performs better than the iPhone 16 in low light and zooming, two areas I didn’t think it could win. Yet, it proves how image processing techniques can really get the most out of a phone's camera. However, I still can’t count out the iPhone 16 because of the extra utility it offers — like a proper ultrawide camera that’s better suited for macrophotography and capturing more of the scene.
And not surprisingly, there’s a big gap in performance between the iPhone SE 2022 and its spiritual successor in the iPhone 16e.
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