Apple iPhone 16e vs. Google Pixel 8a: A new budget contender enters the ring

Apple shook up its iPhone lineup this week by giving its spiritual successor to the wallet-friendly iPhone SE an entirely new identity: the iPhone 16e.

The result is a new third tier for Apple’s mainstream iPhone family that combines the concept of the iPhone SE with a modern design and a more modern set of features, including not only Apple’s latest A-series chip but also the latest iPhone 16 camera technology and support for Apple Intelligence.

Apple’s new “e-series” iPhone is naturally ripe for comparison against the more affordable mainstream models from its biggest rivals, such as Google’s A-series phones. Right now, that’s the well-established Google Pixel 8a. Does Apple’s first attempt at a lower-tier model have what it takes to unseat Google? Let’s find out.

Apple iPhone 16e vs. Google Pixel 8a: specs

Apple iPhone 16e vs. Google Pixel 8a: design

Apple’s lowest-cost iPhone may have entered the iPhone 16 family this year, but it’s sporting a design that can best be described as bland compared to its older siblings.

While it’s still unmistakably an iPhone, the iPhone 16e embraces its iPhone SE predecessor’s basic single camera lens and limits its colors to basic black and white without even trying to go for more whimsical names. This is not only a stark contrast to the vibrant shades found on the standard iPhone 16 but also stands out against the Pixel 8a, which adds a lovely green Aloe and fetching Bay blue to its more neutral Obsidian and Porcelain neutrals.

Besides the lack of color and flair, the iPhone 16e resembles the iPhone 16 in adopting a USB-C port on the bottom and the standard array of buttons around the outer frame, including the new Action button. However, it lacks the Camera Control of the pricier models.

A single camera lens protrudes from the rear corner of the iPhone 16e, feeling uninspired next to the Pixel 8a’s signature camera bar. It’s a capable camera with a deceptively understated look.

The glass on the front of the iPhone 16e is Apple’s Ceramic Shield. However, this is the original version that’s been around since the iPhone 12 rather than the tougher formulation that Apple added to the rest of the iPhone 16 lineup. However, the Pixel 8a gets even older 2013-era Gorilla Glass 3 on the screen. The iPhone 16e features a standard glass back panel, while the Pixel 8a goes with plastic.

The iPhone 16e features IP68 dust and water resistance that aligns with Apple’s usual modern standards, which promise it can survive immersion in up to 6 meters of water for 30 minutes. The Pixel 8a has only an IP67 rating, which protects against only 1 meter of water for the same length of time.

While the iPhone 16e gets a few points for durability, it loses some for its sterile aesthetic. Either way, design is subjective, so we’re calling this one a tie.

Winner: Tie

Apple iPhone 16e vs. Google Pixel 8a: display

As with the iPhone SE models that inspired Apple’s latest budget phone, the iPhone 16e largely follows the design of the 2022 iPhone 14 while modernizing a few other specs. The single camera and Action button are departures from that older model, but sadly, the display is not.

It would have been too much to expect the iPhone 16e to get a massive display upgrade, considering that the standard iPhone 16 models are still saddled with a 60Hz refresh rate. Putting an OLED panel into its lowest-cost iPhone is a big step for Apple, but in this case, it’s the same screen tech from the iPhone 14, from the notch to the maximum 1,200-nit peak HDR brightness. It’s a high-quality, vibrant panel that supports Apple’s usual enhancements like HDR, True Tone, and a P3 wide color gamut, but the 2.5-year-old technology feels pretty basic.

Google’s Pixel 8a may not be the newest kid on the block, but it sports a more modern display. The resolution and pixel density are slightly lower than the iPhone 16e, but not so much that you’re likely to notice with the naked eye; however, it excels by offering a 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 2,000 nits. While it’s not an adaptive refresh rate — it can only switch between 60Hz and 120Hz — that still gives it a considerable advantage over the iPhone 16e. Plus, the Pixel 8a sports an always-on display, which Apple stubbornly refuses to embrace in anything but its Pro models.

Winner: Google Pixel 8a

Apple iPhone 16e vs. Google Pixel 8a: performance

Apple has always kept its budget iPhones on the latest A-series silicon, and the iPhone 16e continues this trend by adopting nearly the same A18 chip found in the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus. We say “nearly” as Apple is using what appears to be a binned version of the chip with only four GPU cores rather than the 5-core version found in its standard iPhone 16 models.

That’s a subtle difference that few will notice, especially since it still has the same six-core CPU and 16-core Neural Engine (NPU), plus 8GB of RAM to ensure that it can support Apple’s full suite of AI features. This delivers a massive leg up in performance, likely giving it the chops to handle the latest AAA console games — although whether you’ll be able to take full advantage of them on that 60Hz display is another matter. The lesser GPU configuration means Resident Evil Village and Assassin’s Creed Mirage may not play quite as smoothly on the iPhone 16e as they do on the iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Pro (which has an even more powerful A18 Pro chip), but they should be eminently playable, and if the rest of the A18 family is any indication, we don’t expect any lags or excessive heat.

The Google Pixel 8a won’t be able to match that standard, as the Tensor G3 has never been about raw performance. Instead, Google has focused its silicon on powering machine learning and AI features such as its powerful computational photography engine. That doesn’t mean you’ll encounter lags or slowdowns during everyday use, and it’s even suitable for most games as long as you don’t try to push the quality and frame rates to insanely high levels. The Tensor G3 was a remarkable improvement over Google’s older G2 chip, which got hot and bothered when you threw anything too demanding at it. The G3 is a strong performer, but it still runs hotter under load than most rival phones with high-end silicon, including not only the iPhone 16 lineup but also those with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 series chips.

The iPhone 16e easily wins this race, using a more modern chip optimized for maximum performance. The Tensor G3 is a year older and holds up well for its age, but there’s no real competition.

Winner: Apple iPhone 16e

Apple iPhone 16e vs. Google Pixel 8a: battery and charging

The other area where the A18 shows its mettle against the Tensor G3 is power efficiency. The Pixel 8a isn’t renowned for its stamina, and we wouldn’t recommend it to anyone looking for more than five hours of screen time per day.

The iPhone 16e not only leans into the power efficiency of Apple’s latest silicon but also has another fascinating trick up its sleeve. This is the first iPhone to ditch Qualcomm’s 5G modem chips and chart its own course with the in-house 5G modem that Apple has spent the past six years working on. That’s been unveiled this week as the new C1 chip, and the key benefit is a 25% improvement in power efficiency.

The result? The iPhone 16e gets 3-4 more hours of battery life for video playback than the iPhone 16. It’s closer in run time to the iPhone 16 Plus, which sports a larger cell. That probably still won’t quite translate to the two-day battery life of many of the top Android phones we’ve reviewed — we’ll have to put it through its paces before we know for sure — but we’re already confident it will leave the Pixel 8a in the dust.

One area where the two phones come closer is in charging speeds. The iPhone 16e has slightly higher wired speeds — 20W versus the Pixel 8a’s 18W charging — but they’re both on par for wireless speeds: 7.5W Qi charging. That’s particularly surprising for the iPhone 16e, which stuck with the wireless charging specs of its SE predecessor rather than joining the MagSafe family.

Winner: Apple iPhone 16e

Apple iPhone 16e vs. Google Pixel 8a: cameras

The iPhone 16e may have only a single bland-looking camera lens, but there’s a surprising amount of power packed behind it. Apple has packed in the same 48-megapixel (MP) “Fusion” camera used in the iPhone 16’s primary sensor, which offers a virtual 2x optical-quality zoom. That’s the same sensor crop technique Apple has been using since it introduced the 48MP sensor on the iPhone 14 Pro, which means you’ll only get a 12MP shot, but it gets the job done. Like Apple’s other current iPhones, the default shooting resolution is only 24MP anyway.

The A18 chip provides the same computational image pipeline on the iPhone 16e as it does for the rest of the family, supporting Smart HDR 5, Deep Fusion, the Photonic Engine, Night mode, and even a single-lens Portrait mode with Depth Control. Still, only so much can be done with a single lens, and more sophisticated features from the other iPhone 16 models are missing, including macro photography, Cinema mode video, and Spatial photos. For whatever reason, Apple has also left out sensor-shift optical image stabilization for this cheaper model, which deprives it of the Action mode that’s been available on other models since the iPhone 14.

Nevertheless, the iPhone 16e can capture 4K video at 60 frames per second (fps) in Dolby Vision HDR, 240 fps slo-mo videos in 1080p, and even Spatial Audio and stereo recording. It can also reduce wind noise and use AI-mixed audio for studio-quality recording.

Of course, Google’s Pixel series phones have always been all about the camera system. There are two lenses on the back, which already puts it ahead of the iPhone 16e’s single lens. The primary shooter is a 64MP sensor joined by a 13MP ultrawide lens with a 120-degree field of view. There’s no telephoto lens, and the 2x shortcut produces soft images that aren’t quite as focused as they should be. Based on what we’ve seen from the iPhone 16, we expect the iPhone 16e will win out in this one area, but we won’t know for sure until we’ve tested its photographic prowess for ourselves.

For now, we have to give the nod to the Google Pixel 8a for its dual-lens system and proven capabilities, but this could be a close race if Apple’s Fusion camera is everything it promises to be without an ultrawide lens to back it up.

Winner: Google Pixel 8a

Apple iPhone 16e vs. Google Pixel 8a: software and updates

The iPhone 16e ships with Apple’s latest iOS 18.3, which will be readily familiar to any iPhone user. There’s nothing particularly unique here about the iPhone 16e version. The experience should be the same as the rest of the iPhone 16 family, including full support for Apple Intelligence. Apple doesn’t make the update promises of many Android makers, but it arguably doesn’t need to, as it has a proven track record of providing at least 5-6 years of support for each of its iPhones. Expect the iPhone 16e to make it to at least iOS 23 someday and possibly even one or two versions beyond that.

The Google Pixel 8a continues to offer the “pure Android” experience that Google’s phones are known for, with no other UI skins or elements layered on top. The Pixel 8a shipped with Android 14, but it’s already received its Android 15 update and is slated to get six more from now until 2030.

Winner: Tie

Apple iPhone 16e vs. Google Pixel 8a: special features

Apple’s iPhone 16 lineup is all about AI this year. Featuring a platform dubbed Apple Intelligence, iOS 18.3 on the iPhone 16 and iPhone 15 Pro models offers a slate of generative AI writing and image tools based on Apple’s large language models (LLMs), which are optionally backed up by OpenAI’s ChatGPT for handling some of the tougher questions.

One new iPhone 16-exclusive AI feature, Visual Intelligence, has also come to the iPhone 16e in a unique way. A combination of Google Lens and ChatGPT lookups, Visual Intelligence lets you point your iPhone 16 camera at real-world objects to get more information about them, from identifying flora and fauna to looking up event information from posters (and even adding the details to your calendar). On the rest of the iPhone 16 lineup, this is triggered using the Camera Control, but since the iPhone 16e doesn’t have one of those, Apple has assigned it as an option for the Action button instead. While it’s a clever and fast way to pull up info, it’s more of a shortcut than a unique feature to the iPhone 16e, as the Google, Gemini, and ChatGPT apps can do much the same thing on the iPhone using Google Lens and Google’s AI models.

Apple has also been late to the AI game, and we’re still waiting for everything it’s promised to arrive. Specifically, the first improvements to help smarten up Siri may not be coming until iOS 18.4 or even iOS 18.5, and rumor has it that a more conversational Siri is still more than a year away.

Meanwhile, Google’s Pixel 8a has been welcomed into the Gemini era with the introduction of Gemini Live as Google’s new default voice assistant. This debuted on Google’s Pixel 9 lineup last year, but it’s been retroactively rolled out to older models as part of the Android 15 update. As you can imagine, it runs (talks?) circles around Siri. There’s just no contest here.

Google’s other AI features are also established and mature compared to Apple Intelligence. For example, Apple’s new Clean Up tool that came in iOS 18 this year is basically the iPhone maker’s take on Magic Eraser, which came to the Google Pixel 6 in 2021. Since then, Google has expanded these tools to include a Magic Editor that lets you move and resize objects rather than just erasing them, a Best Take feature that will combine multiple photos into the perfect group shot, a photo unblur tool, and more.

Some of these are also available on the iPhone 16e through Google Photos, and of course, there are plenty of third-party apps on the App Store that can do similar things, but the Pixel 8a has them all built in and ready to go.

Winner: Google Pixel 8a

Apple iPhone 16e vs. Google Pixel 8a: price and availability

The iPhone 16e was announced on February 19 and will be available for pre-order from Apple on Friday, February 21. It’s expected to arrive in stores on Friday, February 28. The iPhone 16e is available in three capacities: 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB, with prices ranging from $599 to $899. It’s also expected to be available for pre-order from many carriers this Friday and should be at all the usual major retailers once it launches.

The Google Pixel 8a costs $499 for the base 128GB model, with a 256GB version available for only $60 more. It is available in Aloe, Bay, Obsidian, and Porcelain finishes. The Pixel 8a can be ordered directly from Google or other online retailers like Amazon and Best Buy and should be available through most major carriers.

Apple iPhone 16e vs. Google Pixel 8a: verdict

Like most comparisons between the iPhone and any Android device, many people’s choice will already have been made based on their preferred platform. The Google Pixel 8a is about the purest Android device you can buy, but it still won’t appeal to folks who are more satisfied with Apple’s iOS ecosystem.

Still, if you’re on the fence about making a switch or you’re simply looking for a budget smartphone and don’t really care about the platform, the iPhone 16e and Pixel 8a are both compelling choices in their own right. The iPhone 16e wins out on raw performance and battery life, but Apple Intelligence can’t hold a candle to what Google’s Gemini platform is capable of.

That also goes for computational photography. We’re optimistic that the iPhone 16e Fusion camera will deliver impressive results. However, it’s still a single lens going up against the established track record of Google’s Pixel phones, which have always excelled at producing balanced and natural images.

The Pixel 8a also comes in at $100 less than the iPhone 16e — and you’re likely to save even more as it’s often discounted (the Google Store has it listed for $399 as of this writing). Discounts rarely happen with anything in Apple’s iPhone lineup; the iPhone 16e is $599 and will almost surely remain at that price until it’s superseded by something else. It’s difficult to think of the iPhone 16e as a “budget” phone at this price, especially against the very capable and more affordable Google Pixel 8a.

Despite being nearly a year older, these things add up to make the Google Pixel 8a the better choice for most folks. The iPhone 16e is a solid contender, especially if you’re a fan of the Apple ecosystem, but it’s hard to argue with a better price tag, more advanced AI, and what will likely still prove to be a better camera system.