Which phone has better performance, the Apple iPhone 16e or the Apple iPhone Air?

In this performance comparison, the Apple iPhone Air with its A19 Pro (3nm) performs better than the Apple iPhone 16e with the A18 (3nm), thanks to superior chipset efficiency.

Apple iPhone 16e vs Apple iPhone Air – Price, Specs & Features

Apple iPhone 16e alternatives

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Apple iPhone Air alternatives

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Samsung Galaxy S25+

OnePlus 13

Apple iPhone 17

Nothing Phone (3)

Google Pixel 10 Pro XL

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Apple iPhone 16e

A18
3 nm
4005 mAh
20W
6.1"
1170 x 2532 pixels
48 MP
4K@24/25/30/60fps
Specs

Apple iPhone Air

A19 Pro
3 nm
3149 mAh
20W
6.5"
1260 x 2736 pixels
48 MP
4K@24/25/30/60fps
Specs

Apple iPhone Air

General

Launch Date

February 19, 2025

September 09, 2025

Availability

Available Now

iOS 18.3.1

iOS 26

OS Updates

7 Years

Security Updates

7 Years

AI Features

Apple Intelligence

Body

Dimensions

146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8 mm

156.2 x 74.7 x 5.6 mm

Thickness

7.8 mm

5.6 mm

Weight

167 g

165 g

Build Details

Aluminum Frame

Titanium Frame (grade 5), Ceramic Shield back

IP Rating

IP68 (dust tight and water resistant (immersible up to 6m for 30 min))

Display

Size

6.1 inches

6.5 inches

Type

Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10

LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, Anti-reflective coating

Refresh Rate

60 Hz

120 Hz

Peak Brightness

1200 nits

3000 nits

Resolution

1170 x 2532 pixels

1260 x 2736 pixels

Pixel Density

457 ppi

460 ppi

Aspect Ratio

19.5:9

Screen to Body Ratio

87.1 %

89.9 %

Protection

Ceramic Shield 2

Performance

Chipset¹

Apple A18

Apple A19 Pro

Process Size

3 nm

CPU

Hexa-core
2x4.04 GHz
4x2.20 GHz

Hexa-core
2x4.26 GHz
4 efficiency cores

GPU

Apple GPU (4-core graphics)

Apple GPU (5-core graphics)

RAM & Storage

8GB 128GB (NVMe)
8GB 256GB (NVMe)
8GB 512GB (NVMe)

12GB 256GB (NVMe)
12GB 512GB (NVMe)
12GB 1024GB (NVMe)

RAM Type

LPDDR5

LPDDR5X

Expandable Memory

Camera

Main Camera

48 MP
f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 0.7µm, PDAF, OIS

48 MP
f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS, Up to 10x Digital Zoom, Up to 2x Optical Zoom

OIS

Yes

Features

Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panorama, 3D (spatial) audio

Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama)

Video Recording

4K@24/25/30/60fps
1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps

4K@24/25/30/60fps
1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps
720@30fps

Video Recording Features

Dolby Vision HDR, OIS, stereo sound recording and more

HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), stereo sound rec.

Selfie Camera

12 MP
f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm, PDAF
SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor)

18 MP
f/1.9, (wide), PDAF, OIS

Selfie Features

HDR, Dolby Vision HDR, 3D (spatial) audio, stereo sound recording and more

HDR, Dolby Vision HDR, 3D (spatial) audio, stereo sound rec.

Selfie Video Recording

4K@24/25/30/60fps
1080p@25/30/60/120fps

4K@24/25/30/60fps
1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS

Connectivity

SIM

Dual SIM
SIM1: Nano, SIM2: eSIM

Dual SIM (eSIM + eSIM)

5G Support

Yes

23 5G bands
n1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n12, n20, n25, n26, n28, n38, n40, n41, n48, n53, n66, n70, n75, n76, n77, n78, n79

Yes

24 5G bands
n1, n2, n3, n5, n6, n7, n8, n12, n20, n25, n26, n28, n30, n38, n40, n41, n48, n53, n66, n70, n75, n77, n78, n79

VoLTE

Yes

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi 6

Wi-Fi 7

Wi-Fi Details

802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax 5GHz, MIMO

802.11 be, MIMO

Wi-Fi Features

Mobile Hotspot

Wi-Fi Direct, Mobile Hotspot

USB

USB Type-C 2.0

Bluetooth

5.3

6.0

NFC

Yes

GPS

Yes with A-GPS, Glonass

Yes

Infrared

UWB (Ultra Wideband)

Yes

Battery

Capacity

4005 mAh

3149 mAh

Type

Li-Ion

Removable

Wired charging

20W

Charging Speed

50% in 30 mins

50% in 30 min

Reverse Wired Charging

4.5W

Wireless Charging

7.5W

20W

Reverse Wireless Charging

Charger in the Box

Sound

Stereo Speakers

Yes

3.5mm Headphone Jack

FM Radio

Extra Features

Sensors

Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer

Others

Emergency SOS, Messages and Find My via satellite

Emergency SOS, Messages via satellite, Roadside Assistance via satellite

Colors and Pricing

Colors

Black, White

Space Black, Cloud White, Light Gold, Sky Blue

Price in India

₹51499

₹119900

FAQs

Which phone has better performance?

In this performance comparison, the Apple iPhone Air with its Apple A19 Pro (3nm) performs better than the Apple iPhone 16e with the Apple A18 (3nm), thanks to superior chipset efficiency.

Which phone offers longer software support?

Both Apple iPhone 16e and Apple iPhone Air offer the same software support — 7 years of OS updates and 7 years of security updates.

Which phone has a better display?

Both Apple iPhone 16e and Apple iPhone Air feature AMOLED displays, offering vibrant colors and deeper blacks. In terms of smoothness, Apple iPhone Air offers a higher 120 Hz refresh rate, ensuring fluid scrolling and animations. Apple iPhone Air also boasts a brighter screen with 3000 nits of peak brightness, enhancing outdoor visibility. Notably, Apple iPhone Air offers a higher screen resolution, resulting in sharper visuals and more detailed content.

Which phone has a bigger battery and faster charging?

Apple iPhone 16e comes with a larger 4005 mAh battery, which may offer longer usage on a single charge. Both devices support the same wired charging speed of 20W. Apple iPhone Air supports faster wireless charging at 20W, compared to 7.5W on Apple iPhone 16e.

Which phone has better water and dust resistance?

Both phones feature the same IP68 rating for water and dust resistance.

Can I buy these phones on Amazon?

Apple iPhone 16e – Check price here
Apple iPhone Air – Check price here

¹ Scores can vary even with the same chipset due to RAM, thermals, and software optimization.