Don’t get the iPhone 16e – get this early Black Friday iPhone deal instead

Out of nowhere, a handful of UK retailers have launched early Black Friday sales, and among them is AO, which is offering the standard iPhone 16 with 128GB of storage for just £649 (was £699). At this price point, the iPhone 16 is only a little more expensive than Apple’s budget-focused smartphone, the iPhone 16e, which retails at £599 from Apple directly.

However, AO also has the iPhone 16e with a larger 256GB storage capacity on sale for £649 (was £699) – the same price as the iPhone 16 – which complicates an otherwise easy decision.

As TechRadar’s Staff Writer for all things phones and tablets, I’m here to tell you that the iPhone 16 is the one to buy in this impromptu head-to-head – but before I break down why, let’s take a closer look at these early discounts.

Apple iPhone 16: was £699 now £649 at AO.com

The iPhone 16 made waves when it launched back in 2024, thanks to its comprehensive feature set and Apple Intelligence support. Its A18 chipset is still one of the most powerful mobile platforms around, and the Camera Control offers a powerful new hardware link for photo and video. This AO deal knocks £50 off of this iPhone's recently adjusted retail price of £699.

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Apple iPhone 16e: was £699 now £649 at AO.com

For the same price as the iPhone 16, you can get the iPhone 16e with double the storage. The iPhone 16e shares the internal makeup of the iPhone 16, with a slightly larger battery, but misses out on several quality of life improvements and a second rear camera. If you really need the storage, this is one to consider, but I'd sooner recommend the flagship iPhone 16.

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The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16e both have a 6.1-inch display with a 60Hz refresh rate, a 48MP main camera, and the assignable Action Button on their left side. Internally, both have Apple’s A18 chipset and 8GB of RAM, which enables support for Apple Intelligence.

The iPhone 16e actually has slightly better battery life than the iPhone 16, but that’s where its advantages stop. On the other hand, the iPhone 16 gets an additional 12MP ultra-wide camera, the Camera Control button for taking photos and videos, and an extra GPU core for graphics processing.

The iPhone 16 also has a brighter display with the Dynamic Island, a combined hardware and software feature that allows you to monitor timers, music, and other apps while multitasking (the iPhone 16e has a notched display pinched from the iPhone 14).

Furthermore, the iPhone 16 also supports MagSafe, Apple’s ecosystem of magnetic wireless chargers and accessories. So, if you’re into wireless charging, the iPhone 16 is the way to go.

You can check out our full iPhone 16 review and iPhone 16e review for further details, and admittedly, the pair aren’t too dissimilar in terms of functionality – but at £649, I’d still go for the iPhone 16 due to its richer feature set, enhanced photography capabilities, and the convenience of the Dynamic Island.

That’s not to say the iPhone 16e is a bad phone by any means – in fact, it’s one of the best cheap phones you can buy – and if you really need that extra storage for photos, videos, and apps, it could be a sensible choice so long as you also consider its limitations.

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