Apple has debuted a new smartphone for budget-conscious shoppers. The iPhone 16e has been dubbed “the SE killer” since it succeeds the previous bottom-line entry, which came out in 2022. Pricing begins at $599, with preorders starting Friday followed by general availability on February 28. The iPhone 16e features Apple’s speedy A18 chip, with 6-core CPU and 4-core GPU. It also includes Apple Intelligence and a 48MP 2-in-1 camera system. With increasing global competition in the low-priced phone space, this latest entry intends to get the upscale Apple brand back into the game.

The New York Times notes that the 16e “does not feature a home button or Touch ID, which have been phased out” and substituted with facial recognition as the phone’s unlock system. Face ID “has been available on most iPhones since 2017.”

The 16e also integrates the Apple C1, the first cellular modem designed by Apple. Though most consumers don’t think about the modems built into their phones, an increasing focus on connectivity is sure to draw attention to that aspect, and Apple has made inroads in this area.

Tom’s Guide reports a battery that “lasts up to six hours longer than iPhone 11, up to 12 hours longer than all generations of iPhone SE” and the Fusion camera with integrated 2x telephoto. In Apple parlance, Fusion means a camera with a high-resolution sensor providing “optical quality” zoom.

It’s “like having two cameras in one,” Apple describes in its announcement, indicating no loss in resolution with the switch from wide-angle to telephoto.

“Like the higher-priced iPhone 16 lineup unveiled last September, the iPhone 16e includes the souped-up computer chip needed to process an array of AI features that automatically summarize text, audio and create on-the-fly emojis while smartening up the device’s virtual assistant, Siri,” reports Associated Press, describing the new model as “an attempt to widen the audience for a bundle of artificial intelligence technology that the company has been hoping will revive demand for its most profitable product lineup.”

NYT reports that the iPhone 16e carries a 40 percent price increase “from $430 for the last iPhone SE,” but “will be more affordable than the cheapest standard iPhone 16 at $800.”