Apple iPhone 16e / Apple iPhone 12

Apple iPhone 16e: iPhone 16e (A3212); 128, 256 or 512 GB; matte black and white. Physical SIM support varies by country; the US model uses eSIM only. The 2026 iPhone 17e is a separate model.

Apple iPhone 12: iPhone 12; 64, 128 and 256 GB. Apple’s UK spec page lists model A2403; bands depend on the model number. The iPhone 12 mini, 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max are separate models.

SpecificationApple iPhone 16eApple iPhone 12
Release year20252020
ChipA18; 6-core CPU (2 performance + 4 efficiency), 4-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine

The A18 in the iPhone 16 has a 5-core GPU; the 16e has one GPU core fewer. The GPU supports hardware-accelerated ray tracing.

Apple
A14 Bionic chip; 6-core CPU with 2 performance and 4 efficiency cores, 4-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine

The Neural Engine speeds up photo processing such as Deep Fusion and Night mode and other on-device machine-learning tasks.

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Cellular modemApple C1; 5G (sub-6 GHz, 4×4 MIMO), Gigabit LTE (4×4 MIMO)

The C1 is the first Apple-designed modem used in an iPhone. mmWave 5G is not supported; that band is used only in some countries for very high short-range speeds.

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Display6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED; 2532 × 1170, 460 ppi

Typical maximum brightness is 800 nits and HDR peak 1,200 nits; 2,000,000:1 contrast, P3 wide colour and True Tone. Apple does not list Dynamic Island or ProMotion for this model.

Apple
6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED; 2532 × 1170 at 460 ppi; HDR display, True Tone, Wide colour (P3), Haptic Touch

The display is 60 Hz; Apple does not list ProMotion for this model. Because of the rounded corners the rectangle measures 6.06 inches and the actual viewable area is slightly less. True Tone adjusts white balance to ambient light.

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Design and glassAluminium enclosure, Ceramic Shield front, glass back Apple—
Storage128, 256 or 512 GB Apple64 GB, 128 GB or 256 GB

There is no memory card slot; formatted capacity is lower.

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Rear camera48MP Fusion main camera (26 mm, ƒ/1.6, optical image stabilisation); 12MP 2x telephoto (52 mm) from the same sensor

Apple lists the 2x telephoto as a mode the main camera “also enables”; there is no separate lens. Digital zoom up to 10x. There is no ultra-wide or macro camera.

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Video4K at 24/25/30/60 fps Dolby Vision; 1080p slo-mo at 120/240 fps; 4K 60 fps on the front camera

The rear camera offers optical and cinematic stabilisation for video, spatial audio recording and wind noise reduction.

Apple
HDR video with Dolby Vision up to 4K at 30 fps; 4K at 24/25/30/60 fps; 1080p slo-mo at 120/240 fps; cinematic stabilisation; HEVC and H.264

Dolby Vision recording is limited to 30 fps at 4K; 4K at 60 fps does not use Dolby Vision HDR. 8 MP stills can be taken while recording 4K.

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Front camera12MP TrueDepth, ƒ/1.9, autofocus; Face ID Apple—
Battery and chargingUp to 26 hours of video playback; 50% in 30 minutes with a 20W or higher adapter; Qi wireless charging; built-in lithium-ion

Up to 21 hours of streamed video and 90 hours of audio playback. Apple does not list MagSafe or Qi2. No power adapter is in the box, only a 1 m USB-C cable.

Apple
Up to 17 hours video, 11 hours streamed, 65 hours audio; built-in rechargeable lithium-ion; up to 50% in 30 minutes with a 20W or higher adapter; MagSafe up to 15W, Qi up to 7.5W

No power adapter is included; the box contains only a USB-C to Lightning cable and documentation. MagSafe uses a magnet array on the back to align chargers and accessories.

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PortUSB-C; USB 2 (up to 480 Mb/s)

Moving large video files over a cable is slower than on Pro models with USB 3.

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Lightning connector

It is not USB-C. Wired video out through the Lightning Digital AV Adapter is limited to 1080p; AirPlay to Apple TV mirrors up to 4K HDR.

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WirelessWi-Fi 6 (802.11ax, 2×2 MIMO); Bluetooth 5.3; NFC with reader mode

Emergency SOS, Messages and Find My via satellite are supported; availability depends on the country.

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5G (sub-6 GHz) with 4x4 MIMO; Gigabit LTE; Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) with 2x2 MIMO; Bluetooth 5.0; Ultra Wideband chip; NFC with reader mode

The UK page lists model A2403; bands depend on the model number and this page has no mmWave. Express Cards with Power Reserve keep some transit cards usable for a few hours after the battery runs out.

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SIMDual eSIM (two active lines at once)

Models sold outside the US also have a physical SIM tray.

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Dual SIM (nano-SIM and eSIM)

eSIM use depends on carrier support.

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DurabilityIP68 under IEC 60529 (up to 6 metres for 30 minutes)

Apple says resistance may decrease over time and liquid damage is not covered by warranty.

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IP68 (maximum depth of 6 metres up to 30 minutes, IEC 60529) Apple
Action buttonCan be set to Silent mode, camera, flashlight, Visual Intelligence, a shortcut and other functions Apple—
Size and weight146.7 × 71.5 × 7.80 mm; 167 g Apple146.7 × 71.5 × 7.4 mm; 162 g Apple
Brightness and contrast—625 nits max brightness (typical); 1,200 nits max brightness (HDR); 2,000,000:1 contrast

1,200 nits applies only to HDR video and photos; the normal interface tops out at 625 nits. The 2,000-nit outdoor mode of newer iPhones is not on this model.

Apple
Design and materials—Ceramic Shield front, glass back and aluminium design; fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating Apple
Rear cameras—Dual 12MP: Main (ƒ/1.6, OIS, seven-element lens, 100% Focus Pixels) and Ultra Wide (ƒ/2.4, 120°); 2x optical zoom out, digital zoom up to 5x

There is no telephoto camera; 2x optical zoom out means switching to the ultrawide. Night mode and Deep Fusion merge several frames in low light to reduce noise. Smart HDR 3 and Portrait mode with six Portrait Lighting effects are supported.

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Front camera and Face ID—12MP TrueDepth (ƒ/2.2); Dolby Vision HDR up to 4K at 30 fps; Face ID Apple
Operating conditions—Ambient temperature 0–35 °C; relative humidity 5–95% non-condensing; tested up to 3,000 m altitude Apple
Colours—Black, White, (PRODUCT)RED, Green, Blue, Purple Apple
Service programme—Free service programme for receiver (earpiece) no-sound issues; iPhone 12 and 12 Pro made between October 2020 and April 2021

Apple says a very small percentage of devices may have a failing component in the receiver module, so no sound is heard on calls. The programme covered units for 3 years after first retail sale and does not extend the warranty; other damage such as a cracked screen may need fixing first. The iPhone 12 mini and 12 Pro Max are not included.

Apple