Apple iPhones are stellar devices for many reasons, but I'm always particularly impressed by their potential for gaming. The long-lasting battery, paired with powerful Apple chipsets (which are always being improved), means that getting an iPhone for on-the-go gaming is a great idea, and right now, you can get the mid-budget iPhone 16e for under $100, which isn't an offer to pass on.
Our best iPhone for games list is full of heavy-hitting handsets from Apple, but many of them will set you back about $1,000 and maybe even more. Luckily, if you're looking for something that can play the best iPhone games, you actually don't need to go for a heinously expensive model.
That's where the iPhone 16e finds a home. Sitting in the mid-budget range, starting at $599 for the 128GB version, it features the Apple A18 chipset, but with one less GPU core than the standard iPhone 16. When it comes to the best mobile games, they'll run just fine regardless of which of these you have, so you may as well opt for the cheaper one.
The lower price does come with a few caveats, however. While it still has a camera, it's just a single 2-in-1 option that offers a 48MP lens. There's no dynamic island or MagSafe options either, and no funky camera control button. A shame if you love photography, but if not, then you've got a lot of cash left over, which you could use to take out a subscription and enjoy the best Apple Arcade games.
Right now, you can grab the iPhone 16e starting from just $99 with Boost Mobile with the Unlimited Premium plan. You can find the terms of the plan here, but you're getting unlimited data, texts, and call minutes, as well as huge device savings (like the above).
You could also use some of those savings to get one of the best mobile controllers and turn your iPhone 16e into your own handheld console. If 128GB of storage isn't enough for all of those games you're going to download, you can also go for the 256GB and 512GB models for $199.99 and $399.99, respectively.
After grabbing the iPhone 16e at such a huge discount, make sure to pair it with the best gaming earbuds. Any of the options on our list will go a long way toward your perfect on-the-go gaming experience, but you can always check our best budget gaming phone list for other budget-friendly options if the iPhone 16e isn't for you.