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das1984 23.3K Views
Jul 24, 2026 5:35 PM

128GB Apple iPhone 16e Unlocked Smartphone (White)

$500

$600

16% off
+ Free S&Hat Best Buy
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Deal Details
Best Buy has 128GB Apple iPhone 16e Unlocked Smartphone (White, MD0W4LL/A) on sale for $499.99. Shipping is free.

Thanks to Community Member das1984 for sharing this deal.

Details:
  • 6.1 inches Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, 800 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak); 1170 x 2532 pixels (~460 ppi)
  • Apple A18 (3 nm)
  • 128GB with 8GB RAM
  • Main: 48 MP f/1.6 OIS; Selfie: 12 MP f/1.9
  • USB Type-C 2.0
  • iOS 18.3.1, upgradable to iOS 26.5
  • 4005 mAh; 50% in 30 min wired, 7.5W wireless

Editor's Notes

Written by SaltyOne | Staff
  • Get 1%-5% cash back on deals like this with a cash back credit card. Compare the available cash back credit cards here.
  • Rated 4.7 out of 5 stars from customer reviews.
  • At the time of this posting, our research indicates that this is $49.01 lower than the next best comparable online prices starting from $549.

Original Post

Written by das1984
Community Notes
About the Poster
Deal Details
Community Notes
About the Poster
Best Buy has 128GB Apple iPhone 16e Unlocked Smartphone (White, MD0W4LL/A) on sale for $499.99. Shipping is free.

Thanks to Community Member das1984 for sharing this deal.

Details:
  • 6.1 inches Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, 800 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak); 1170 x 2532 pixels (~460 ppi)
  • Apple A18 (3 nm)
  • 128GB with 8GB RAM
  • Main: 48 MP f/1.6 OIS; Selfie: 12 MP f/1.9
  • USB Type-C 2.0
  • iOS 18.3.1, upgradable to iOS 26.5
  • 4005 mAh; 50% in 30 min wired, 7.5W wireless

Editor's Notes

Written by SaltyOne | Staff
  • Get 1%-5% cash back on deals like this with a cash back credit card. Compare the available cash back credit cards here.
  • Rated 4.7 out of 5 stars from customer reviews.
  • At the time of this posting, our research indicates that this is $49.01 lower than the next best comparable online prices starting from $549.

Original Post

Written by das1984

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Top Comments

Shawners419
70Comments
26Reputation
I hate when people spread misinformation on here. Since July 1 it's a whole year of service to get the phone unlocked, and they don't allow you to downgrade the service on phone deals.
Go to Comment
CalmReward787
34Comments
18Reputation
17e is $100 more and double the storage.
Go to Comment
joatmon22
316Comments
81Reputation
Don't get this phone. I have it and it's probably the worst iPhone I've ever had the unfortunate experience to use. I usually use a phone for at least a year before changing but I barely lasted 3 months with this phone.

The camera sucks, it lacks MagSafe and Bluetooth is the worst. I use Apple CarPlay in my car and if I get a phone call while listening to music, after the call hangs up the music skips like crazy. The only way to get rid of that effect was to disconnect BT and reconnect. If I happen to drive near a police radio, the music cuts out completely. This has never happened on any phones but this one. There are plenty of examples that other people with the same phone have similar issues to mine. Honestly, if it wasn't because of the battery being worse I'd rather use a 2022 iPhone SE than this 16e.
Go to Comment

Community Reviews

The iPhone 16e is framed as a compact, snappy iPhone that works well for basic tasks, with strong battery life and solid everyday performance as a secondary phone. It shares the iPhone 13 style body and screen, runs apps fine, and can feel good in hand. The biggest knocks are the missing MagSafe, weak camera, and reports of Bluetooth glitches and carrier locking, with some saying the phone stays tied to a carrier for 365 days. At $499.99 for 128 gigabytes, the value is questioned, especially when the 17e is only $100 more with double the storage.

Common Questions (5)

  • It can handle basic tasks like web browsing and calls, and it feels snappy with good battery life. But it's also described as better suited to a secondary phone because of complaints about the camera, Bluetooth, and missing MagSafe.

    Caoh14Vic121joatmon22sshlyk

  • The reported unlock period is 365 days, not a short 3- or 6-month hitch. Some comments also say Cricket phone deals may not allow downgrading service, so the total cost can be much higher than the headline phone price.

    Shawners419sterlingbludAnanke

  • Several comments say the 128GB base model is overpriced at this price, especially after taxes. The main comparison point is the iPhone 17e, which is described as costing about $100 more while offering double the storage and newer internals.

    CalmReward787dealnabberVic121

  • Yes. These units can lock to the first U.S. carrier they're activated on, and they may refuse activation on international carriers. That means "unlocked" at purchase can still require meeting carrier terms before the phone fully unlocks.

    AB91_91NeatCable281

  • Sometimes yes, sometimes no, depending on the deal. One reported case allowed dropping to the Sensible plan on day one, while another says phone deals can block downgrades entirely, so the carrier terms matter before you buy.

    luckybob04Shawners419

AI-generated summary based on comments from the community. Updated ago

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35 Comments

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Jul 28, 2026 8:11 PM
3.3K Comments
Joined Dec 2006
sshlykJul 28, 2026 8:11 PM
3.3K Comments
Quote from onlinejim View quoted comment :
Just Get it for 99.99 at Metro PCs for around 200 Including 2-3 Months of Unlimited Service YMMV & then it is Unlocked & Free to use 👍 wherever.
it is not locked for 365 days?
Jul 28, 2026 8:31 PM
3K Comments
Joined Mar 2009
AnankeJul 28, 2026 8:31 PM
3K Comments
Quote from sshlyk View quoted comment :
it is not locked for 365 days?
It's locked for 365 days. I have one, I use it for phone games. Camera is not enough, this price is way too high for a basic camera phone.
Jul 29, 2026 10:55 PM
560 Comments
Joined Nov 2009
onlinejimJul 29, 2026 10:55 PM
560 Comments
Quote from sshlyk View quoted comment :
it is not locked for 365 days?
No, only first 2-3 Months--YMMV.
Jul 30, 2026 11:55 AM
67 Comments
Joined Jan 2017
JumpperJul 30, 2026 11:55 AM
67 Comments
Quote from stingycheapmofo View quoted comment :
Metro requires port-in number to get the $99 deal. Any suggestion? Thanks
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DZ25T...mhFallback

This might works.
Aug 4, 2026 4:33 PM
1.7K Comments
Joined Apr 2016
ctr11Aug 4, 2026 4:33 PM
1.7K Comments
Quote from joatmon22 View quoted comment :
Don't get this phone. I have it and it's probably the worst iPhone I've ever had the unfortunate experience to use. I usually use a phone for at least a year before changing but I barely lasted 3 months with this phone. The camera sucks, it lacks MagSafe and Bluetooth is the worst. I use Apple CarPlay in my car and if I get a phone call while listening to music, after the call hangs up the music skips like crazy. The only way to get rid of that effect was to disconnect BT and reconnect. If I happen to drive near a police radio, the music cuts out completely. This has never happened on any phones but this one. There are plenty of examples that other people with the same phone have similar issues to mine. Honestly, if it wasn't because of the battery being worse I'd rather use a 2022 iPhone SE than this 16e.
I think you had a dud, I have three of these in use in my family and we don't have any of those issues, the phone works fine and we use it in all the ways you mentioned. I'm not disputing what you're saying at all by the way, I'm just saying with three 16e phones in our house on the latest iOS we haven't had any of these issues

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