Apple announces release of new iPhone and it comes with 'breakthrough' feature

The big day has finally come and Apple has not failed to deliver on their promise of a shiny new gadget with comes with a brand-spanking new feature.

Apple CEO Tim Cook teased today (February 19) would be the day tech fans would find out about what shiny new gadget or device the company has hidden up its sleeves, and a new iPhone has landed on the Apple site.

The iPhone 16e is the latest to join the Apple family and boasts fast performance with an A18 chip, Apple Intelligence, 'extraordinary' battery life and a two-in-one camera system to capture images in 4K - all supposedly at an affordable price.

The phone is the most affordable of the iPhone 16 series (Apple)

According to the site which sneakily released the product, the new phone is 'built to last', being resistant to splash, water and dust.

It's made of tough stuff too, with a 'ceramic shield' front cover that is currently more durable than any other smartphone glass.

OLED technology further means the phone has 'edge-to-edge' design, making it 'perfect' to watch HDR videos, play video games and reading text.

However, one of the biggest breakthroughs of the iPhone 16e is its incredible battery life, the best 'ever' on any 6.1-inch Apple phone, lasting six hours longer than iPhone 11 and as many as 12 hours longer than all phones belonging to the iPhone SE family tree.

It also has better performance and connectivity thanks to its A18 chip, 80 percent faster than that of the iPhone 11 to manage everyday and intense tasks 'with ease.'

Incredibly interweaving artificial intelligence, Apple Intelligence, can also help users to search for 'just about any photo or vide' just by describing it while ChatGPT is 'seamlessly' integrated.

It has a far-better battery life and two-in-one camera system (Apple)

Like its predecessor, users can benefit from Face ID to lock or unlock their device and make purchases.

Kaiann Drance, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide iPhone Product Marketing, said: "iPhone 16e packs in the features our users love about the iPhone 16 lineup, including breakthrough battery life, fast performance powered by the latest-generation A18 chip, an innovative 2-in-1 camera system, and Apple Intelligence.

"We’re so excited for iPhone 16e to complete the lineup as a powerful, more affordable option to bring the iPhone experience to even more people.”

iPhone 16e will start from $599 per month for 24 months.

Pre-orders will open on Friday 21 February and will be available in two 'elegant' matte finishes, lack and white.

The announcement comes as Apple customers braced themselves for a slew of new products to be released today.

Fans were hoping to hear more about the teased 'HomePad' command centre and possible new iPads, AirTag and Macbook Air.