One of many issues of learning an excessive amount of historical past is that we typically completely lose sight of the current. And judging from most of the reactions to the newest iPhone in tech city, that’s precisely what has occurred. Apple just lately took the wraps off the iPhone 16e, and ever since then, the cellphone has been both hailed as an enormous improve to the iPhone SE or a grossly overpriced product, relying on who you learn. We’re not going to get into THAT argument till we get an opportunity to make use of the gadget, however proper now, what we are able to let you know is that the iPhone 16e is NOT a brand new identify for the iPhone SE or perhaps a “extra reasonably priced iPhone,” however is definitely a totally new section for the gadget, and would possibly replicate a significant change in Apple’s iPhone technique.
“Essentially the most reasonably priced new iPhone,” however no reference to the iPhone SE!
There was a basic tendency to contemplate the iPhone 16e as some kind of successor to the iPhone SE – in reality, until the day of the launch, many believed that the cellphone would include the SE moniker. To an extent, that’s comprehensible. In spite of everything, it’s the most reasonably priced ‘new’ iPhone, similar to the iPhone SE was, and once more, similar to the SE, the iPhone 16e has been launched lengthy after the discharge of the unique new iPhone collection (the 16, on this case).
This isn’t the primary time Apple has come out with a comparatively reasonably priced (we have to stress the phrase ‘comparatively’ right here) iPhone. In actual fact, a extra reasonably priced iPhone has been a gradual a part of Apple’s technique over the previous 10-12 years. The Cupertino large got here out with the colourful iPhone 5c in 2013, the iPhone SE in 2016, the iPhone XR in 2018, and completely different variations of the iPhone SE in 2020 and 2022. The iPhone 16e would appear to be the newest within the collection however with a distinct suffix – an e as a substitute of a c, R, or SE.
Nicely, evidently approach, however we predict it isn’t. In actual fact, there are various indications that in contrast to the iPhone SE, which appeared to comply with no set schedule, or the 5C and XR, which appear to have been one-offs, the iPhone 16e is, in reality, the beginning of a complete new collection of gadgets by Apple.
An entire new iPhone world?
There are two causes for our pondering that the iPhone 16e represents a complete new chapter in iPhone historical past slightly than simply an extra paragraph to the present iPhone SE. The primary is the positioning of the gadget. The iPhone 16E is a part of the ‘correct’ iPhone collection slightly than a ‘smaller, lower-priced’ SE, which adopted an irregular launch cycle.
In actual fact, that is the primary time that Apple has launched an iPhone months after its flagship iPhone collection launch and but allowed it to hold the identify of the collection – the iPhone 5C was launched with the iPhone 5S, and the iPhone XR was launched alongside the iPhone XS collection. The 16e, however, comes with the 16 moniker however has been launched nearly 5 months after the iPhone 16 collection. Apple has referred to it as “a strong new member of the iPhone 16 household,” confirming it as part of the iPhone 16 collection slightly than as an occasional, smaller SE customer.
Secondly and extra importantly, the iPhone 16e is way nearer to a “primary” cellphone than any of its predecessors. The iPhone 5C got here with an older processor, the iPhone XR had a low-resolution LCD show (all different new iPhones had OLED ones), and the iPhone SE collection was recognized to pack within the newest processor in a really compact kind issue. Of those, solely the iPhone 5c and the iPhone XR carried the identify of the ‘primary’ iPhone and got here with considerably lower cost tags – the iPhone 5c was launched at Rs 41,900 as in comparison with the Rs 53,500 of the iPhone 5S; the iPhone XR was obtainable at Rs 76,900 as in comparison with Rs 99,900 of the iPhone XS. The iPhone SE collection usually had markedly inferior specs (most notably smaller shows and batteries) and far decrease costs than the principle iPhones.
A lot near the ‘primary’ iPhones…and Android’s price range flagships
The iPhone 16e is a slightly completely different creature. It’s the first “reasonably priced” iPhone that really comes with a show, processor, and battery that’s just like the principle iPhones. Sure, it lacks fairly just a few of the options that the iPhone 16 has (MagSafe, Dynamic Island, twin cameras, and digital camera button, amongst others), however it’s positively not as scaled down because the SEs, 5C, or XR had been. When it comes to worth, too, it isn’t too distant from the iPhone 16 – the iPhone 16e begins at Rs 59,900, whereas the iPhone is obtainable at Rs 69,000 from many retailers (though Apple’s worth stays at Rs 79,900).
Apparently, that worth additionally locations it proper among the many ‘price range flagships’ from Android, just like the OnePlus 13, the iQOO 13, and even the forthcoming Xiaomi 15. Combating these was the duty of older iPhone fashions previously. Now, these ‘flagship killers’ should take care of a brand new iPhone, one which isn’t ‘final 12 months’s, closely discounted’ mannequin however a variant that comes with comparable fundamental specs to the principle iPhone. Sure, Apple is now focusing on enemies past its OG rival set of Samsung and Pixel (HTC, Sony, and LG have lengthy since retired harm).
A brand new iPhone for these older ones
All of this makes us really feel that the iPhone 16e marks a significant new part within the iPhone story. The truth that Apple has chosen to name this the iPhone 16e and labeled it a member of the principle cellphone household appears to point that in contrast to the iPhone SE, which appeared to comply with no common schedule (the primary appeared in 2016, the second in 2020 and the third in 2022), the e variant goes to be an everyday launch, and can make an look within the first quarter of yearly.
That might symbolize a significant change in Apple’s iPhone technique, which has thus far revolved round having a single main iPhone launch yearly, with the occasional SE launch. Maybe, as a substitute of grouping all of its iPhones collectively at a single launch, Apple is perhaps contemplating unveiling completely different variants at completely different instances of the 12 months, releasing a extra reasonably priced model within the early a part of the 12 months after cashing in on the common iPhones of their first few months. This would possibly end in some customers hanging again from buying the bottom iPhone mannequin, understanding {that a} extra reasonably priced different is perhaps launched in just a few months. After all, they’d additionally know that the ‘e’ mannequin, which might be launched later, would include comparatively inferior specs however would nonetheless be far superior to any SE variant.
Whereas the target market for the iPhone SE was largely those that needed the newest processor (builders, some players, and so forth) and those that needed compact telephones (usually geeks and reviewers), the goal for the iPhone 16e appears extra like those that need the fundamentals of the iPhone 16, however at a lower cost. Prior to now, such customers tended to go for older iPhone fashions, however now they’d have the choice of going for a brand new one – what’s extra, a brand new one which has an identical show, chip, and battery to the principle iPhone (one thing the SE collection lacked). And as we identified, one that’s extra able to going toe-to-toe with Android’s price range flagship fleet. In some methods, this technique really reminds us of Google’s ‘a’ variants of the Pixel collection, that are scaled-down variations of the principle telephones however can be found effectively after the principle gadgets have been launched and are available at a lower cost, even whereas retaining most of the fundamental Pixel options.
We are going to discover out simply how profitable this new method is that if February 2026 sees an iPhone 17e being launched. Till then, we predict it’s secure to say that the iPhone line has been prolonged to accommodate an ‘e’ member. The iPhone 16e just isn’t an iPhone SE substitute or successor.
Oh, and which means yet one more factor:
The iPhone SE just isn’t useless but.
However that’s one other story.
