I’m back!
After a long break from writing on this blog, I’m back from my vacation. Hopefully I will be able to write on a more consistent basis from now on. But on to the news!
To start, last week, Tim Cook announced on X that there would be a product launch today, Wednesday February 19. The only information we got was “Get ready to meet the newest member of the family” and a flowy Apple logo animation.
Here it is:
And this morning at 8:00 AM PDT, Apple did live up to their promise and launched a new product, adding to the iPhone family.
All the rumors pointed to the new iPhone SE 4 being launched today, and those rumors were somewhat true. Apple did launch a new budget iPhone today, similar to an SE model, but now branded as the iPhone 16e. Let me explain.
To debrief on why I think it is named this way: The new phone itself possesses many of the features that the iPhone 16 lineup has like Apple Intelligence, the Action Button, and the A18 chip, probably lending Apple to lean in a similar naming scheme. Also, many other phone companies like Google are making budget phones as well but are using a naming corresponding to their current line of phones (for example, the Google Pixel 8a). Apple probably noticed the other companies and wanted to align their naming strategy with them.
Now, let’s dive in on what exactly the iPhone 16e is. This new iPhone is equivalent to the previous iPhone SE in the sense that it is Apple’s best budget phone you can buy (not considering the previous flagship models Apple still sells on their site). Many of the features that are found on the iPhone 16 models carry over, like I said earlier, like Apple Intelligence, the Action Button, and the A18 chip. For the first time in a budget phone for Apple, the phone now has Face ID and has a full-screen design, similar to that of the iPhone 13/14, while not having the Dynamic Island. It also has a great 48MP fusion main camera, capturing the equivalent of a 1x and 2x lens of photos. Some of the main aspects that make it more of a budget iPhone are not having MagSafe (unfortunately), having a single rear camera like the previous version, and only having two colors, black and white. There is one feature that is a first to all iPhones entirely and that is Apple’s first in-house cellular modem, the C1 chip that provides incredible 5G capabilities. All of this starts at $599 with the base storage being 128GB. It is available for pre-order beginning Friday, February 21, with availability beginning Friday, February 28.
A couple interesting tidbits of the new iPhone 16e I found include:
• Wireless Charging: Supports Qi wireless charging but lacks MagSafe support.
• Processor: Powered by the A18 chip with a 4-core GPU, a cost-cutting measure compared to the 5-core GPU in the iPhone 16.
• Visual Intelligence: Offers full support for Apple Intelligence features, including Visual Intelligence, which can be assigned to the Action button.
• Base Storage Capacity: Increased to 128GB, doubling the previous 64GB.
• Starting Price: $599, without carrier upcharge.
• Missing Feature: Lacks Ultra Wideband (UWB) chip, impacting features like AirTag Precision Finding and UWB smart locks.
Read more about some tidbits here: iPhone 16e tidbits: Here are six things you might’ve missed – 9to5mac
An additional thing I noticed is that Apple discontinued the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus along with the iPhone SE (as expected). Usually, Apple still sells their base versions of their previous two generations of their iPhones on their site before discontinuing them. I think the reason they discontinued these models is because the iPhone 16e is so similar to the 14’s that it would cause too much confusion for the consumer to have to choose between. Another interesting thing that I took note of in the new iPhone 16e is that it has 26 hours of video playback (Apple’s battery life language) versus 22 hours on the regular iPhone 16, beating it’s more premium model in a key area for iPhone users. And, the previous iPhone SE was priced starting at $429, so the $599 is a bit of a price jump considering the previous model, so that is something to note.
My thoughts on this new iPhone is that I understand Apple’s change in naming scheme, due to other phone companies having an already established style of naming budget phones that makes it easier to understand for the consumer. I think this iPhone is going to be a great product for someone getting their first iPhone and just trying it out at a smaller price as well people not needing all of the higher-end features that are offered in the normal iPhone 16 line. I think a perfect consumer set for this product is elderly adults who do not need all of the more exclusive features on the iPhone 16 line, all provided in a smaller price of $599 with the iPhone 16e.
Here is the press release video if you want to watch it:
Here is the also the textual press release from Apple:
Apple debuts iPhone 16e: A powerful new member of the iPhone 16 family – Apple
Thanks for reading, and subscribe to this blog to stay tuned for some more posts coming soon! 🍏
The Apple Enthusiast 