Apple’s $599 iPhone 16e It is the biggest refresh ever made by the company’s low-cost phone (formerly known as the iPhone SE) and cannot arrive at a better time. Has generated AI needs More powerful specificationsand U.S. tariffs on imports from China Apple’s entry-level iPhone could add to the cost increase, even at a price of $170 more than the company, it could offer enough new features $429 iPhone SE Starting from 2022.
In addition to economic considerations, iPhone 16e Represents a very small number of times Apple rethinks its entry-level phone. The last iPhone SE refresh in 2022 mainly adds 5G connectivity and iPhone 13. This allows iPhone SE to have faster cellular speeds and run most applications. However, Apple’s iPhone SE is behind when compared to a similarly priced 2025 Android phone. The new Android phones are priced at $500 or below, with a large 120Hz refresh rate display, a 50-megapixel main camera, and support for wireless charging. Meanwhile, the iPhone SE is in trouble, with outdated designs dating back to 2017 iPhone 8. Due to its Lightning Port, it cannot be sold in EU countries due to the need for phones to support USB-C.
This makes the new 2025 entry-level iPhone not only welcome, but also requires the success of Apple this year. It should enable Apple to re-enter the EU with iPhone options, while offering a device that is new enough for smart shoppers who want to get longer-lasting smartphones before the inevitable price.
In Apple’s iPhone 16e announcement video, the company showed off new phones using various Apple Intelligence features, including requiring its ChatGPT integration to help create dinner parties.
iPhone 16e is a huge opportunity for Apple intelligence
The company’s AI feature set, Apple Intelligence, appears to be driving Apple to refresh its entry-level devices with more powerful hardware to increase adoption. This already includes new $499 iPad miniequipped with the A17 Pro processor – same as the one in the iPhone 15 Pro – then restart Mac mini Desktop computer with $599 model with 16GB of RAM.
Apple adopts the same strategy with iPhone 16e. It gives the phone an A18 processor that can run Apple Intelligence and withdraws other features to achieve lower costs, such as pairing with a single rear 48-megapixel camera and a 12-megapixel selfie camera. Apple is giving up Dynamic Islandwith prominent features in Apple’s current iPhone lineup and omit faster magsafe wireless charging For the 7.5 QI wireless charging seen on the previous iPhone SE (the phone’s USB-C port is charged at 20W).
But in exchange for these compromises, the iPhone 16e has enhanced Siri Assistant, visual intelligence, generative emojis, text editing tools, and Chatgpt integration in Siri. Among the nice advantages, the iPhone 16E contains action buttons that can be customized for many shortcuts.
In EU countries, the iPhone 16e will be the cheapest phone Apple sells for €699 (due to USB-C included). Currently, the 849 euro iPhone 15 is the most affordable phone Apple has sold in the EU, as it is the first model to include a USB-C port.
The iPhone 16e has a single rear 48-megapixel camera and a 12-megapixel selfie camera.
Apple’s low-cost focus is coming, tariff loom
Apple’s entry-level iPhone refresh has the trick to reach in turbulent economic moments. In April 2020, Apple launched a refresh $399 iPhone SE In the early waves of the 19009 pandemic. according to Opposite researchthat phone with iPhone 11 Help maintain the company during a period of expected decline in smartphone sales.
Now in 2025, a new one US tariffs on Chinese goods 10% It may mean an increase in electronic costs. Such tariffs and other expected costs Groceries and other goods It may lead families to take a more conservative approach to their personal budget.
This makes the launch of the iPhone 16e a particularly suitable moment, a more affordable phone option that will receive years of iOS software updates. But by launching the iPhone 16e for over $500, in some ways, we’ve seen price spills on the entry-level side of Apple’s iPhone portfolio. The $429 iPhone SE (2022) is no longer available on Apple’s website, which means $599 is now the minimum money you can spend on your new iPhone. If you want fewer iPhones, your only option is in the used and refurbished market.
This also means that Apple’s new iPhone 16e faces competition from Android phone competitors $650 Samsung Galaxy S24 FEthis $600 OnePlus 13r and $499 Google Pixel 8A. All three Android phones have the same strategy as the iPhone 16E, providing enough power for applications and AI, but some hardware features are reduced to a lower price.
Graphics detail the various iPhone 16e functions.
Apple needs to refresh its entry-level iPhone more frequently
Apple’s record of consistent choice for budget-conscious customers is sporadic at best. Samsung, Motorola and Google release new low-priced phone options every year, and Apple’s years of approach brings its entry-level phone to the brink of stagnation.
The lack of AI support for iPhone SE (2022) and the EU’s USB-C port may be the driver of Apple’s release of the iPhone 16e, rather than actually meeting market demand. And launch 16e at price More than $500Apple certainly is not a real consciousness that wants to cost at the lowest price.
Watch the following: I’ll take a look at Apple’s iPhone 16 Audio and Video Lab from the inside
The name from iPhone SE to iPhone 16e may indicate an iterative intention from Apple to entry level, but it cannot be guaranteed. Back in 2013 Apple’s $549 iPhone 5c A similar lower-cost alternative to the iPhone 5s of that year, but Apple did not follow up on the annual refresh.
If Apple makes a more consistent iteration on the entry-level side of its iPhone lineup, it’s very likely that the company will dominate the more affordable market. Instead, Apple’s biggest space is Samsung’s $200 Galaxy A model Often in Top 5 best-selling phones in the United States – The first four positions in this list are all iPhone models.
Whether Apple wants to refresh its entry-level iPhone or just need to update it, the iPhone 16e is ideal for those who “just want iPhone” with modern features, with hundreds of features than Apple’s current ones There are few flagship models.
