Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
iPhone 16e Is the 16e really priced that bad?
- Thread starter jntdroid
- Start date
-
- Tags
- iphone 16e price value
- Sort by reaction score
Where are you getting 85% from? According to the Apple website, the starting retail price for the 16e in Sweden is 8,495 kr (including VAT) compared to 11,495 kr (including VAT) for the regular 16. That would make the 16e only around 74% of the regular 16's price.
There are other vendors with lower prices. Below, 10,050 SEK for a 16. 8,495/10,050=0,84527.
Apple Iphone 16 128GB Svart | CDON
Apple iPhone 16iPhone 16 är en kraftfull smartphone med banbrytande funktioner. Med ett avancerat 48MP kamerasystem, ultravidvinkel och autofokus, fångar | d18d
cdon.se
Last edited:
Ultimately it’s priced ok. You can’t run iOS on competing Android devices so comparisons are moot.
Anyone bemoaning the lack of a cheaper model seems to be ignoring the rich Apple refurb/2nd hand market. You can get a 13 Pro for £450 and a 13 for £300 and those are the higher prices CEX charge (with a 5 year warranty!)
Anyone bemoaning the lack of a cheaper model seems to be ignoring the rich Apple refurb/2nd hand market. You can get a 13 Pro for £450 and a 13 for £300 and those are the higher prices CEX charge (with a 5 year warranty!)
Well, it offers the standard OLED screen from the 2020 iPhone 12, the base 128GB storage from the 2021 13 and the notch that was succeeded in 2022 with the 14 Pro and replaced entirely, until now, by the 2023 15.
Yes it has the 15 Pro and 16/Pro Action Button, which is probably going to be a nothing burger for most average and „budget“ oriented consumers. Yes it has USB C. Yes it has a fancy new modem.
But all of that is basically a round up of most defining visible features since the iPhone 12 except the 16.
For me it’s just a leftover soup served with a side of field test. Even a (used) 13 Pro is considerably more affordable and has, apart from Lightning, more to offer to anyone looking to get an affordable or even their first iPhone. Much more than this which comes straight from Apple.
I understand their reasoning behind the design and pricing, I just don’t like either.
Look at the Vision Pro, it is definitely a high invested project with a total fault result. Their prediction especially pricing strategy can be pretty bad.
It's interesting that Apple chose a different strategy for the 16e, when they just released two products (M4 Mini and M4 MBA) which have become one of the best value products ever. I wouldn't say it's overpriced but it's not nearly as good value.
Yeah even the basic iPad has double 64gb to 128gb for the same price, while the actual SE4 has 40% price increase for 128gb.
The 16e is 25% more than the SE3 of the same storage size. Please elaborate how the 16e is not 25% better than the SE3 in every aspect of the device.
The current price of 16e is same as iPhone 14 that Apple offered like a week ago, that is what should be compared.
SE was an option for people buy a cheap iPhone and most of them get 64gb since basically price is all matter. Apple cut this option.
You move the goalposts with every comment. 🤷♂️
Your second paragraph has already been mentioned and agreed upon in this thread. But you can’t ignore the idea that the 16e is objectively 25% better / costlier than the 128gb SE3 with regard to components.
Your first paragraph, as well, with the comparisons in my original post.
The 16e has gained things over the 14 and lost things vs the 14. Unless you’re high up in Apple’s supply chain division, you can’t know how much one side offset the other. You have demonstrated clearly that you think the camera is the most significant way they “cheaped out” on the 16e. But they also improved the 16e in significant ways as well.
So you’re right - comparing to the 14 is fair. And unless you have some insider info, having the same price as the 14 a week ago seems fair as well.
For what is there, it's only about US$50 too high.
For me, having bought the iPhone 6, 7, 8, 2020 SE, and 2022 SE. It's a matter of a bottom basement, big 60 Hz OLED display instead of a good LCD display and the lack of a fingerprint reader.
I know that a lot of products are receiving updates to OLED and I haven't tried the specific display in the 16e, but I've had experience with a 60 Hz OLED display and it wasn't pleasant. Besides that, people have told me about scrolling issues with other Apple displays and then, there is the iPad mini issue.
I know that they're saving by modifying the iPhone 14 shell to serve the 16e. However, I would probably rather buy a refurbished iPhone 14 or 15 at this point. If I have to switch everything from what I liked to something else, why not go further?
Update: T-Mobile was offering an iPhone 15 for roughly US$1.50 per month (for 24 months) more than for the iPhone 16e. I don't have to deal with the Apple Intelligence crap and I get an extra camera. I'd better order a case or two.
For me, having bought the iPhone 6, 7, 8, 2020 SE, and 2022 SE. It's a matter of a bottom basement, big 60 Hz OLED display instead of a good LCD display and the lack of a fingerprint reader.
I know that a lot of products are receiving updates to OLED and I haven't tried the specific display in the 16e, but I've had experience with a 60 Hz OLED display and it wasn't pleasant. Besides that, people have told me about scrolling issues with other Apple displays and then, there is the iPad mini issue.
I know that they're saving by modifying the iPhone 14 shell to serve the 16e. However, I would probably rather buy a refurbished iPhone 14 or 15 at this point. If I have to switch everything from what I liked to something else, why not go further?
Update: T-Mobile was offering an iPhone 15 for roughly US$1.50 per month (for 24 months) more than for the iPhone 16e. I don't have to deal with the Apple Intelligence crap and I get an extra camera. I'd better order a case or two.
Last edited:
SE3 is so outdated that even $60 Android phone is so much better, why compare to it.
Once you trade in whatever phone you have, the iPhone 16e will be basically free for most consumers or well below $499 or even $399.
Businesses will buy the 16e in bulk at a super discounted rate. They will love it and so will their employees.
Businesses will buy the 16e in bulk at a super discounted rate. They will love it and so will their employees.
A Nissan driver can drive on the same roads, use the same parking lots, listen to the same radio stations, use the same toll interfaces and fill up or charge at the same stations as a BMW.
Apple is excluding a significant number of people from the ecosystem by not offering a reasonably-priced iPhone which is simply uncool.
Besides, $350 is still a ****ton of money, it’s not like Apple would be competing against actual cheap phones if they offered one.
It isn’t for me, I bought a 1 TB 16 Pro outright, but if I had the option I’d buy three or four cheaper phones for other people. Instead, they’re using my hand-me-downs, which isn’t really the right phone for them.
Last edited:
In Apple Store, you need to trade in a 16 pro max to exchange a 16e, your math is really good
Eh, I don’t see it that way. I got the 16 Plus because I don’t care about the Pro features. I’ve been using 60hz my whole life, the extra camera features are nice but coming from the Xʀ I don’t care about them, etc.
That said… after so many years of a single camera and notch, I wanted the dual camera and new Dynamic Island features, so the 16e wasn’t appealing for me at all. I didn’t even consider it as soon as I was done reading the spec sheet.
Other people’s mileage may vary, of course.
I do think that the battery life difference and the negligible increase in size makes the 16 Plus a worthy consideration over the regular 16, but that’s just me.
I doubt if i trade-in an old iPhone 5 I will get discount for 16e, let alone “basically free”…
People get fixated on UWB and Magsafe -- with reason.
But also :
- Physical image stabilization : forget about it
- Binned A18 that's worthless for gaming and 3 generations behind
- Dimmer, worse screen
- Bad WiFi
The list does go on.
But also :
- Physical image stabilization : forget about it
- Binned A18 that's worthless for gaming and 3 generations behind
- Dimmer, worse screen
- Bad WiFi
The list does go on.
If you are using pricing other than Apple retail, are there not potentially other vendors with lower prices for the 16e too?
Much of what you describe is why it's only $599, and $230 less than the regular 16. The 16e is not for everyone, nor is it meant to be, but that doesn’t make it bad.