Sidebar Sidebar
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?

Mega ST said:
For many people a phone is just a tool and not a prestige ego symbol. This is what the SE was perfect for.
Now, what used to be the SE, has been positioned as a value version of the mainstream iPhones. Compared to them fair priced, but possibly out of reach to the consumer on a budget. People face recession, stagnating incomes, higher energy prices and such. The lower end market might not be able to digest this price increase. However, as the mainstream shoppers face the same problems, the former Apple main product customers might downgrade to the 16e and find good bang for their buck. This is why for Apple it might still work financially.
I think Apple needs to cover the low end of the market as well, to ensure the iPhone will remain truly mainstream. Think children, parents, older people. Maybe something below is planned? It must be so easy to just relaunch last year's phones?
Click to expand...
The iPhone, nor any Apple products for that matter, has never been mainstream. More popular in the U.S. but still less than 20% of phones worldwide. They have a certain market sector and that will not change. They don’t need a cheap phone to survive, they need consumers who are willing to pay more for a better experience and they do.
 
Lounge vibes 05 said:
No, it dramatically raised the price of entry of an iPhone. Not the Apple ecosystem.
Sure, you said iOS, but even then I’m not counting differences between iOS and iPadOS, they are basically the same just for different form factors.
And the iPad 11 still starts at $349, with double the storage in fact.
Even the iPad mini could be found now at Best Buy very frequently for $399.
And if we are talking the Mac well… Prices have literally never been better.
M4 Mini for $499 on the education store, the M4 MacBook Air for $899.
You can even get older Mac Mini’s for like $300 now refurbished
Click to expand...

All of those makes MSRP on the 16e seem suckier.

That said, it’s a phone one gets heavily discounted on carrier deals. I’m ordering one on a Straight Talk deal for $360. That’s a lot more palatable than the $600 MSRP.
 
  • Like
Reactions: cosmicc and TgeekB
cdsapplefan said:
Apple 🍎 has never been known as a cheaper budget brand. They have always been a premium brand. People complaining about the 16e price should just go to another non-premium brand or make there own phone that’s as cheap as they prefer it to be.

The 16e is a decent price given inflation and Apple of course needing to make a profit and to separate there lineup. Businesses and Corporations will buy the 16e in bulk and it will be very profitable for Apple 🍎
Click to expand...
This is already known. SE Models have been used by the company that we are associated with for many Years. Now they’re switching over to the 16e. This is already known the companies Currently use SE Models
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: cdsapplefan
TgeekB said:
Again, you telling people they made the wrong decision or they are a fool should not be allowed.
Click to expand...
In that case, telling people that they are wrong about finding the 16e overpriced should also not be allowed.
 
Mega ST said:
For many people a phone is just a tool and not a prestige ego symbol. This is what the SE was perfect for.
Now, what used to be the SE, has been positioned as a value version of the mainstream iPhones.
Click to expand...

Other than its smaller size, the original iPhone SE was also essentially positioned as a "value" version of the mainstream iPhones. The 16e (again, other than size) is positioned more like the original SE than the two SE generations that followed.
 
JapanApple said:
This is already known. SE Models have been used by the company that we are associated with for many Years. Now they’re switching over to the 16e. This is already known the companies Currently use SE Models
Click to expand...
Back in the day, companies bought Blackberries for there employees. Now they buy iPhones. 📱 Apple’s main market for the 16e will be corporations/enterprises. 💰
 
jntdroid said:
Isn't there a difference between debating opinions and calling someone a fool?
Click to expand...
They didn’t call a specific user here a fool, so there’s again a difference. I just don’t think that “you’re not allowed to say X” is a useful point, unless there’s a forum rule that’s unambiguously being violated.
 
klasma said:
They didn’t call a specific user here a fool, so there’s again a difference. I just don’t think that “you’re not allowed to say X” is a useful point, unless there’s a forum rule that’s unambiguously being violated.
Click to expand...

Fair enough. Ultimately people just need to stay respectful, but you’re right - it’s a slippery slope if you start saying “you can’t this or that”.
 
shadowboi said:
For this price you won’t get any good Android phone with similar feature set and good camera.
Click to expand...
The similar-in-class Pixel 8a is 549€ MSRP, and street price goes below 400€ (around $430 including tax), being last year’s model, and the Pixel 9a expected very soon. So you can get the Pixel 8a for about 55% of the price of the 16e here, or probably by next month the Pixel 9a for still significantly less than the 16e.

There’s also the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE at 589€ MSRP, which can be had for around 500€ (around $550 including tax).
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: rui no onna
cdsapplefan said:
Back in the day, companies bought Blackberries for there employees. Now they buy iPhones. 📱 Apple’s main market for the 16e will be corporations/enterprises. 💰
Click to expand...
This is my time of history as well. Using the economic cost-effective how large companies handle the overall cost of devices. Apple is doing well in this sector
 
cdsapplefan said:
Back in the day, companies bought Blackberries for there employees. Now they buy iPhones. 📱 Apple’s main market for the 16e will be corporations/enterprises. 💰
Click to expand...
Yup, this is correct. The price point is perfect for a bulk coporate order.
 
I'm in China and our gov is doing this state subsidy for electronic devices to promote economy. After the subsidy, iPhone 16 is 4400 CNY, and apple made iPhone 16e begin at 4499 CNY, it's absurd. I know iPhone 16e is going to get the subsidy too, but 3999 is still not a huge saving compared to iPhone 16 standard.
 
The SE3 was nicely priced for people on low cost pre-paid plans. It was C$579.
SE4 rumours suggested it would be priced in the C$729-749 range.
The 16e costs C$899.

My extended family had been planning to buy a few new phones this year, mostly SE4s, and then shuffling all the old ones so everyone could get a newer model.

That's simply not feasible with the 16e costing over C$1000 with tax.

Of the 12 people in the local extended family, only two are likely to continue buying new iPhones and they were never in the SE4 group anyway. The rest of us will either go with used iPhones from now on or jump ship to Android.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Arctic Moose
jntdroid said:
I’ve provided numbers and facts and you’ve ignored them and provided only your opinions.

That said, you do have a point about Apple. I prefer to be in the Apple ecosystem due to my family and close friends all being in it. So yes, if there’s an Android device of similar size and quality for less, I would still choose the 16e over it. But said Android device isn’t going to have the same quality processor or the same level of support for as long. So it still somewhat comes back to your opinions being based solely on what you value.
Click to expand...

What facts have you proved exactly? By me saying the 16e is

Overpriced
Has a awful main sensor
Still has 60hz which is awful in 2025
Only has one camera when many phones have 3 in this price point
Has no MagSafe

All are facts!

But hey if people want to pay for this that’s on them and their choice but for what you get it isn’t good value at all. Paying more for a 16 pro makes far more sense certainly when the price is only 200 more in most places
 
  • Haha
Reactions: Chidoro and geta
The Game 161 said:
What facts have you proved exactly? By me saying the 16e is

Overpriced
Has a awful main sensor
Still has 60hz which is awful in 2025
Only has one camera when many phones have 3 in this price point
Has no MagSafe

All are facts!

But hey if people want to pay for this that’s on them and their choice but for what you get it isn’t good value at all. Paying more for a 16 pro makes far more sense certainly when the price is only 200 more in most places
Click to expand...

Ugh... I'm probably being trolled, but I'll bite.
  • Overpriced - my entire first post is an argument with numbers as to why it's not overpriced relative to the current line-up, in the US and UK. You might feel the features it dropped are too important to you, but to others they're not. So to you it might not be a good value, but that doesn't mean the pricing is wrong. But based solely on the numbers and the compromises vs additions, if you still feel it's overpriced, then you must think the entire line-up is overpriced as well.
  • Awful main sensor - we could debate the term "awful", but there's no denying it's a lesser sensor. But so far for normal point-and-shoot photos, the output has been solid, at times on par with the flagships. But yes, it has its shortcomings, and this is an area they chose to save $$.
  • 60hz - then hopefully you have a problem with this on the 16 and 16 Plus as well
  • One camera - see bullet point 2... and some would argue this makes it look nicer
  • No Magsafe - yes this is true
"All are facts" - A few objective facts in there mixed in with opinions. It might not be a "good value" to you, but others don't care about the same things you do. And that's fine. That doesn't mean it's over-priced.

Also, where in the world is the 16 Pro only 200 more? It's 400 more everywhere I'm seeing.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Chidoro, TgeekB, geta and 1 other person
I think the “it’s only ___ more” is referring to used and refurbished Pro’s.
 
jntdroid said:
Ugh... I'm probably being trolled, but I'll bite.
  • Overpriced - my entire first post is an argument with numbers as to why it's not overpriced relative to the current line-up, in the US and UK. You might feel the features it dropped are too important to you, but to others they're not. So to you it might not be a good value, but that doesn't mean the pricing is wrong. But based solely on the numbers and the compromises vs additions, if you still feel it's overpriced, then you must think the entire line-up is overpriced as well.
  • Awful main sensor - we could debate the term "awful", but there's no denying it's a lesser sensor. But so far for normal point-and-shoot photos, the output has been solid, at times on par with the flagships. But yes, it has its shortcomings, and this is an area they chose to save $$.
  • 60hz - then hopefully you have a problem with this on the 16 and 16 Plus as well
  • One camera - see bullet point 2... and some would argue this makes it look nicer
  • No Magsafe - yes this is true
"All are facts" - not really? A few objective facts in there mixed in with opinions. It might not be a "good value" to you, but others don't care about the same things you do. And that's fine.

Also, where in the world is the 16 Pro only 200 more? It's 400 more everywhere I'm seeing.
Click to expand...

You certainly aren’t being trolled. The fact you have tried to justify all those areas is laughable to say the least and why you are Tim cook’s perfect customer.

Accepting poor tech in a 600 priced device when they can do better

Features are importantly in a phone if they aren’t hell just get a Nokia 3310

Main sensor is basically the same as XR from 2018 and same sensor size as what Apple puts on their ultra wide lens which is poor overall

For 600 price we really think one camera is acceptable when Samsung have phones with 120hz and 3 cameras on the S24 FE for example.

200 more for the iPhone 16 and 200 more for a Refurb 16 pro or even less for 15 pro makes far more sense.

And yes 60hz sucks on any device in 2025. iPhone 16 is no different

This 16e will also have less peak brightness to other models like 16 series as well if we are talking every spec

If people buy this 16e in good numbers then it says to Tim Cook it doesn’t matter what crap we put out as our fans will buy anything With an Apple logo on no matter how bad it is. Which doesn’t bring technology forward it just makes the product worse than it should be. All we are doing is encouraging average products being released
 
  • Like
Reactions: ralph_sws and BluefinTuna
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back