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The MacRumors Show: iPhone 16e Announced!

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On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we unpack Apple's announcement of the all-new iPhone 16e.


The iPhone 16e is the newest member of the iPhone lineup, offering a massive upgrade over the now-discontinued third-generation iPhone SE. It features a 6.1-inch OLED display with a notch for Face ID, a Ceramic Shield front cover, a USB-C port, and an Action button, and much more.

It is powered by an A18 chip, enabling support for Apple Intelligence features, such as notification summaries and Genmoji for creating custom emoji. It also supports Visual Intelligence.

In the iPhone 16e, the A18 chip has a 6-core CPU and a 16-core Neural Engine, but a binned 4-core GPU, making it slightly less powerful than the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus. It also has IP68-rated water resistance, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.3.

The device is equipped with an Apple-designed 5G modem called the C1, whereas other iPhones have a Qualcomm modem. Apple says its own modem is so power efficient that the iPhone 16e offers the longest battery life of any 6.1-inch iPhone model ever at up to 26 hours.

On the back of the iPhone 16e is a single 48-megapixel Fusion camera, which provides a 2x "optical-quality" Telephoto option, according to Apple. On the front, there is a 12-megapixel camera with autofocus. The device does not have the Camera Control button that was introduced across the rest of the iPhone 16 lineup last year. It also lacks MagSafe.

iPhone 16e supports Apple's satellite features. When outside of cellular and Wi-Fi coverage, the iPhone 16e supports Emergency SOS, Roadside Assistance, Messages, and Find My via satellite.

The device is available in white or black, and with 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB storage capacities. In the U.S., pricing starts at $599.

We talk through how the iPhone 16e compares to the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16, which sit at $699 and $799, respectively. We also contemplate what the discontinuation of the iPhone SE line means for the rumored third-generation Apple Watch SE, which is rumored to launch later this year. The MacRumors Show has its own YouTube channel, so make sure you're subscribed to keep up with new episodes and clips.



You can also listen to The MacRumors Show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, or your preferred podcasts app. You can also copy our RSS feed directly into your podcast player.

​

If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up for our discussion about the imminent Apple product "launch" that is widely expected to be the fourth-generation iPhone SE.

Subscribe to The MacRumors Show for new episodes every week, where we discuss some of the topical news breaking here on MacRumors, often joined by interesting guests such as Kevin Nether, Jon Prosser, Luke Miani, Matthew Cassinelli, Brian Tong, Quinn Nelson, Jared Nelson, Eli Hodapp, Mike Bell, Sara Dietschy, iJustine, Jon Rettinger, Andru Edwards, Arnold Kim, Ben Sullins, Marcus Kane, Christopher Lawley, Frank McShan, David Lewis, Tyler Stalman, Sam Kohl, John Gruber, Federico Viticci,... Click here to read rest of article

Article Link: The MacRumors Show: iPhone 16e Announced!
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2025/02/21/the-macrumors-show-iphone-16e/
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norwaypianoman said:
How are the reactions in Europe and UK ?
Click to expand...
I feel personnally insulted by the offering. I have an iPhone 11 with 128GB with 4GB or Ram.
I see no reason to "upgrade", as my 11 from 2019 has UW1, ultrawide angle and works "fine".

There is no reason for this "new" phone to not have UW1, two cameras. Other iphones were the cheaper option for years, like the 12, the 13, the 14 and they had all basic features, will be OK for another half a decade.

This is the iPhone Apple wants you to have, at the price it wants you to pay, NOT the best value it could offer.

Apple is scaling back quality on purpose because it wants to give value to the real base iPhone.
This product is made to let you say "wow, this is ****" and upgrade to a 16.
And, for suckers who will be deluded they are getting a bargain, the overpriced device will make a huge buck for Apple.

It's literrally an abusive relationship at this point, but Apple's been doing that since 2017 and the worst iPad ever, then the worst watch ever, etc.

People will notice. I've noticed.
 
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  • Wow
Reactions: kironin, SFjohn, rmadsen3 and 3 others
When discussing the AI feature to erase things in photos, Hartley admitted that he has no idea how much better Samsung does it as he has not seen it as he has never used Android. He has stated in the past about his complete lack of Android experience.

Hartley .... you lose a lot of credibility as you have no idea or personal experience what Apples competitors are doing. You keep stating that you are a "tech enthusiast" but that is BS. Based on your actions, you are simply an Apple enthusiast.

You have a lot of potential but you have to explore other platforms so you can speak with more concrete knowledge.
 
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Expos of 1969 said:
When discussing the AI feature to erase things in photos, Hartley admitted that he has no idea how much better Samsung does it as he has not seen it as he has never used Android. He has stated in the past about his complete lack of Android experience.
Click to expand...
I even posted a video here on this platform where they were comparing the two and I definitely understand why Apple bought pixelmator.
 
hopefully amazon discount the price like all other apple products once they realize no one wants it for $600
 
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"Let's take the only decently priced phone we have and Make It Expensive Again!"

The only thing SE had going for it was a low price (which here in Europe was much higher than it is in the US to begin with). Now the 16e is so expensive there's no point buying it.

Even the previous SE was expensive enough not to fit in many companies' phone budget. Even then some people were willing to pay 50-100e of their own money to get it instead of an android phone. Are they going to pay 200-300e extra for a company phone? Hell no. Used / previous year models were not an allowed option in many so I guess they feel they're better off with more people moving to Android.

It would help Apple if they understood what the purpose of each of their devices is. A cheap phone with an expensive price tag is on nobody's wish list.
 
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Compote said:
I feel personnally insulted by the offering. I have an iPhone 11 with 128GB with 4GB or Ram.
I see no reason to "upgrade", as my 11 from 2019 has UW1, ultrawide angle and works "fine".

There is no reason for this "new" phone to not have UW1, two cameras. Other iphones were the cheaper option for years, like the 12, the 13, the 14 and they had all basic features, will be OK for another half a decade.

This is the iPhone Apple wants you to have, at the price it wants you to pay, NOT the best value it could offer.

Apple is scaling back quality on purpose because it wants to give value to the real base iPhone.
This product is made to let you say "wow, this is ****" and upgrade to a 16.
And, for suckers who will be deluded they are getting a bargain, the overpriced device will make a huge buck for Apple.

It's literrally an abusive relationship at this point, but Apple's been doing that since 2017 and the worst iPad ever, then the worst watch ever, etc.

People will notice. I've noticed.
Click to expand...
You. A person who browses a tech website. Has and account and comments.

Everyday people will not notice or care.
 
  • Disagree
Reactions: rmadsen3
The biggest problem I am hearing from our users (company fleet of around 50 iPhones) is that the iPhone 15 (our current default phone) is too big and people go for the SE instead. Now, going forward, that option of a small device is no longer there.

That said, until now we have used the phones only for email and calls and everybody has a private smartphone, so few want an all-singing-all-dancing iPhone, they just want something that can be tucked into a pocket for emergencies. But we are starting to use some Microsoft 365 features on them and our telephone system is being migrated and they will be able to use the iPhone to make landline calls and to receive calls to their desk (no need to give out a mobile number any more) and that could change how they choose a new phone.

I would miss MagSafe - I have a 16 Pro and a 14 (private and company) and the 16 Pro is just slapped onto the MagSafe holder in the car. At work I have a plain Qi charger in desktop stand format and both the 14 and 16 Pro fit perfectly onto that and trickle charge over the day. But the car holder is the real place where MagSafe is a godsend.
 
Big_D said:
The biggest problem I am hearing from our users (company fleet of around 50 iPhones) is that the iPhone 15 (our current default phone) is too big and people go for the SE instead. Now, going forward, that option of a small device is no longer there.

That said, until now we have used the phones only for email and calls and everybody has a private smartphone, so few want an all-singing-all-dancing iPhone, they just want something that can be tucked into a pocket for emergencies. But we are starting to use some Microsoft 365 features on them and our telephone system is being migrated and they will be able to use the iPhone to make landline calls and to receive calls to their desk (no need to give out a mobile number any more) and that could change how they choose a new phone.

I would miss MagSafe - I have a 16 Pro and a 14 (private and company) and the 16 Pro is just slapped onto the MagSafe holder in the car. At work I have a plain Qi charger in desktop stand format and both the 14 and 16 Pro fit perfectly onto that and trickle charge over the day. But the car holder is the real place where MagSafe is a godsend.
Click to expand...
I like the current SE for more than price, I also like the smaller phone. I wish they still have this option. My guess is that they are consolidating the number of displays they use and 4.7” for the current SE is an outlier.
 
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Reactions: kironin and Big_D
Compote said:
I feel personnally insulted by the offering. I have an iPhone 11 with 128GB with 4GB or Ram.
I see no reason to "upgrade", as my 11 from 2019 has UW1, ultrawide angle and works "fine".

There is no reason for this "new" phone to not have UW1, two cameras. Other iphones were the cheaper option for years, like the 12, the 13, the 14 and they had all basic features, will be OK for another half a decade.

This is the iPhone Apple wants you to have, at the price it wants you to pay, NOT the best value it could offer.

Apple is scaling back quality on purpose because it wants to give value to the real base iPhone.
This product is made to let you say "wow, this is ****" and upgrade to a 16.
And, for suckers who will be deluded they are getting a bargain, the overpriced device will make a huge buck for Apple.

It's literrally an abusive relationship at this point, but Apple's been doing that since 2017 and the worst iPad ever, then the worst watch ever, etc.

People will notice. I've noticed.
Click to expand...
It’s up to you (the royal you) to decide if the price value ratio is to your liking. If not don’t buy. We will see how successful this phone is in coming fiscal quarters.
 
  • Like
Reactions: UpsetTheAppleCart
Big_D said:
The biggest problem I am hearing from our users (company fleet of around 50 iPhones) is that the iPhone 15 (our current default phone) is too big and people go for the SE instead. Now, going forward, that option of a small device is no longer there.

That said, until now we have used the phones only for email and calls and everybody has a private smartphone, so few want an all-singing-all-dancing iPhone, they just want something that can be tucked into a pocket for emergencies. But we are starting to use some Microsoft 365 features on them and our telephone system is being migrated and they will be able to use the iPhone to make landline calls and to receive calls to their desk (no need to give out a mobile number any more) and that could change how they choose a new phone.

I would miss MagSafe - I have a 16 Pro and a 14 (private and company) and the 16 Pro is just slapped onto the MagSafe holder in the car. At work I have a plain Qi charger in desktop stand format and both the 14 and 16 Pro fit perfectly onto that and trickle charge over the day. But the car holder is the real place where MagSafe is a godsend.
Click to expand...
My company has a mobile device benefit. And I have stats on the composition. And while there is a mixed bag for sure bigger is better.
 
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