iPhone SE? Well, it's done pretending. The company has scrapped the iPhone SE, which started at $429 and replaced it with the $599 iPhone 16e. The cost of entry into the iOS ecosystem is now $599. Pay up or suck it up.
Come for the premium image. Stay because of iOS
iPhone 16e is a part of the iPhone 16 family, but at most, it's an adopted member. Despite the almost premium price tag, the phone doesn't have premium specs. in-house modem that neither supports Wi-Fi 7 nor mmWave 5G. The iPhone 16e also doesn't support MagSafe wireless charging.iPhone 16, there's no compelling reason to get the iPhone 16e at its current price.
The SE is in a better place and we are better off without it
How did Apple get away with this in 2022? | Image Credit - PhoneArena
iPhone SE never appealed to me. It always looked dated. Cutting costs is one thing but doing it as half-heartedly as Apple is another. It looks to me that Apple wanted to guard its premium image with its life but also wanted a slice of the midrange market. Hence the iPhone SE was born but it never stood a chance against the top mid-tier Android handsets that offered more for the money and didn't look like they belonged in the early 2010s. iPhone 16e but at least Apple doesn't have to pretend anymore that it wants to cater to the lower end of the market.
Google is the only company to get it right
iPhone SE always came across as a half-baked attempt. Apple restricted the features just enough to repulse most buyers and its tasteless design scared the rest of them away. This seems to explain the consistently low sales numbers.carrier deals, to purchase iPhones and other high-end phones without paying the full price.
