For months leading up to the launch of the iPhone 16e , rumor all but confirm that Apple would boost the Mary Leontyne Price of the iPhone SE 3 ’s successor . But give how private-enterprise the midrange smartphone market is , analyst were sure-footed the company would charge no more than $ 499 , a significant monetary value jump but still in the realm of a budget handset . Instead , Apple denote the $ 599 iPhone 16e and completely disregard budget - witting customers .
It did n’t have to be this way . you’re able to indicate that the iPhone 16e is worth the upcharge , but the raw direction still cuts out a meaning portion of buyers . Here ’s how Apple could have upgraded the iPhone SE with Apple Intelligence and still kept the Leontyne Price under $ 500 .
Off-branding
Before delving into its tech spectacles , there ’s an consequence with the name itself . By design , Apple associated its new entry - grade smartphone with its high - end iPhone 16 card . This make it easier to get forth with the $ 170 price increase because it implies you ’re buying one of thelatest iPhone 16 models . The new phone no longer carries the SE branding famous for offering the unfinished minimum at a low cost .
essentially , Apple could n’t price the new iPhone 16e any lower than $ 599 . There ’s already a $ 200 gap between the standard and Pro models , so to make it any lower would exchange the constitute structure and imply that either the iPhone 16 is too expensive or the iPhone 16e is too inexpensive . By keeping the iPhone SE name , however , Apple would ’ve had enough way to shed a few of the flagship specs , as it would no longer be associated with the premium iPhone 16 family .
The body of the iPhone 13 miniskirt would make a stark budget speech sound in 2025 .
The body of the iPhone 13 mini would make a perfect budget phone in 2025.
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Mini redux
The iPhone 13 mini was the last of its kind , and many humble telephone enthusiasts continue to mourn it to this solar day . These 5.4 - inch iPhones were priced $ 100 lower than their 6.1 - inch counterparts ( $ 699 at launch ) . So , if Apple can make a 6.1 - inch iPhone 16e for $ 599 , it could presumptively make a mini version of that same phone for $ 499 , which would cater not only to customers on a tight budget but also to those seeking a thick , pocketable gimmick .
To cut cost further , Apple could have opted for a Liquid Retina LCD . While Super Retina XDR OLED panels allow a superior screening experience , most , if not all , budget customers would take the trade - off for a low price . After all , the whole level of entry - level phones is sacrifice bounty technical school to make them more low-cost .
About Face
Apple has long reserved Face ID for the iPad Pro models , with even the high - price iPad Air still relying on a Touch ID detector embedded into the side button . Yet , for some reason , Apple decided that its tacky smartphone should now adopt Face ID .
Given how advanced the TrueDepth television camera system is , Apple could ’ve excluded it from the iPhone SE 4 to trim costs . The notch could stay , but only to domiciliate the front television camera and receiver . Instead , the iPhone ’s side power button could double as a Touch ID detector for biometric certification , which some users would prefer to facial realization .
Classic call
While the tweaks above can already produce a coherent $ 499 iPhone SE 4 , there are other measures that could have reduced the price even more . For representative , Apple could ’ve well skip the Action button and go on to bid the classic mute switch to further distinguish between its affordable and flagship iPhones . Another cost - cutting move could be eject the USB - carbon burden cablegram and shrinking the box . Most drug user already have at least one rest around , as it ’s already the universal connector powering about all recently released gadgets .
Apple could have even give credit card another shot by study from its last lowercase - alphabetic character iPhone , the 5c . A large font screen and an aluminum frame would give the iPhone SE a unequalled look with low-pitched price , and since it floor MagSafe anyway , Apple would n’t have needed to change much else .
A return to the charge plate iPhone 5c would have been perfect for the iPhone SE 4 .
The body of the iPhone 13 mini would make a perfect budget phone in 2025.
iPhone SE 4 for the win
Some have blamed the A18 C.P.U. and Apple Intelligence for the $ 170 Mary Leontyne Price wage increase , but I do n’t consider they ’re the reasonableness for the price tramp . After all , the iPhone SE 3 cost $ 429 and offered the same A15 Bionic chip inside that twelvemonth ’s flagship phone , the iPhone 13 Pro . And even if it does cost more , Apple could ’ve issue back in other areas to keep an A18 - power iPhone SE 4 under $ 500 .
Apple ’s SE brand has become synonymous with affordability , offering solid spectacles for far less than the cost of a fresh gamey - end iPhone . It was a balance of an one-time blueprint with newer specs and did n’t endeavor to profess to be something it was n’t . With the 2025 update , Apple had a chance to build a phone with a innovative blueprint that still offer consumer an inexpensive path into the iPhone ecosystem .
Instead , the company built a strange hybrid that sit awkwardly in its iPhone lineup . It neither fills the budget void left by the SE nor has enough of the new specs of the flagship iPhones , such as twofold cameras , MagSafe , or extremist - wideband . As such thecheapestiPhone now starts at $ 599 in the U.S. , and that ’s a valid barrier that will manoeuvre undecided customers to Android , when Apple could have had a real budget winner on its hands .
A return to the plastic iPhone 5c would have been perfect for the iPhone SE 4.
