Apple Provides Reason for iPhone 16e's Lack of MagSafe

[pksv]

Qi2 is the new standard and everything is just ramping up.

This is not exactly correct. Qi2 with magnets is a standard since 2023 and yet almost no company incorporated full specifiation with magnets.

Qi2 is the new standard and everything is just ramping up. As far as I know there are 1 or 2 by now, but things evolve quickly. Since it is not expensive I‘m quite sure that Android will overtake Apple in terms of magnetic Qi2.

So why so much expectation for the cheapest iPhone to have it when even the most expensive Android phones does not? It's funny that suddently Magsafe is a dealbreaker.

 

[mvdrl]

1 year extra support is speculation at this point and both include several years of support beyond which the battery will be dying anyway.

Most people buying an iPhone new aren't keeping it more than 3-4 years.

The higher refresh rate screen is instantly noticeable. Faster charging is instantly noticeable.

Anyone realistically testing a 15 pro and 16e back to back would prefer the 15 Pro due to the display, Dynamic Island animations, status updates, etc.

I am one of those people who doesn't notice the screen refresh rate difference back to back - but the 800 nit brightness of the 16e is instantly obvious compared with my friend's 16 Pro Max - my only disappointment so far with my 16e is the brightess. Otherwise a great phone!

 

[Jumpthesnark]

add MagSafe, ditch OLED screen, ditch the Satellite calling and entry storage at 64GB beginning at $449. Done. I am sure Apple retain their precious margins that way too.

And imagine the outraged howling here if Apple had released this phone with an even older screen, no satellite calls in their brand new modem and 64GB of storage. It would be page after page of "can't innovate," "Tim is a beancounter" and "Apple is doomed," even more than it is now.

 

[Johnny Applesuede]

So why so much expectation for the cheapest iPhone to have it when even the most expensive Android phones does not? It's funny that suddently Magsafe is a dealbreaker.

Because it’s a consolation for the loss of Lightning.

eta: I don’t think most of the vocal iPhone fans critiquing the lack of magsafe on the 16e care one whit about what is standard on Android, but I could be wrong.

 

[throAU]

Hate is a big word… your list of features are useless (for me) and I won't pay extra for them.

You don’t need to pay extra you could literally get a refurb 15 pro for the same price.

 

[nottorp]

Anyone realistically testing a 15 pro and 16e back to back would prefer the 15 Pro due to the display, Dynamic Island animations, status updates, etc.

Dynamic Island animations are a feature ?!? I thought they're there only to distract you from noticing they cut a hole in your screen due to their fetish for an all screen phone.

 

[throAU]

Dynamic Island animations are a feature ?!? I thought they're there only to distract you from noticing they cut a hole in your screen due to their fetish for an all screen phone.

Having lived with them for a week now it’s actually pretty neat what they’ve done with it.

 

[SkweeBop]

Cost-conscious shoppers are used to not caring about convenience features--it's just not on the radar, unless it's to say "that feature costs more and is not necessary for me to have". It's being thrifty and careful with your money. I was a strict SE user when I moved to iPhone from android, and the only thing that made me finally upgrade away was the camera (and my deteriorating eyesight, lol). Now it looks like I might be able to go back to an SE in future due to camera upgrades (this'll be a few years away, based on my usage), rather than needing to get a Pro.

 

[green_diyos]

To Timothy, every penny counts, my friend. 😁

As a shareholder I appreciate the effort.

Since iPhone's MagSafe was introduced in 2020 I've never used it with any of my Pro Max phones.

 

[xiJulian_]

Yes, they will definitely add Magsafe so that they hold well in the stores, lol.

Here we go, lol.

 

[Mac Fly (film)]

Ah, you’ve just understood the definition of a for-profit corporation.

You're funny, haha.

 

[geta]

You don’t need to pay extra you could literally get a refurb 15 pro for the same price.

Where I live in the EU, refurb 15 Pro cost €929 while new 16e cost €709…

 

[Compote]

What a moronic spin to a engineering, marketing and PR failure.

"They don't use Qi, which is terrible and slow, because wired fast charging exists.
So, WE won't include GOOD fast charging wireless, that way those SUCKERS who still use and iPhone 11 won't know the difference."

If my phone had Magsafe, that's the only way I would charge it. I would have a beside stand where I would put my phone, same as I've always done, but with plugs.

I would prefer it BECAUSE the plug is A NOTORIOUS POINT OF FAILURE when you let it hold ont to dear grip against gravity.

Good. Fart. In. The. Flowers, Apple.

The reason is they want to create value in premium products by making overpriced entry ones gratuitously worse. It's been their buisness model for a decade now.

For all the AI they tout, this design is the DUMBEST THING they've done since the 5C.

 

[fuzzy76]

I don't care for the magsafe charging, but having the magnet for stands and holders is useful for everyone.

 

[oldmacs]

Here's a quantification. Apple is the least ****** option. That doesn't make them good at everything. Just the least ******.

This times 1000000.

Every time I say anything negative about Apple, I get the “vote with your wallet, buy something else” response - I still buy and recommend Apple because they are the least ****** option, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have a lot of flaws.

Read again. I said "budget iPhone". Whatever other Android phone exists this is entry level iPhone no matter how outraged or angry you will be.


Pixel is also not a budget phone too. $100-$200 is a real budget phone.

I never said the 16e wasn’t the entry level iPhone. Just because it is the entry level iPhone, doesn’t mean it’s a ‘budget’ device in general.

At $1000 AUD, it is in no way shape or form a cheap phone.

I raised the pixel, given it is a LOT cheaper than the 16E with more features, to highlight the insanity of defending the 16E missing features because it’s a ‘cheap’ phone.

As I have said now time and time again, I’m not interested in whether or not people think MagSafe is well used etc etc, I believe this is just another example of Apple prioritising the continued increase of profit margin per device over user experience, and I find that concerning given what set Apple apart in the past was user experience came first (within reason), and that doesn’t seem the case anymore.

 

[oldmacs]

And imagine the outraged howling here if Apple had released this phone with an even older screen, no satellite calls in their brand new modem and 64GB of storage. It would be page after page of "can't innovate," "Tim is a beancounter" and "Apple is doomed," even more than it is now.

If the 16E had high quality non OLED screen and was significantly cheaper than it is, I don’t think people would have a problem.

 

[endSE]

they should be silent instead of proving that black is white

 

[AndiG]

This is not exactly correct. Qi2 with magnets is a standard since 2023 and yet almost no company incorporated full specifiation with magnets.

So why so much expectation for the cheapest iPhone to have it when even the most expensive Android phones does not? It's funny that suddently Magsafe is a dealbreaker.

Qi2 is brand new. And Magdśafe is important for wireless charging, that is why Qi adapted it.

 

[I7guy]

If the 16E had high quality non OLED screen and was significantly cheaper than it is, I don’t think people would have a problem.

Apple would have been criticized for a non-oiled screen imo. As it is, it will be interesting to see if the price point aligns with MR posters prognostications.

 

[darthbane2k]

I don't care for the magsafe charging, but having the magnet for stands and holders is useful for everyone.

And believe it or not quite useful for enterprise / other trades.

 

[darthbane2k]

Apple would have been criticized for a non-oiled screen imo. As it is, it will be interesting to see if the price point aligns with MR posters prognostications.

No they wouldn’t. Not for a budget device. If a good quality Liquid Retina screen (like iPad Air) and the price kept under $500, most would’ve happy.

 

[pksv]

defending the 16E missing features because it’s a ‘cheap’ phone.

No one is "defending" it, just explaining to you and others that it's obvious that entry level iPhone will not have some features that more expensive have. Simple as that.

I raised the pixel,

Does Pixel have Magsafe/qi2 with magnets?

 

[pksv]

Qi2 is brand new. And Magdśafe is important for wireless charging, that is why Qi adapted it.

You keep repeating the same thing. Again: Qi2 is a standard since 2023, it's not "brand new". It's so important that almost no one is adopting it? Even top Android phones like S25 Ultra?

 

[frownface]

honestly, i'd have been okay if they just said it was to keep costs down.
No need to start blaming the users.

 

[goldmac2006]

Apple has offered a reason why the iPhone 16e doesn't include MagSafe, one of the more notable omissions from its latest entry-level smartphone.

According to Apple representatives who spoke to Daring Fireball's John Gruber, MagSafe is not included in the iPhone 16e because "most people in the iPhone 16e's target audience exclusively charge their phones by plugging them into a charging cable."

These users apparently tend not to use wireless charging at all, and when they do use it, Apple believes the slower 7.5W Qi charging speed compared to MagSafe's faster rates isn't a deciding factor for the customer segment it is targeting with the more affordable device.

Introduced with the iPhone 12 lineup in 2020, MagSafe uses magnets embedded in the back of compatible iPhones to align wireless chargers and attach accessories. The technology allows for faster wireless charging (up to 15W on most models and 25W on newer Pro models) compared to standard Qi wireless charging, which is limited to 7.5W on iPhones.

• iPhone 16e Launches Today With These New Features

Apple has developed a whole ecosystem of MagSafe accessories including cases, wallets, battery packs, and mounts. The magnetic alignment ensures an optimal charging position and makes attaching accessories more convenient.

When the iPhone 16e was announced, there was some speculation that its new C1 modem might have interfered with MagSafe functionality, but Apple has already confirmed that this wasn't the case. Backing up Apple's claim, a prominent iPhone case manufacturer also told MacRumors that its testing confirmed that MagSafe cases don't impact the C1 modem's performance.

The iPhone 16e continues the trend set by its predecessor, the now-discontinued iPhone SE, which also lacked MagSafe connectivity. However, the 16e is the first iPhone in Apple's flagship smartphone lineup to omit this feature since its introduction. For users who prefer the convenience of MagSafe, some third-party iPhone 16e cases include built-in magnets, but they won't enable faster charging speeds.

Interestingly, IT Home reports that Apple retail stores have had to create a workaround for displaying the iPhone 16e with wireless charging that prevents the device from slipping off its display dock. Apple is using a special docking station that includes a bottom groove that holds the device upright, enabling wireless charging during demonstrations. This custom dock only activates charging when the phone is placed vertically – if you place it horizontally, the iPhone falls off.

Apple's decision to exclude MagSafe from the iPhone 16e may be a cost-cutting measure. But as Gruber notes, "I think Apple knows the 16e's intended audience better than I do," suggesting the company has done its market research on what features matter most to the target buyers of this device.

Article Link: Apple Provides Reason for iPhone 16e's Lack of MagSafe

Seems interesting. 🧐 What if y’all put an existing iPhone with MagSafe on that dock? It seems hard to tell if the iPhone is on it until you take it off.