iPhone 16e Has Apparently 'Failed' Just Like iPhone Air

[MacRumors]

Apple's entry-level iPhone 16e model is selling poorly, just like the iPhone Air, according to an Asia-based leaker.

The Weibo user known as "Fixed Focus Digital" said that the iPhone 16e is not selling well and the attempt at delivering a popular, low-cost iPhone has "failed." That being said, both models are expected to see successors. The iPhone 17e is expected to debut in the spring of 2026, while the iPhone Air 2 is likely to arrive at a later date owing to a delay. Meanwhile, demand for the iPhone 17 lineup continues to surge, with production orders increasing.

The iPhone 16e was introduced earlier this year, offering the A18 chip, an OLED display, the C1 modem, a 48-megapixel camera, and more, for $599. There have been few reports about its sales performance until now.

On the other hand, the iPhone Air is widely reported to have seen low demand. All production is expected to stop by the end of this month. There were plans for a second-generation iPhone Air that would be released alongside the iPhone 18 Pro in September 2026, but The Information says Apple has decided to delay the fall 2026 launch.

The iPhone 17e is expected to feature the A19 chip and potentially the Dynamic Island. The iPhone Air 2 is rumored to offer an additional rear camera, a larger battery, and a vapor-chamber for cooling. Apple is seemingly hoping that these enhancements will help lift sales.

Article Link: iPhone 16e Has Apparently 'Failed' Just Like iPhone Air

 

[Seanm87]

Can’t wait for the it’s because it’s not a mini comments

 

[neuropsychguy]

“That being said, both models are expected to see successors.”

Must not be too bad of a “failure” then.

Edit to add in from my other comment and expand a little. We need to be cautious about giving legitimacy to a random commenter on Weibo/X/BlueSky or whatever platform as an authoritative source for determining "failure".

It's not clear what's the definition of failure being used. Is the 16e losing Apple money? Do we know what Apple's goals for the 16e and Air are? Do we know Apple's metrics used to gauge outcomes for a product? Do we know profitability of specific products. If not, labeling something as a failure is just guess based on vastly incomplete data.

Even if Apple stops making a product line doesn't mean it was necessarily a failure. Sometimes products are steps to a different one or opportunities for a company to test a particular market or product features. Again, we need to know the goals and outcome metrics Apple uses to determine success of products.

 

[MacUserFella]

A budget phone priced too high failed?!

 

[WarmWinterHat]

No surprise there; these are corporate phones. Very few regular users are interested in these.

My company went from the SE 2022, which I still have, to the 16e. That's the only phone they offer.

 

[Tunster]

Can’t wait for the it’s because it’s not a mini comments

Because that’s the truth. They screwed over a dedicated user base by squeezing the budget phone closer to the base phone.

A mini phone would have been more popular than the Air at this point.

I personally went to the other extreme (SE3 to Pro Max) for battery life. But there’s no excuse anymore not to be able to produce a new smaller body at a lower cost.

 

[akbarali.ch]

It will keep failing, they are not getting, one of the most important feature for any phone is display size. Instead of larger screen in Air they put smaller one. though, its not small by a mile, but its smaller. that enough to prove that theres something bigger and better. what a let down. Smaller display phones are done, its distant past, its history. so much you do on the phone, that even small increment in display is a big feature.

 

[hoodlum90]

The iPhone 17 is so much better than 16e, even with the price difference. The 16e sales must have fallen off a cliff after the 17 was announced. I doubt that Apple will do enough with the 17e to change that.

 

[TwoBytes]

The 16e is too expensive - that's why.

 

[JanoschR]

It's obviously not designed and priced to be a hit product. so, what's the problem?

 

[Kissmo1980]

People are too poor to buy cheaper phones.

 

[and 4096 others like this]

iPhone 16e is a good phone. Price is bad. Should be $499.

Even lack of MagSafe is not that bad. I get it. They cut the costs and you can bring MacSafe back with case. Just the damn price…

 

[abatabia]

Priced too high and doesn’t offer enough, and other budget options are better and less money. Not sure what Apple was expecting here.

 

[DocMultimedia]

So many versions of the iPhone. Standard and Pro in regular and large size. I don't know why you need more.

 

[tech_enthusiast_]

IMO, the fact that they kept the 16 around after the launch of the 17 lineup and priced the 16e at $599 tells me that the 16e is a loss leader.

Offer a decent phone for $599 but then offer a slightly better phone for $699, and then an even better phone for $799. It’s not hard to convince most customers to spend that extra $100 or $200 by convincing them that they’re getting a great deal by comparison.

 

[Abazigal]

So people prefer Apple's more expensive iPhones over their cheaper models?

Seems like a happy problem to have.

 

[maerz001]

It will keep failing, they are not getting, one of the most important feature for any phone is display size. Instead of larger screen in Air they put smaller one. though, its not small by a mile, but its smaller. that enough to prove that theres something bigger and better. what a let down. Smaller display phones are done, its distant past, its history. so much you do on the phone, that even small increment in display is a big feature.

The 15&16 plus also „failed“. Thats why they tried the Air

 

[jdavid_rp]

I thought it was selling well...

Maybe they should do a combined cycle of Air/e/Mini/Plus. A different one every year so the upgrade feels bigger. Id guess the target of those phones are customers that dont look for the best specs (less cameras, less power, less screen...) so they won't be yearly customers, more so if their price is not that far from the main series.

 

[tridley68]

Love my 17pro max its great thanks Apple keep up the good work .

 

[User 6502]

“That being said, both models are expected to see successors.”

Must not be too bad of a “failure” then.

More likely they invested too much in production lines and must limit the losses by using them a little longer before discontinuing these models. The same happened with the iPhone mini which also saw an update before it was discontinued.

 

[ginkobiloba]

It will keep failing, they are not getting, one of the most important feature for any phone is display size. Instead of larger screen in Air they put smaller one. though, its not small by a mile, but its smaller. that enough to prove that theres something bigger and better. what a let down. Smaller display phones are done, its distant past, its history. so much you do on the phone, that even small increment in display is a big feature.

Not everyone wants to walk around looking like this

 

[Arek2217]

Both 16e and the Air exist in vacuum not taking into account their own lineup. Both are priced high but don't offer any advantage other than design. 16e is too weak to compete with base 15, and the Air is too overpriced for its features to win over the Pro users who are willing to spend more to get much better experience overall.

I wonder what 2nd gen of these devices will us, hopefully something more competetive.

 

[bozzykid]

Eventually, Apple will make an Air that doesn’t sacrifice so many features. I just don’t know if Apple knows how to make a budget phone. They seem so out of touch with that market.

 

[CharlesShaw]

Can’t wait for the it’s because it’s not a mini comments

But since the predominant theory in MR comments blames too few mini buyers, a mini e iPhone would also fail, but thanks everyone for keeping us in the conversation. Better to be talked about than forgotten.

 

[snow755]

Not everyone wants to walk around looking like this

apple pants for ipad ? coast $500? may be apple will make ipad size pants now