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

[mk313]

I do kind of feel like the problem is that they replaced the SE with these phones, and they meet different target markets. With the SE, you had a lower price point, plus the Touch ID, and the smaller form factor, and the non-OLED display (I think that's the correct term, but the screen that doesn't cause some people headaches). It might not have been people's favorite phone or had the best technology or form factor, but for a lot of people, it was an acceptable alternative, and all of those small groups of people added up to decent sized group.

Now, if you fall into one of those groups of people there isn't really a phone for you (IIRC, there is one for the people who get headaches). So when those people upgrade, there is no specific reason to buy the 16E or 17 Air. I'd assume that most of them will remain in the Apple ecosystem, but maybe move to a different phone than those 2 models.

As for me, I'm a small phone fan first & Touch ID fan second. I am holding on to my 13 mini for as long as it works well enough. If they had come out with an SE4 that was similar to the SE 3, but with upgraded chips, memory, etc, I would have upgraded to that. As it is, sticking with the 13 mini makes more sense than the tradeoffs involved in any of the newer phones (for me).

 

[baryon]

• People: We want an iPhone that costs less or at least doesn't keep increasing in price every freaking year. It's okay if it has fewer features, we just want to pay less without having to switch to Android.
• Apple: Say no more! You want a phone that does less and costs more!
• ...
• Apple: Hello? Why is no one buying it?

 

[CharlesShaw]

People buying the mini don't use it to consume media on, or play games on. They don't participate in the 30% app store profit treadmill that Apple created, so are therefore worse than worthless consumers for Apple, as they probably cost Apple money compared to the same person buying a regular sized iPhone.

I use my Apple Watch, Mac, ATV, and iPad much more than my iPhone mini, so count me among the "worthless."

 

[turbineseaplane]

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

Took the words out of my mouth!

If only it were a bit smaller!
😂😉

 

[turbineseaplane]

I think we all said it right when it was released.

If this was meant to be the next step for an SE3 user, the price got jacked up way too much.

 

[turbineseaplane]

At $600 the iPhone 16e is too expensive for a much worse phone than the one above it. The iPhone Air suffers from the same problem.

Just re-release the iPhone C with modern components inside. It'd satisfy the mini fans and would be attractive as a kids phone. Sell it at $299 and everyone and their grandma will have an iPhone.

View attachment 2579116
View attachment 2579117

This is STILL the best phone in hand, with no case, in my opinion.

The plastic was so wonderfully, naturally, grippy and warm feeling (vs a cold metal).

And the colors! I love love love this much color!

 

[azentropy]

Priced too high and no Magsafe makes only the base model a decent buy. If you want 256gb of storage the entry iPhone 17 is only $100 more and a MUCH better value.

It doesn't have any features that would draw people to it. At least the previous SEs were significantly smaller devices that could appeal to people who wanted a smaller iPhone. So if not priced right, they sales aren't going to be that great.

 

[uiop.]

Make a sub-$500 phone with a ****ing home button and then we'll talk, Apple.

You two won't be talking then. It's 2025, the home button is long dead.

 

[QCassidy352]

Regular 17 makes both 16e and Air look like very bad values.

 

[LevorgPenmancho]

So nobody wants a high-priced, low-cost phone and nobody wants a high cost thin phone with features removed? I’m baffled

 

[CEmajr]

I think the biggest thing hurting these devices is the price. Among the common consumer the single-camera is associated with being low-end or budget. That means the device needs a budget price. $599 is too close to the price of the regular iPhone 16/17. If I'm going to drop $600 on a phone then I want a premium looking device. I'd just get the iPhone 17.

 

[contacos]

Its uncool to have anything but an iPhone with 3 cameras according to the youngsters I am dealing with

 

[ikramerica]

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.

Yep. They don’t care about cameras or other features. As long as it can take any basic pictures or videos you might need in the course of actually doing work, that’s it.

 

[The Game 161]

What are we classing as failing these days? These articles are getting idiotic. They are still selling millions and millions. Just because apples standards are higher doesn’t make them failures. Are all android phones failures too?

 

[Matthew.H]

Its uncool to have anything but an iPhone with 3 cameras according to the youngsters I am dealing with

Most of my 17-25 year old co-workers who have iPhones use the base 16 or older. Only one 18 year old colleague has a standard 17 Pro and she's only just got it.
Using a base 17 myself.
The average person doesn't care what phone other people are using.

 

[Astuces iOS]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA TOLD YA EVERYONE !

MAKE THE AIR LESS EXPENSIVE AND REPLACE THE 16E BY A CHEAP IPHONE SE ! HAHAHAHA

 

[joshwithachance]

As an owner, and lover, of the Air... They're both priced wrong. $599 for what the 16e has to offer is way too much. And $999 for what the Air has to offer is also way too much. At $499 and $899 respectively I think they would both sell like hotcakes.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

Its uncool to have anything but an iPhone with 3 cameras according to the youngsters I am dealing with

I have two teens in the house. Since their school 100% banned cellphones, they don't care anymore. They lock lock their phone in a magnetic-locked pouch at the beginning of the day, and unlock when leaving.

Oldest has a hand-me-down Pixel 6. We asked her last Christmas if she wanted a new phone, but she declined and said it's fine. According to her, "as long as it runs Snapchat and Spotify, I don't care". I guess she takes from her Mom who can use a phone for a decade and not even think about upgrading.

The younger of the two, at 12, doesn't want a phone.

 

[turbineseaplane]

What are we classing as failing these days? These articles are getting idiotic. They are still selling millions and millions. Just because apples standards are higher doesn’t make them failures. Are all android phones failures too?

True for the iPhone Mini as well

 

[uacd]

16e is failure because it is such a low effort phone, it carries no “vibe”, no “soul” and no aesthetic at all. Generic, bland, large, underpowered, straight out useless, like a Temu smartphone you get for free bonus money…

Who designed this?? Apple logo is same size as camera, what a nonsense.

And this camera cannot even shoot at low light adequately.

Did Apple really expect to compete with Androids of this price range with THIS brick? I dunno… Maybe if it would have been 300$ then yeah.

Also Apple fails to understand that if they want to cater to all buyers, they should have: mini/small, medium and large models, just like coffee in shops. Let people enjoy their venti sized models, but why ostracize users who enjoy small phones?

In ideal world, Apple should have released 16e as a more powerful version of iPhone 13 Mini, not this useless brick to open beer bottles in-between doomscrolling socials

 

[Belisama]

iPhone 16e, a product from the past: from $599
iPhone 17, a product from the present: from $799

How many Apple products need to "fail" before Cook's... retirement?

 

[poematik13]

Low end products dont sell anymore. The only people buying anything in 2025 are higher income people, and they all only want the flagship models.

 

[jarman92]

"Failed" because all their customers buy far more expensive phones 😂 I'd love to have such failures.

 

[T|J]

"...attempt at delivering a popular, low-cost iPhone has "failed..."

People do not understand what is "failed" and when it succeded.
In economics there are certain classes of products that companies allow for themself to keep even unprofitable in order to... there are some reasons for this.
One of them could be is not to cut that small amount of people willing to be in Apple ecosystem somehow. Keeping them for some time could create a potential market for expansion in future.
After they get used to the ecosystem they could move to a more expensive device.
The company decides itself what is the lowest threashhold for sales for a certain period of time.

 

[dandyryan]

theres nothing exciting about the 16e. at least the SE was a sub $500 loss leader AND a cheapy home button classic. 16e is pure loss leader. the arbitrary nerf with no magsafe. ugly!

the air wasnt designed to be a loss leader though lmao that thing truly FLOPPED like katy perry's last 3 albums. the girls want 2+ cameras hunniii! its giving 16e Plus for $999! sad!