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iPhone 16e Reviews: Is It Worth $599?

Many people on tech forums assume that Apple's market is only made up of people deep into tech and hang out on tech forums - just like them.

When in reality they're ordinary people in a huge variety of non-tech jobs... ie teachers, real estate agents, bakers, cops, retail sales people, bus drivers, CPAs, waiters, nurses/doctors, bank tellers, brick layers, pilots, and on and on and on. And have no idea (or care about) what a modem chip is. Or care about MagSafe.

Apple will sell many millions of 16e iPhones.
 
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I’ve ordered a 256gb 16e to replace an SE(2) from 2021. My iPhone is an accessory, not my main digital hub, and there a lot of people out there like me. Not a big existential question.
 
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Apple_Robert said:
MagSafe is not a requirement to use the phone. It is a convenience many here and elsewhere have convinced themselves is a must, even though they used phones prior to MagSafe being invented. Amazing how what is essential to use gets distorted.
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It’s also part of the qi2 standard since apple donated it, so it’s a little weird for apple’s first party entry level phone to be missing it while tons of new entry level android phones will have it - using the tech apple donated.

So is it a critical flaw? Prob not. Is it a head scratcher of an odd omission? Absolutely
 
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I get the feeling it's priced at $599 but you're not supposed to buy it for $599. Carrier promos on this thing will probably be exceptional.
 
klasma said:
So why does Apple include MagSafe at all instead of just selling stickers and cases? Apparently that wouldn’t be any loss.
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So people like you pay more for the next higher tier iPhone. If they could sell you magsafe stickers for $50 they would.
 
seek3r said:
It’s also part of the qi2 standard since apple donated it, so it’s a little weird for apple’s first party entry level phone to be missing it while tons of new entry level android phones will have it - using the tech apple donated.

So is it a critical flaw? Prob not. Is it a head scratcher of an odd omission? Absolutely
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It's not more weird than nobody else using Qi2 even the standard was introduced more than a year ago. It's so unpopular that they had to water it down and introduce Qi2 Ready! LOL!
 
ProbablyDylan said:
I get the feeling it's priced at $599 but you're not supposed to buy it for $599. Carrier promos on this thing will probably be exceptional.
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Probably true, but it's undeniably a big price hike that trickles down, one way or another, no matter where on the price ladder one ends up getting it from.
 
maszaikasza said:
Thanks for clarification. So for customers not using much mobile data this seems like an overkill. I know I shouldn't compare prices between countries but man, in Europe I pay ~$12 for 120 gigs.
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Potentially overkill, yes. There are also unlimited plans available from other carriers that can be notably cheaper than AT&T plus limited data plans that are cheaper still.
 
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SBlue1 said:
It's not more weird than nobody else using Qi2 even the standard was introduced more than a year ago. It's so unpopular that they had to water it down and introduce Qi2 Ready! LOL!
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It’s almost like phone designs and product roadmaps are planned more than a year out.
 
QCassidy352 said:
I think it’ll deliver 95% of the experience of the regular 16 at 75% the cost. Unless you’re heavily invested in MagSafe or use the ultra wide camera a lot, it’s basically going to be the same experience as the regular 16. All the other differences (modem, WiFi support, Dynamic Island, etc) aren’t going to be meaningful or even perceptible to a huge % of users.
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Hmm… do you think Apple would design a phone that would cannibalize a more expensive phone?
 
Adelphos33 said:
AT&T is offering this phone for $5.99 a month for 36 months without a trade in, which appears to be a good deal

But it is also offering $1,000 for my iPhone 14 Pro Max in any condition (my phone currently has a broken glass back) in a trade in for the iPhone 16 Pro, which would get me to a similar per month price.

Unfortunately, deals on other phones are just too good to really consider the 16e right now. It should really be free (or something like $200 split over 36 months) with a new contract. I imagine this phone will get to this price eventually.
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That's the kicker which makes this budget phone pretty stupid to consider.
 
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Maybe I’m reading too much into these reviews, but it seems like these reviewers are being as negative as they can while still giving a positive review so they keep getting early phones.
 
Daalseth said:
For me I could get a good iPhone that would run for many years for significantly less. (iPhone14)
I could get a significantly better iPhone for not much more (iPhone 15 or 16)
It’s an OK device but it isn’t for me. For $599 it’s both not enough and too much.
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iPhone 14 cost $599 before it was discontinued. Maybe there are good clearance deals now, while retailers clear out stock, but the base cost of the two devices was the same and--I assume--good deals on the 16e will be forthcoming.

as for the 15, it's not a better device than the 16e and certainly not "significantly" so. Each has advantages over the other, but the 16e is going to be supported longer with 33% more RAM and a processor that's two generations newer.

The 16 is clearly better, of course, since it's the next step up in the same generation. But it's 33%/$200 more expensive, which is a clear differentiation.
Rogifan said:
Hmm… do you think Apple would design a phone that would cannibalize a more expensive phone?
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I think that for many years they have offered a variety of phones (and other devices) at different price points that appeal to different users. Upselling is certainly part of their strategy, but I believe they intend to sell this device to people who weren't seriously considering the 16 or 16 Pro.
 
i don’t support the refurb/close out 15 Pro as an alternative. that phone isn’t being manufactured anymore and has its own issues like overheating. i can accept the 16e price but the storage upgrade cost on a budget phone makes it a no.
 
When I got the 12 mini i got mag safe chargers and outfitted my life workflow with them. Apple not including it in the 16E is the device’s biggest failure - especially when every other phone has it. Apple has truly abandoned the user base that wants a smaller phone at a smaller price, because they don’t want everything else. Not sure if its greed, stupidity or a mixture of both - but the 12 Mini might be my last iPhone.
 
Lizzard899 said:
No its not worth $599, maybe $400 but not in the $500 range
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It's worth it if you want a new iPhone.

Think about it as an insurance: you pay a few extra hundred dollars to avoid Android. It's important regular people can insure themselves against life-impacting catastrophic events.
 
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