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iPhone 16E to Debut Wednesday? Apple's Budget iPhone May Get a New Name

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Apple's upcoming budget iPhone might not be called the iPhone SE 4 after all, with Bloomberg's Mark Gurman lending credence to rumors of a potential name change for the device being unveiled this Wednesday.

iPhone-16-E-Feature-1.jpg

In his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman mentions Apple CEO Tim Cook's recent social media announcement about a new product unveiling on February 19, in which Cook teased the "newest member of the family." According to Gurman, this phrasing seems to imply that Apple plans to position the device as a fresh addition to the lineup rather than a continuation of the SE series.

The statement adds weight to recent claims from leakers that Apple could brand the device as "iPhone 16E" instead of iPhone SE 4. Gurman doesn't explicitly confirm this naming scheme (or potential variations of it) but he is surely aware of the rumors, and notes that a new name "makes complete sense" given the dramatic overhaul the budget iPhone is receiving. So we could indeed see an iPhone 16E, iPhone 16e, iPhone 16 SE, or something else, depending on what branding Apple has decided to go with.

The device is expected to adopt an iPhone 14-style design with a 6.1-inch OLED display, Face ID, an Action button, and significant internal upgrades including a new Apple-designed 5G modem, 8GB of RAM, and the same A18 chip found in the iPhone 16 series. The A18 chip inclusion in particular is a major departure from previous SE models, which typically recycled older iPhone designs and technology. It also means the device will support Apple Intelligence, bringing flagship performance at a much more affordable ~$500 price.

If accurate, the rebranding would mark the end of the iPhone SE line, which has served as Apple's budget offering since 2016. The move could indicate Apple's intention to bring its affordable iPhone into the flagship fold, both in terms of features and marketing.

The new budget iPhone is expected to be announced via press release on Wednesday, February 19, with pre-orders likely following shortly after.

Article Link: iPhone 16E to Debut Wednesday? Apple's Budget iPhone May Get a New Name
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2025/02/17/iphone-16e-launching-wednesday-new-name/
555gallardo said:
Would position it in similar position like the Galaxy S10e was.
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Pretty much. And will be in the same vein as their FE line offerings, which itself the continuation of their S10e.
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PS: If all the rumors and plans come into fruition, then Apple and samsung will have the exact same flagship lines:
(x)E -> (x) -> (x) Air -> (x)Pro / (x)Pro Max
(y)FE -> (y) / (y)+ -> (y)Edge -> (y)Ultra
Four different flavours for everyone. Gotta taste 'em all.
 
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If it gets a 16 name variant, people are going to expect yearly updates...

And SE phones have often been a long time between drinks for upgrades.

At this stage I reckon Apple should have gone all out and given it a Samsung 16FE name.
Given all the time Samsung has "been inspired" with Apple products ;)
 
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MRSugarD said:
As the iPhone SE will be sold for many years it would make sense to just name it the SE. The SE 4 in this case. Any additional number (e.g. 16) will make it sound more dated every September.
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I think that's by design. Right now you could have an iPhone SE from 2020 and easily think it's still the latest one. Making it sound dated drives upgrades. And I don't think it will affect sales. Nobody wanting the latest and greatest will get this. This usually competes with the 2-generations ago iPhones.
 
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It will be interesting to see what they do with the iPhone 15 pricing. Who in their right mind would pay $200 more for a phone with a 2 year old SoC, less RAM and no access to Apple Intelligence? The dynamic island has been a flop (just like 3D touch) with developers tending to use live notifications instead and the wide angle camera is not worth $200 over an 16E.
 
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Looks like Apple is using this model to see how well their in-house modem holds up in real world use. Anyone who buys this phone is pretty much beta testing it for them. If there aren't any issues and overall quality is close enough I expect to see this modem in upcoming major releases.
 
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kiranmk2 said:
It will be interesting to see what they do with the iPhone 15 pricing. Who in their right mind would pay $200 more for a phone with a 2 year old SoC, less RAM and no access to Apple Intelligence? The dynamic island has been a flop (just like 3D touch) with developers tending to use live notifications instead and the wide angle camera is not worth $200 over an 16E.
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Maybe they discontinue it?

locovaca said:
For some of us this is a feature, not an omission...
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But will you feel that way in three years? If the answer is yes, I suspect Apple is in deep trouble and this chart is in Apple’s future. (To be clear, I don’t think this is Apple’s future).

1739796668458.png


More seriously, if Apple truly believes Apple Intelligence is going to an essential part of iOS moving forward, all their devices need to support it. Those who want to ignore it can always turn it off.
 
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MRSugarD said:
As the iPhone SE will be sold for many years it would make sense to just name it the SE. The SE 4 in this case. Any additional number (e.g. 16) will make it sound more dated every September.
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They may bring it into the annual update cycle so it sits better alongside the Pixel (X)a and the Samsung A5(X) lines. This time next year we might get a 17E.
 
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surferfb said:
But will you feel that way in three years? If the answer is yes, I suspect Apple is in deep trouble and this chart is in Apple’s future. (To be clear, I don’t think this is Apple’s future).
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The people I know are either not interested in GenAI or are fine with using third-party tools. I don’t think it's that dramatic for Apple. Especially in a budget model.
 
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For the most part, every phone company is making similar phones and Apple will probably continue to lose market share unless they do something unique with their designs.

I believe that Apple might call the new phone 16E to allow them to release a smaller phone in the future that they can call the SE 4.

Yes in the past there was a much bigger market for larger phones but, now that almost all of the manufacturers only make only phablets, I believe that sales would be good for a smaller phone with the latest tech.

Apple may not do it but, calling the phone 16E leaves room for making a true smaller SE. (rather than calling it SE 4 mini or SE 5).
 
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Stevenam81 said:
Looks like Apple is using this model to see how well their in-house modem holds up in real world use. Anyone who buys this phone is pretty much beta testing it for them. If there aren't any issues and overall quality is close enough I expect to see this modem in upcoming major releases.
Click to expand...

Isn't it also going to be lacking mmWave 5G and have overall lower speeds?

It's possible the specific 🍎 modem in these never goes in normal and/or Pro iPhones
 
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