I suspect the iPhone 16e is more than a name change - it signals a shift in Apple’s strategy. The new “e” branding suggests Apple may introduce annual refreshes, likely launching early each year.
If this pattern holds, the iPhone 17e will arrive next year, and the iPhone 16e will drop to $499, replacing the outgoing SE. Instead of releasing a new SE this year, Apple seems to be raising the performance baseline across all iPhones, likely to better support its plans for iOS and Apple Intelligence.
As for pricing, I don’t expect this year’s lineup to be significantly more expensive - except, perhaps, for the iPhone 17 Air.
If this pattern holds, the iPhone 17e will arrive next year, and the iPhone 16e will drop to $499, replacing the outgoing SE. Instead of releasing a new SE this year, Apple seems to be raising the performance baseline across all iPhones, likely to better support its plans for iOS and Apple Intelligence.
As for pricing, I don’t expect this year’s lineup to be significantly more expensive - except, perhaps, for the iPhone 17 Air.
