iPhone 16e Death Reports Prove Exaggerated and Premature As Sales Surge

Reactions to everything about the iPhone 16e launch were mostly negative. Not only had Apple abandoned all resemblance to the smaller and more affordable iPhone SE3, the company had simply killed off the iPhone SE series without any announcement at all without giving a new and similar alternative. First of all, the iPhone 16e price started at $599. While this made it the "cheapest iPhone" in Apple stable, the price point was at least $100 above what fans were budgeting for. In fact, its price was higher by $170 when compared to SE3. In India, iPhone 16e price is Rs 59900. And even though the size was increased to being as big as the iPhone 16 at 6.1 inches, it touted just one camera and a binned A18 chip. On the positive side, it is an Apple Intelligence-empowered smartphone.

Reactions to everything about the iPhone 16e launch were mostly negative. Not only had Apple abandoned all resemblance to the smaller and more affordable iPhone SE3, the company had simply killed off the iPhone SE series without any announcement at all without giving a new and similar alternative. First of all, the iPhone 16e price started at $599. While this made it the "cheapest iPhone" in Apple stable, the price point was at least $100 above what fans were budgeting for. In fact, its price was higher by $170 when compared to SE3. In India, iPhone 16e price is Rs 59900. And even though the size was increased to being as big as the iPhone 16 at 6.1 inches, it touted just one camera and a binned A18 chip. On the positive side, it is an Apple Intelligence-empowered smartphone.

Most analysts and the fan community had expressed their disappointment and dire sales warnings were issued. In fact, iPhone 16e was not expected to do too much better than the iPhone SE3. And now, the iPhone 16 sales numbers are in and it seems tales of its premature death were quite exaggerated. The spike in iPhone 16e sales were not just incremental over the iPhone SE3, they were actually phenomenal, according to a report.

This is despite Apple ruthlessly indicating, with its high price point, that those who don't have the $599, can move to the rival Android system. It looks like most have opted to stay with Apple and in fact, new believers have jumped on the iPhone 16e bandwagon.

Now, according to an IDC report, iPhone 16e sales were 60% stronger in the first three days than the iPhone SE3.

You decide if the iPhone 16e specs listed below will make you purchase the smartphone or go for an older iPhone model like the iPhone 15 (not AI capable) or iPhone 16:

1. iPhone 16e Capacity:

128GB

256GB

512GB

2. Size and Weight:

Width: 71.5 mm (2.82″)

Height: 146.7 mm (5.78″)

Depth: 7.80 mm (0.31″)

3. Display:

Super Retina XDR display

4. Apple Intelligence: Built into iPhone 16e

5. Chip: A18

6. Camera: 2-in-1 camera system with 48MP Fusion: 26 mm, ƒ/1.6 aperture.

TrueDepth Camera: 12MP camera, ƒ/1.9 aperture

7: Face ID: Enabled by TrueDepth camera

Having said all that, and all things considered, the iPhone 16e is still unlikely to fill the plunging iPhone sales in China, which are expected to decline about 2% in 2025.