but if "Send Amber that article I read this morning about glow in the dark petunias" actually drops an article about glow in the dark petunias in your inbox, I'd say he (and others) would embrace that pretty quickly.
If Apple can actually make it do that sort of thing reliably, I'd be on board. I think I'd be waaaay more on board 10 years from now, when the primary users of technology are at least somewhat more familiar with technology. It feels like the Xers and younger would handle this much better than the boomers will. I dunno. I can be pretty critical, but I'm also extremely happy when I'm proven wrong. It's just this whole ... thing [vague gesture at the internet] isn't terribly kind to a lot of people who haven't been trained to interface with it. Hell, the internet isn't kind to me, and I've been basically living on it since 1998.
(I should note: this isn't directed at anyone on the forums, it's more directed at the general caustic nature of the internet at large. I don't mind if people read my stuff and want to comment on it, obviously I would have picked a different career if that were the case.)
I did want to commend you, though, for somehow managing to pick something I am and have been wildly interested in since I heard about them several years back. I would absolutely love Firefly Petunias but I am not confident in my ability to keep them alive inside of my house, and at $40 a pop, they are a bit... pricey
but if "Send Amber that article I read this morning about glow in the dark petunias" actually drops an article about glow in the dark petunias in your inbox, I'd say he (and others) would embrace that pretty quickly.
If Apple can actually make it do that sort of thing reliably, I'd be on board. I think I'd be waaaay more on board 10 years from now, when the primary users of technology are at least somewhat more familiar with technology. It feels like the Xers and younger would handle this much better than the boomers will. I dunno. I can be pretty critical, but I'm also extremely happy when I'm proven wrong. It's just this whole ... thing [vague gesture at the internet] isn't terribly kind to a lot of people who haven't been trained to interface with it. Hell, the internet isn't kind to me, and I've been basically living on it since 1998.
(I should note: this isn't directed at anyone on the forums, it's more directed at the general caustic nature of the internet at large. I don't mind if people read my stuff and want to comment on it, obviously I would have picked a different career if that were the case.)
I did want to commend you, though, for somehow managing to pick something I am and have been wildly interested in since I heard about them several years back. I would absolutely love Firefly Petunias but I am not confident in my ability to keep them alive inside of my house, and at $40 a pop, they are a bit... pricey
They’re $40 for a 3-pack this year. Life is short, there’s apparently an asteroid headed for us, and I had some last year; they really do glow in the dark. You should go for it.
I have up to date iPads and Macs but have been happily using a 6s phone since it was first introduced. It really is everything I need for a phone. So I was ready to make the plunge on day 1 for a $499 SE4/16e. But man oh man, $599??? No way!
So this 16e seems more in common with the Xr. In naming, features, and pricing. The first SE was “discontinued” just before the Xr was released in 2018. But then in 2020 we got the SE 2. Maybe the 16e is not an SE replacement at all. Maybe there will still be an SE 4 in the future
So this 16e seems more in common with the Xr. In naming, features, and pricing. The first SE was “discontinued” just before the Xr was released in 2018. But then in 2020 we got the SE 2. Maybe the 16e is not an SE replacement at all. Maybe there will still be an SE 4 in the future
I dearly hope a SE Gen 4 still is in the works. I’m ready to upgrade from Se Gen 1 that came out in 2016( though it’ll be a f sore loss). But I can’t do certain apps that I really need on this SE Gen 1 any more. And I was convinced that the SE Gen 1 would last longer. Just goes to show bar this new 16e will not last forever either.
Great article. iPhone 16e is simply the worst targeted Apple product in these years. If its price were $399, I won't say anything. But you can get iPhone 16 at $649 in third-party already, $549 for iPhone 15, and the cost-down variant is set on that ridiculous price. Only market will this model be popular may be Japan or I don't know where. They could just make an iPhone 16 - Ultra wide camera - design, but they have decided to start over and scrape some crap together.
I'm not looking forward to being forced to purchase a bigger iPhone 16e. It is when I'm at home that I an online with either my iPad or Mac mini. But when I'm on the go I concentrate on the real world. Only the rare phone call or text to interrupt. My SE is perfect.
Really, I couldn't have phrased it better. Over here in Europe, the thing costs € 720. 7.2.0 bucks. Heck, that’s more than half our minimum wage. It’s not a budget phone, it’s a rip off.
I was planning to upgrade to the SE4 and give away my current SE3 to my 80-year old mother who needs a smartphone for, you know, bank authentication, iMessage sending and maybe a few extra things. She doesn’t give a hoot about Apple Intelligence, I don’t either. I don’t care about 48 MP pictures, I have a DSLR camera when I want to engage into serious photography. Cameras on phones are handy because they’re always at hand, but that’s about it. 48 MP pictures aren't going to be much better, just bigger and lengthier to store, transfer and touch up.
So what I’m going to do? Keep my SE3, and find a refurbished one for her. And wait until Apple comes back to its senses.
Really, you complain about $100 for a device which you can literally manage your entire life with??? Maybe you should write for AndroidInsider instead
Oh, you. You're very silly if you think
I manage my life in any aspect at all, regardless of whether or not I have a smartphone.
The point of my article was about the $100 price discrepancy
I think Android phones are worth anymore than the rocks they make them out of
I totally agree and it's a great article you wrote. The digital world has become a two edge sword and it's nice to see a young person (i'm approaching 70) who has a perspective on that and not allow digital devices to turn them into a slave. I see way too many people young and old alike who are glued to their phones. I actually saw a young man probably in his mid 20's walk from one end of a Walmart store to the other end while his face kept looking at his phone 95% of the time. I watched as he looked up 2-3 times.
Then there's the digital watches that monitor your sleep. Well maybe if you aren't getting enough sleep, maybe all those digital devices you use right up until the time you go to bed, could be part of the problem.
I totally agree and it's a great article you wrote. The digital world has become a two edge sword and it's nice to see a young person (i'm approaching 70) who has a perspective on that and not allow digital devices to turn them into a slave. I see way too many people young and old alike who are glued to their phones.
Read 'The Anxious Generation' by Jonathan Haidt. A very good and fact-and-stats ridden book about how smartphones are ruining teenagers' and young adults' lives.
but if "Send Amber that article I read this morning about glow in the dark petunias" actually drops an article about glow in the dark petunias in your inbox, I'd say he (and others) would embrace that pretty quickly.
If Apple can actually make it do that sort of thing reliably, I'd be on board. I think I'd be waaaay more on board 10 years from now, when the primary users of technology are at least somewhat more familiar with technology. It feels like the Xers and younger would handle this much better than the boomers will. I dunno. I can be pretty critical, but I'm also extremely happy when I'm proven wrong. It's just this whole ... thing [vague gesture at the internet] isn't terribly kind to a lot of people who haven't been trained to interface with it. Hell, the internet isn't kind to me, and I've been basically living on it since 1998.
(I should note: this isn't directed at anyone on the forums, it's more directed at the general caustic nature of the internet at large. I don't mind if people read my stuff and want to comment on it, obviously I would have picked a different career if that were the case.)
I did want to commend you, though, for somehow managing to pick something I am and have been wildly interested in since I heard about them several years back. I would absolutely love Firefly Petunias but I am not confident in my ability to keep them alive inside of my house, and at $40 a pop, they are a bit... pricey
For those who subscribe to the theory that everyone must be classified and placed into a schema that neglects human individuality and life experiences, I would be classified as a boomer, a late-boomer to be more precise. I prefer to say that individuals born at any point in time and place are shaped by their need to survive in the environment and during the period of time and the environment in which they live. The hard skills and soft skills individuals need to develop to get by, make a living, and be productive contributors to their family, their community, and society at large are always changing. It’s a very individual thing, not something that fits the “slot everyone into predefined classification buckets” model. I can rebuild a carburetor and operate and maintain an iPhone. Why? Because I had to learn those things and many more things to get by.
When you really think about it, many of the things that are most corrosive to past and present human societies is rooted in the propensity to strip individuals of their uniqueness and individuality. The wild card of course is that some individuals are always curious, highly adaptable, and continue to seek out and acquire knowledge and learn new skill throughout their lives and through personal life experiences and necessity. The wild card factor is independent of when or where you were born or what broad category or classification bucket you’re slotted into when your individuality is stripped away.
How does this relate in any way to the products that Apple creates? It’s all about me as an individual flipping the script and viewing purchase decisions through a “pull” model rather than the conventional marketing “push” model. Even though product marketing is heavily focused on “pushing” certain products into certain categories and demographics of consumers, i.e., targeted marketing, I believe it is much more productive and satisfying for me as an individual to view Apple’s (and all other manufacturers’) portfolio of products from a “pull” perspective and ignore the marketing hype. Apple presents a variety of choices from which to choose and I “pull” out the one that best fits my individual needs when all of my factors for selection are considered.
It’s perfectly fine and probably very smart that Apple puts a ton of effort into understanding their customers and putting together bundles of features in product variations at price points that they believe will appeal to certain categories of buyers they’ve created. If they are very good at this, they will get a lot of “pulls” and sell a lot of products. As an individual I don’t want to lose my “pull power,” i.e., choice, and I’m concerned that Apple’s (and others) desire to “push” things that they’ve invested millions and possibly billions into creating, like Apple Intelligence, is going to limit my ability to choose what I need rather than what Apple wants me to have. So no, I don’t see the iPhone 16e as a boomer phone or a phone targeted to cash strapped individuals. I see it only as another buying option in Apple’s portfolio of iPhones. It stands on its own and it will sink or swim depending solely on what it has to offer to prospective buyers looking to “pull” the trigger on a purchase decision.
"If you're confused about who the iPhone 16e is for, you're not alone —"
No confusion for me, and here's why: if you look at the world mobile phone sales charts in recent years, you'll find four iPhones in the top ten: the regular iPhone is usually the world's #1. And it's followed in the rankings, at various numbers, by the Pro Max, the Pro and finally the iPhone Plus. Nowhere on the list has the SE appeared--it's the perennial last place phone for Apple. But if there's one thing you should expect of an aggressively low-priced phone that's presumably less profitable, it would be volume sales. The SE did not deliver that. You may have loved the SE for all kinds of reasons, which are still perfectly valid, and even though it made business sense in theory, it didn't work out that way in actual sales.
People seem to forget that Apple is a for-profit business and if it cancels a product, it's not to piss you off personally, and it's not because Apple is stupid, it's only because that product didn't sell. You think Apple is happy to EOL a product like the iPhone Mini after just two years? It probably never even amortized its development and tooling costs for that phone. But when a product tanks in sales as badly as the Mini, it has no choice. If you're going to be mad about it, be made at all the iPhone buyers who had two years to support the Mini and chose other models instead. It seems to me that Apple's thinking with the 16e replacing the SE is pretty straight forward: it's a phone that's a whole lot closer than the SE to the world's best-selling regular iPhone, but sells for $200 less. That's it. What distinguishes the 16e most from any cheaper phone that Apple has ever sold as new is that it contains the most current processor. For this reason, I think the "e" phone will be upgraded annually, like the rest of the iPhone lineup. Of course, compromises had to be made in creating an iPhone 16 that could be sold for $200 less. You could argue that this or that compromise makes it a deal breaker for you and, as always, you're never wrong about what's a deal breaker for you. Obviously, Apple has made a data-driven decision that the feature set for the 16e will be right for most prospective buyers than not. Did Apple get it right? No one can say yet. But I think we'll have a more informed answer after a few months of sales.
"If you're confused about who the iPhone 16e is for, you're not alone —"
No confusion for me, and here's why: if you look at the world mobile phone sales charts in recent years, you'll find four iPhones in the top ten: the regular iPhone is usually the world's #1. And it's followed in the rankings, at various numbers, by the Pro Max, the Pro and finally the iPhone Plus. Nowhere on the list has the SE appeared--it's the perennial last place phone for Apple. But if there's one thing you should expect of an aggressively low-priced phone that's presumably less profitable, it would be volume sales. The SE did not deliver that. You may have loved the SE for all kinds of reasons, which are still perfectly valid, and even though it made business sense in theory, it didn't work out that way in actual sales.
People seem to forget that Apple is a for-profit business and if it cancels a product, it's not to piss you off personally, and it's not because Apple is stupid, it's only because that product didn't sell. You think Apple is happy to EOL a product like the iPhone Mini after just two years? It probably never even amortized its development and tooling costs for that phone. But when a product tanks in sales as badly as the Mini, it has no choice. If you're going to be mad about it, be made at all the iPhone buyers who had two years to support the Mini and chose other models instead. It seems to me that Apple's thinking with the 16e replacing the SE is pretty straight forward: it's a phone that's a whole lot closer than the SE to the world's best-selling regular iPhone, but sells for $200 less. That's it. What distinguishes the 16e most from any cheaper phone that Apple has ever sold as new is that it contains the most current processor. For this reason, I think the "e" phone will be upgraded annually, like the rest of the iPhone lineup. Of course, compromises had to be made in creating an iPhone 16 that could be sold for $200 less. You could argue that this or that compromise makes it a deal breaker for you and, as always, you're never wrong about what's a deal breaker for you. Obviously, Apple has made a data-driven decision that the feature set for the 16e will be right for most prospective buyers than not. Did Apple get it right? No one can say yet. But I think we'll have a more informed answer after a few months of sales.
Well said. I think we will have a more informed answer after 1 year when the time for the successor is due. If Apple decides to launch the iPhone 17e, then we can say that Apple got it right. If not, then they probably got it wrong. Of course, hardcore Apple fans would argue that it was always part of the plan even if Apple decides to not launch iPhone 17e next year. But let us wait and see what happens.
I, too, am not thrilled about this release. I'm quickly approaching the "no choice but to upgrade" point with my iPhone SE (just plain SE, as in, the original) because apps are starting to drop support. I just want as close to the same experience as I can get. That's not going to be a 16e. And I don't want to buy an SE3 that's years old the day it's bought. C'mon, Apple, there are people of folks that want quality without all the bells and whistles.
Everything else aside, the $100 price difference between what was ‘hoped-for’ and what the 16e sells for amounts to $2.78 a month if one upgrades every three years … not particularly a deal-breaker IMO. I’m focusing on the features that make overall sense to me, and in my (83 year-old) case, I’m inclined to wait for the 17 (MagSafe + AI). But that’s just me.
Yeah, the lack of MagSafe is truly perplexing. I understand needing to differentiate between the premium models and the lower end models. But at this point MagSafe has been set up as a default feature across the lineup and many people even with older iPhones have a bunch of accessories that take advantage of it. If the point is to get people who’ve been holding on to older phones to upgrade, this seems like a huge step back.
Nailed it! I am an original techtress, drank the Apple koolaid in 1984. I worked in Silicon Valley for 30 years and owned MOL every iPhone since the first one (6s was the worst) through 13 (helps to justify when you have a kid to take the hand-me-down). I tried the big phone once, thinking I could dump my iPad mini (wrongo) as back pocket carry is mandatory. I was one of those waiting seemingly forever for the 12 mini. Then I got the 13 mini, and then another when I realized I bought too little memory. Yes, I am a power app user but have little use for distractions like AI. I was going to buy the SE 4 for my elderly friend who calls, texts, adjusts the thermostat, checks FB Messenger, her bank balance, etc. all from her bed on her SE 2. So, there could have been two 16e sales; instead, there are none. If anything, I will find her an SE 3. And I will rock my 13 mini another year.
Comments
(I should note: this isn't directed at anyone on the forums, it's more directed at the general caustic nature of the internet at large. I don't mind if people read my stuff and want to comment on it, obviously I would have picked a different career if that were the case.)
I did want to commend you, though, for somehow managing to pick something I am and have been wildly interested in since I heard about them several years back. I would absolutely love Firefly Petunias but I am not confident in my ability to keep them alive inside of my house, and at $40 a pop, they are a bit... pricey
I was planning to upgrade to the SE4 and give away my current SE3 to my 80-year old mother who needs a smartphone for, you know, bank authentication, iMessage sending and maybe a few extra things. She doesn’t give a hoot about Apple Intelligence, I don’t either. I don’t care about 48 MP pictures, I have a DSLR camera when I want to engage into serious photography. Cameras on phones are handy because they’re always at hand, but that’s about it. 48 MP pictures aren't going to be much better, just bigger and lengthier to store, transfer and touch up.
So what I’m going to do? Keep my SE3, and find a refurbished one for her. And wait until Apple comes back to its senses.
When you really think about it, many of the things that are most corrosive to past and present human societies is rooted in the propensity to strip individuals of their uniqueness and individuality. The wild card of course is that some individuals are always curious, highly adaptable, and continue to seek out and acquire knowledge and learn new skill throughout their lives and through personal life experiences and necessity. The wild card factor is independent of when or where you were born or what broad category or classification bucket you’re slotted into when your individuality is stripped away.
How does this relate in any way to the products that Apple creates? It’s all about me as an individual flipping the script and viewing purchase decisions through a “pull” model rather than the conventional marketing “push” model. Even though product marketing is heavily focused on “pushing” certain products into certain categories and demographics of consumers, i.e., targeted marketing, I believe it is much more productive and satisfying for me as an individual to view Apple’s (and all other manufacturers’) portfolio of products from a “pull” perspective and ignore the marketing hype. Apple presents a variety of choices from which to choose and I “pull” out the one that best fits my individual needs when all of my factors for selection are considered.
It’s perfectly fine and probably very smart that Apple puts a ton of effort into understanding their customers and putting together bundles of features in product variations at price points that they believe will appeal to certain categories of buyers they’ve created. If they are very good at this, they will get a lot of “pulls” and sell a lot of products. As an individual I don’t want to lose my “pull power,” i.e., choice, and I’m concerned that Apple’s (and others) desire to “push” things that they’ve invested millions and possibly billions into creating, like Apple Intelligence, is going to limit my ability to choose what I need rather than what Apple wants me to have. So no, I don’t see the iPhone 16e as a boomer phone or a phone targeted to cash strapped individuals. I see it only as another buying option in Apple’s portfolio of iPhones. It stands on its own and it will sink or swim depending solely on what it has to offer to prospective buyers looking to “pull” the trigger on a purchase decision.
No confusion for me, and here's why: if you look at the world mobile phone sales charts in recent years, you'll find four iPhones in the top ten: the regular iPhone is usually the world's #1. And it's followed in the rankings, at various numbers, by the Pro Max, the Pro and finally the iPhone Plus. Nowhere on the list has the SE appeared--it's the perennial last place phone for Apple. But if there's one thing you should expect of an aggressively low-priced phone that's presumably less profitable, it would be volume sales. The SE did not deliver that. You may have loved the SE for all kinds of reasons, which are still perfectly valid, and even though it made business sense in theory, it didn't work out that way in actual sales.
People seem to forget that Apple is a for-profit business and if it cancels a product, it's not to piss you off personally, and it's not because Apple is stupid, it's only because that product didn't sell. You think Apple is happy to EOL a product like the iPhone Mini after just two years? It probably never even amortized its development and tooling costs for that phone. But when a product tanks in sales as badly as the Mini, it has no choice. If you're going to be mad about it, be made at all the iPhone buyers who had two years to support the Mini and chose other models instead.
It seems to me that Apple's thinking with the 16e replacing the SE is pretty straight forward: it's a phone that's a whole lot closer than the SE to the world's best-selling regular iPhone, but sells for $200 less. That's it. What distinguishes the 16e most from any cheaper phone that Apple has ever sold as new is that it contains the most current processor. For this reason, I think the "e" phone will be upgraded annually, like the rest of the iPhone lineup. Of course, compromises had to be made in creating an iPhone 16 that could be sold for $200 less. You could argue that this or that compromise makes it a deal breaker for you and, as always, you're never wrong about what's a deal breaker for you. Obviously, Apple has made a data-driven decision that the feature set for the 16e will be right for most prospective buyers than not. Did Apple get it right? No one can say yet. But I think we'll have a more informed answer after a few months of sales.