Apple announced the new iPhone 16e on Wednesday (19th), officially retiring the iPhone SE 3, launched in 2022.
Initially introduced on March 31, 2016, the first generation iPhone SE (Special Edition) was released as Apple’s entry-level model, after the iPhone 6s was launched the previous year.
Its design resembled the iPhone 5s, with square edges, very different from the iPhone 6 series that adopted a more rounded style for its borders.
Despite looking like the iPhone 5s on the outside, it had all the innovations of the iPhone 6s, including the powerful (for its time) A9 chip, improved battery, and a 12-megapixel camera.
The second-generation iPhone SE arrived only in 2020 when Apple launched the device with the same design as the iPhone 6 but with all the improvements from the iPhone 8. However, it didn’t capture as much attention as its predecessor.
The last iPhone SE, released in 2022, resembled the iPhone 11 externally but featured Touch ID instead of Face ID. It was equipped with the powerful A15 Bionic chip, 4GB of RAM, and was the first model to support 5G connectivity.
Now, the iPhone 16e comes with a major upgrade compared to its predecessor. The device features Face ID, the same A16 chip as the iPhone 16, a 48-megapixel camera, Apple Intelligence (Apple’s AI), and an OLED display.
However, users have criticized Apple for the price. The iPhone 16e will hit the market in the US for $599, a $160 increase compared to the previous model, which was retired by Apple after the announcement of the new version.
Apple has unveiled the iPhone 16e for their #AppleLaunch.
The starting price begins at $599.
Pre-orders available from February 28th. pic.twitter.com/nngvaEXyqg— Pop Base (@PopBase) February 19, 2025
“$599? It’s just an iPhone XR with a new wig,” said one user on X (formerly Twitter). “It’s more expensive than an iPhone 14 and almost as expensive as a 15,” said another. “We won’t be buying it,” joked a third user.
Photo and video: Unsplash / Apple / X @PopBase. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
