Tag: Apple

I had been eagerly awaiting the release of the iPhone SE4. We thought that was happening at the event yesterday. Clearly it did not happen. Regardless of how Apple try to spin this the iPhone 16e is not the successor to the iPhone SE 2022.

The iPhone SE platform was Apple’s budget line up. The working man’s iPhone, if you will. You got tried and tested hardware, with long software support for a lower price because Apple were using up the parts they had left over from their old devices.

This new release is something else entirely. When this device was announced the iPhone SE 2022 and iPhone 14 were removed from the Apple store and discontinued. Currently third party retailers are now offering their remaining stock of iPhone 14’s for £50 off at £549 for the 128GB model. The new 16e starts at £599 for the 128GB model. Immediately we can see that this is priced to high to be an SE replacement.

For contrast we’ll compare the Apple lineup in 2022 to current. On the left 2022 with current on the right (cheapest version of each model) were:

Straight away you can see there is one device less on the current list. This is because Apple have prematurely removed the iPhone 14 from sale. This was clearly because the iPhone 14 was also £599, and it would’ve highlighted that this new product isn’t great value at all. Secondly you can see that the rest of the devices haven’t increased by the same percentages over the past 3 years as the SE vs the 16e. The 13 vs 16 has increased by £20, the 12 vs the 15 has increased £20. If this is the new SE then why has it increased by £180? Inflation can’t be used as an excuse if it doesn’t apply to the whole range.

Reinforcing further that I don’t think this is simply a renamed “SE” are the components used. Yes it appears to be a iPhone 14 chassis and screen, which would be in keeping with an SE but the rest is something we haven’t seen before. Apple are using rejected GPU’s on this model, this is a common practice in desktop CPU’s but not common on mobile. In this case the iPhone 16 has a 5 core GPU, in die creation yields vary and when one core is faulty from production it will now be disabled and used in the iPhone 16e as a 4 core GPU. The modem is also brand new, it is the first modem that Apple has developed in house and they are claiming reduced power consumption, but we’re also seeing reports of lacking speeds.

The usual raft of omissions has been made for the 16e to ensure it’s not too much of an appealing choice. They have removed magsafe (bizarre choice, locking people out of first party accessories), kept a notch, locked the display to 60Hz and only included 1 camera.

A lot of people have been left confused by this launch. It feels rushed an poorly thought through, even though there was no expectation for its release. It’s been given the full suite of Apple “Intelligence” including visual “intelligence” (15 Pro series isn’t getting this), it’s bizarrely priced and has strange specs. I don’t know who this device is supposed to be targeted towards and the naming convention doesn’t help. What does the “E” stand for? At this point it feels like it’s most appropriate meaning would be “Experimental”.

At the beginning of the post I stated I’d been eagerly awaiting the SE release. The excitement was not for myself, Apple devices do not fit into my workflow. No, it was for other people. Because of my profession I’m relied on by a lot of people I know to help them choose a new phone when the time comes, generally people who have no interest in technology outside of normal usage. An iPhone SE was always a solid recommendation for someone who was used to iOS, or was used to the form factor of having a home button and touch ID. Some people simply don’t like or want an Android device, and that’s ok, I don’t aim to change anyone’s opinions, my goal is just to help them get a device they’re happy with.

I won’t be recommending this device to anyone.

The average person has zero interest in Apple Intelligence. Most people do not want to spend £600 or more on a phone. I also wouldn’t recommend a device that’s essentially a testing platform for an unproven modem.

When someone asks me now what iOS device I’d recommend, it’ll be the 14 for now. Retailers will still have new stock for a good length of time, it still has many years of update support left and it’s a reliable and proven device.

Apple have become even more disconnected from their users. Not everyone is an enthusiast, not everyone is willing to spend rafts of money on a phone and yet some people still want an iPhone. Apple are alienating them, forcing them to hold onto their old devices for longer and longer, hoping that an affordable device that meets their needs will be released at some point. I have a sneaking suspicion it won’t.

It seems the SE line of devices ended yesterday.