I was really excited about the iPhone 16e, but not anymore — here's why I won't be upgrading

For the longest time I was excited about the release of the iPhone 16e, or as it was originally named, the iPhone SE 4. Well, Apple finally revealed the device in all its glory, and I don't think I'll be upgrading from my iPhone 15 Pro Max anytime soon.

First, a bit of quick history if you have no idea what I'm talking about. For the longest time, Apple kept to only making iPhones sequentially. However, Apple eventually realized there was a market for an affordable option and started the SE series in 2016, with the last being the iPhone SE (2022).

The next in line was the rumored iPhone SE 2024, and there was a lot of buzz about the phone. However, when it was finally announced it was clear that Apple had fully dropped the SE name, something that was speculated by several sources. In theory, the phone should still follow the iPhone SE format, so that means I should like it, but I just really don't.

So what is the reason for this general dislike, is it just a lack of features or is it something more? well, let's delve into the phone to see why this is the least excited I've been for a phone in a while.

iPhone 16e: what do I like about the phone?

Now, it wouldn't be fair to just start hating on the phone without first acknowledging what Apple has done right. Firstly, there’s no doubt that the iPhone 16e has some great features, mainly the inclusion of more RAM. I have said it before, and I will say it again: Apple has constantly hindered itself by limiting the RAM in the iPhone.

With that said, Apple's iPhones still manage impressive GeekBench scores, and usually easily outpace many of the best phones including the ones with up to 24GB of RAM. However, the lack of RAM produced one major issue for the iPhone, primarily Apple Intelligence. The problem is that a device needs at least 8GB of RAM to make use of Apple's AI, which means that any phone older than the iPhone 15 Pro loses access to the feature.

So it wasn't a surprise to see that Apple launched the iPhone 16e with 8GB of RAM, as well as full Apple Intelligence support. I honestly expected Apple to hold back on at least some features for the new phone, but it seems everything is on the table. This is great news for consumers, especially for those looking to explore Apple Intelligence for $100 less than it costs to buy a new iPhone 16.

iPhone 16e: What are the main issues

However, that isn't to say that the iPhone 16e has everything, in truth, a lot is missing from the phone. Firstly, while it is cheaper, it is not a lot cheaper and the lower cost is a bit of a wooden horse in my eyes. Here's the thing: yes the iPhone 16e is cheaper, but the 512GB option is still $899. That's a pretty high cost for a phone that is intended to be "affordable" or do we only count the low-memory options as affordable?

Next, the new iPhone doesn't feature the Camera Control button, instead, it has the iPhone 15's Action Button. Now, this might be a bit more personal, but I don't like the Action Button. I've always seen it as an overly complex silent mode toggle that you might consider changing the function of but likely won't. The iPhone 16e also doesn't have the Dynamic Island seen in modern iPhones, instead, it uses the same notch seen in the iPhone 14.

Finally, and frankly, kind of strangely, there's no MagSafe on the iPhone. This is weird because MagSafe has been a part of the iPhone range since the iPhone 12. It is such an odd thing to remove that stores have to put MagSafe stickers on the phones to display them.

iPhone 16e: All of this has tempered my excitement

There was a lot to love about the iPhone SE 4 in concept, mainly the idea of having access to some great features while sacrificing some hardware. To my mind, the idea of the phone basically being an AI-capable iPhone 14 was a great one, but somewhere along the line Apple has made a strange chimera of a device.

For some reason, Apple has seemingly slapped parts onto the device with little thought to why. For instance, what purpose does the Action Button have on the phone compared to, instead, the Camera Control button considering the iPhone 16e has Visual Intelligence? Why make the phone so similar to the iPhone 15, then stick what looks like an iPhone 14 display in so that you're stuck with the notch?

When I look at my iPhone 15 Pro Max I have to wonder what the point of my upgrading would be. At this point, I already have a phone that is Apple Intelligence capable, with a bigger screen no less. What about if I still had my iPhone 14 Pro Max? Honestly, I think I would wait a bit and then just upgrade to the iPhone 16 instead, even if it does have slightly lower memory.

Now, I should be fair and say that there is still a fair amount we don't know about the iPhone 16e's performance. Not only that, there is little doubt that Apple will push sales when the iPhone 17 is finally released. However, for the time being, I'll go back to wishing for the iPhone SE 4 that was rumored before, the one that would undoubtedly have been one of the best cheap phones.

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