Ugh, I too prefer the smaller SE, which I currently have. I’m not sure which version… it might be an original SE (in the about section is just has “SE”. Any idea how long Apple will be supporting this model? How about the SE 2 and SE 3?
The original SE, which resembled the iPhone 5 but had the same processor at the 6s, has not received iOS updates for a few years - its last iOS version was 15.x.
The second SE, which resembled the iPhone 8 but had the same processor as the iPhone 11, is still getting iOS updates, but I’d expect that it will not get too many more, and it may be that iOS 18.x is its last update. It will likely follow a similar schedule as the iPhone 11.
The third SE, which also resembles the iPhone 8 but has the same processor as the iPhone 13, and also supports 5G mobile data, is also still getting iOS updates, and likely will for as long as the iPhone 13 does.
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There are some reviews of the iPhone 16e at Daring Fireball and The Verge now.
The consensus seems to be that the iPhone 16e is for people who aren’t really iPhone-involved. They don’t care much about photos, don’t know what MagSafe is, wouldn’t appreciate the Dynamic Island, and so on.
I’m not surprised by the reviews, but I think they miss the point.
As the least-cost model, it is not going to have all the bells-and-whistles of the high end models. But most people are not content-creation professionals (unlike the people writing the reviews). They’re taking family/vacation photos and occasionally some short video clips. They don’t care about fancy artistic capabilities and will probably never set the camera app to anything other than the default operating mode (“Photo”).
I am such a user, and I’m sure I’m far from the minority here. The features I care most about are:
- Calls and texting, both via the mobile network and various apps (Messages, FaceTime, WhatsApp, Zoom, etc.)
- Maps and navigation. Both Apple’s app and third-party apps.
- Banking apps
- Shopping apps
- Games
- Battery life
All the remaining features are nice to have, but are nothing that will drive a purchase decision. This is why the SE series sold so well, and is why I think the 16e is going to sell a lot more than the pundits are expecting.
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I wonder how many people buy their phones by paying full price up front vs using various carrier gimmicks to pay over time through upgrade programs and fancy calling plans.
One issue with the latter approach is that customers become less price sensitive, so it is easier for Apple and the carriers to increase prices significantly without the customer noticing.
I really struggle with the idea of the least expensive phone in Apple’s lineup costing US$600 while getting “Eh, it’s okay” reviews.
I used to always take advantage of the “gimmicks”. Typically getting the phone for free or a reduced price in exchange for a multi-year contract commitment. Since I have no intention of ever switching carriers, this was a no-brainer.
But, as a result of bad press and I think some lawsuits involving “lock-in” and large early-termination penalties, I don’t think deals like this are available anymore. At least they’re not available from Verizon.
Today’s Verizon special offers are all of the form “pay full price up front, and get your discount as pro-rated statement credits for the next two years”. Even so-called “free phone” promotions involve paying full price up front and getting the price refunded over two years.
And for those who can’t or don’t want to pay the full price up front, they offer zero-intererst financing where you pay a pro-rated amount of the cost on each month’s bill (less the pro-rated discount).
So instead of an explicit early-termination penalty, there’s now an implicit penalty. If you cancel service prematurely, you must immediately pay the outstanding balance for the phone’s financing and lose any unpaid discount amounts.
In other words, everybody always feels the pain of a phone’s price, because you have to pay it all up front, but get your discounts spread out over two years.
And yes, I don’t like spending that much for a phone. But the alternative (a cheap no-name Android phone) is so much worse that I pay for it. I went that route for a while, and found that the phones are garbage from day-one and usually fail before two years (when I could qualify for another cheap price). And a not-garbage Android phone costs as much or more than an iPhone.
So I pay full price. But I don’t pay for it very often. I will keep my phone for 5-6 years or more (paying for battery replacements as necessary), until my favorite apps are no longer compatible. Whereas in the past, when I could get phones with a real discount, I would upgrade every two years and stay close to state of the art.
My current phone (a 13 mini) is definitely showing some signs of age, but I’m not going to replace it until it actually dies, because any replacement worth buying costs too much.
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I remain delighted with my iPhone 13 mini, though the battery life has begun fading. It lasts long enough to get me through my work day, but not much more. I’ll probably replace the batery at some point and then keep using it as my primary phone until Apple stops providing iOS updates. I do periodically get hands-on with newer devices via work, but I can’t say any of the newer features/devices excite me very much.
I think the reviews (at least Gruber’s( Daring Fireball)) agree with you. Here is the conclusion of Gruber’s review:
"The iPhone 16e is an iPhone for people who don’t want to think much about their phone. But they do want an iPhone, not just any “whatever” phone. A just plain iPhone, with a good screen, good enough (and simple) camera, and great battery life. I think Apple nailed that with the iPhone 16e. "
While I’m not interested in the 16e (or any of the SE models before it), as for MagSafe - I just don’t need it. To me charging wirelessly, though good to have as a fallback, seems wasteful in terms of energy use, potentially damaging to the battery pack if used long-term (mostly because of induced heat in the charging coils), so if Apple removed MagSafe from all phones tomorrow and left instead Qi charging, I’d be fine with it. (I strongly doubt that Apple will do this.)
I do take advantage of the MagSafe magnets for accessories, such as the MagSafe wallet I carry my driver’s license in, and I have a MagSafe mount on my bicycle, but those would work with a case that provided the MagSafe magnet ring if the phone did not have them. And I believe that some third-party 16e cases exist that can do this.
As for camera quality - I know people who happily take photos with their mediocre iPad and iPad mini cameras rather than their phones, sometimes because it’s handy, sometimes because it has a large screen that makes framing the photo easier for older eyes.
FWIW, AT&T’s pitch for the last few years sounds like what Verizon no longer offers. You get a relatively large “discount” on a new phone, but it’s doled out in monthly increments over three years. And you have to trade in a phone that meets certain minimum standards, and agree to the three-year contract.
Uh, what you said is what the reviews said.
A somewhat odd claim since it’s been revealed the battery Wh capacity increased by roughly the same amount as the battery life. 
Apple staff still ogle my 13 Mini at the store, saying “don’t ever get rid of that phone. Wish I had one.” Very disappointing small form phones are gone. Was hoping to upgrade but will use my iPad mini 7 as a stand in for Intelligence.
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I’ve always paid full price up front (I’ve always bought an iPhone SE). T-mobile doesn’t really offer much in the way of discounts unless I add another line, which I don’t need and will significantly increase my monthly fee. I may trade in my current SE and purchase the new 16e directly from Apple (bought my last phone directly from them).
I like mine. The problem is the Home button on the bottom. That’s a mechanical component and t will wear out before the phone does. I have an iPod and that’s exactly what happened.
It’s going to be fun watching all these reviewers come back in Sep with their 17 Air reviews. Right now, many of them sound like they’re saying the 16e isn’t for people who like to take pictures, as if anybody who does photography needs at least 3 different lenses to get a decent shot. But when Apple releases the rumored 17 Air as a higher-end iPhone with just a single lens and everybody and their dog will be scrambling to find a reason to get this “totally new iPhone”, it’ll be interesting to see if the same reviewers won’t come to a rather different conclusion regarding single lens being adequate for decent photography. 
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A lot of people like to do photography which is slightly out of the mainstream, some of which requires a longer lens. I like to do bird photography without carrying a heavy camera/lens and will consider the next phone, which will likely have a 5x 48 megapixel camera. This should work well with the central 12 mp for a 10x lens if Apple improves the optical image stabilization. It won’t be as good as a larger camera system but will at least be portable and should work decently in bright light for stationary subjects.