Apple iPhone 16e Cancelled The iPhone SE! And All Things (RED)

The iPhone 16e hasn’t received the same sort of reception as its pricier siblings. Introduced as one of the most affordable iPhones for the foreseeable future, the iPhone 16e is Apple’s take on the midrange phone formula, designed to take on the Google Pixel 8a, Samsung Galaxy S24 FE and OnePlus 13R. It also killed two of Apple’s legendary offerings that had a huge fan following. 

The first fatality is the iPhone SE series and the second one being the termination of the (Product) Red colourway. 

Yep, you read that right! The (Product) Red Apple gadgets have gone for good. The iPhone 16e only comes in white and black colourways – no (Product) Red anymore. In fact, none of the Apple products currently on sale come painted in the signature red colour. Even the cases and other accessories no longer offer a red colourway. 

A moment of silence for (Product) Red then! 

No (Product) Red Apple gadgets

The collaboration between Apple and (Red) kicked off in 2006 when Apple came up with a red variant of the iPod Touch 5th Gen. Over the years, Apple kept introducing various products in a (Product) Red avatar, most of them being cases and accessories. However, the collaboration took to new heights when Apple released a (Product) Red iteration of the iPhone 7. More red versions of the iPhones followed with every successive generation. Even the iPhone SE 2nd Gen got a (Product) Red treatment in 2020 and Apple followed it up for the 3rd Gen variant. 

Before 2020, Apple proudly declared that every (Product) Red gadget purchase would contribute to the fight against AIDS. Post-2020 red editions contributed to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The shade of red changed with every product and new generation and it sparked a trend of red smartphones for a few years.

However, it seemed that the collaboration reached its end over the last few years as Apple stopped offering the (Product) Red colourway on its newer iPhones, accessories and other products. Although Apple never gave a formal reason behind the discontinuation, it seems that Apple’s goal of going carbon neutral by 2030 took priority over everything else. 

The end of iPhone SE too

The iPhone 16e also led to the discontinuation of the iPhone SE lineup. The SE series has always been perceived as a cut-price version of the iPhone and may have led to branding issues. As a result, the iPhone SE 4th Gen was renamed to iPhone 16e. Apple says that the iPhone 16e offers an experience closer to the iPhone 16 – what seems more valid is the price tag being closer to the iPhone 16 too. 

Regardless of the reasons, the iPhone SE moniker seems to be dead for now. Long live the retro old iPhones. 

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