iPhone 16E To Be The Cheapest Apple iPhone In 2025?

The iPhone SE 4 isn’t happening! 

Before you seep down into depression as an ex-iPhone SE user, Apple is changing names this time. It will be now called the iPhone 16E and there are several good reasons why Apple is associating its cheapest iPhone with its greatest one (yet). 

For a long time, the rumours have talked about the fourth-generation iPhone SE and how it will be a step up from the tried-and-tested formula of the previous-gen iPhone SE models. No more fat display bezels and no more putting up with the inconvenience of a small battery! The price would be higher though and Apple would love to present it as an alternative to phones like the Google Pixel 8a and Samsung Galaxy S24 FE. 

Prior to the rumoured launch window of March 2025, Apple is now expected to discard the ‘SE’ branding altogether and associate its most affordable offering with its latest one. This is more like taking a page out of Google’s nomenclature book!

What will the iPhone SE 4 be called?

iPhone 16E.

The iPhone 16E will supplement the iPhone 16 series as Apple’s most affordable offering. Since the ‘16’ is now part of the name, Apple will give its baby iPhone the same chipset as the full-blown iPhone 16. The A18 chipset will not only future-proof the iPhone 16E with regards to performance, power efficiency and software support but also makes it eligible for the brand’s much-hyped Apple Intelligence.

Why would one buy the iPhone 15 then?

But hold on, there’s more. 

iPhone 16E to be iPhone 14 with heart of iPhone 16?

Affirmative. As has been the case with the iPhone SE formula for almost a decade, the iPhone 16E will essentially be a refined iPhone 14 that gets a heart transplant from the iPhone 16. This means that the most affordable iPhone won’t force its users to settle for a dated display with fat bezels and the same old TouchID sensor. 

The iPhone 16E will gain a 6.06-inch OLED XDR display with a small notch on its top. The notch will house a FaceID sensor, thus eliminating the TouchID fingerprint sensor from the iPhone finally. The OLED screen will be limited to 60Hz refresh rate, just like the iPhone 16. We also doubt that the iPhone 16E will share the same bright OLED panel as the iPhone 16.

Moving ahead, the iPhone 16E will settle for a single rear camera system, thus eliminating the ultrawide sensor that’s found as standard on the iPhone 16. Rumours suggest that this single camera could use the old 12-megapixel sensor to not only cut costs but also give a reason to upgrade to the iPhone 16. 

We also know the prices!

Not the actual prices from Apple but the tipster, which in this case is Digital Chat Station (a reliable source), confirms that the iPhone 16E is going to arrive with a price of USD 499 (approximately INR 43,000), which is on par with the prices of the Pixel 8a, Samsung’s S24 FE and OnePlus 13R. These are still rumours but Apple is expected to keep the price this low to move units. 

Not an April Fool's joke!

Although earlier rumours had hinted at a launch window nestled in March 2025, this tipster suggests that the iPhone 16E is coming out in April. April is usually a busy month for midrange phones and Apple would want to capitalise on the ‘midrange season’.