If you think the iPhone Air is the only model in the current iPhone lineup that hasn’t been selling particularly well, this other one may not surprise you as much. Apparently, the iPhone 16e, which debuted in February 2025, has had some disappointing sales, according to an Asia-based leaker who’s known as “Fixed Focus Digital.”
In my opinion, this shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to anyone because I personally think the main problem with the iPhone 16e is its price. Starting at $599, it was intended to be a budget-friendly smartphone as well as the spiritual successor of the iPhone SE, whose last generation started at $429. Apple even claimed that the iPhone 16e was the newest member of the iPhone 16 family when it announced it. Sure, the iPhone 16e features a more modern design (albeit a design that’s based on the iPhone 14), as opposed to the outdated design with thick top/bottom bezels, an OLED display, Action Button, USB-C, and Face ID, but at the same time, the iPhone 16e omitted several features that flagship iPhones have been known for, including MagSafe for convenient wireless charging and the ultra-wideband chip for useful features such as Precision Finding. Not to mention that the iPhone 16e uses an older OLED panel that’s found on the iPhone 14, hence the notch design.
It’s without a doubt the worst-valued iPhone money can buy, and what makes this value even worse is that Apple just launched the base iPhone 17, which brings a lot more features to the table, including 120Hz ProMotion and Always-On Display, both of which were exclusive to the Pro models. Since the iPhone 17 starts at $799* with double the starting storage (256GB) as that of the iPhone 16e (128GB), there’s virtually no reason what you would choose the iPhone 16e over the base iPhone 17 as Apple makes the latter so good.
In spite of poor sales, “Fixed Focus Digital” still remains optimistic that Apple will release the next iPhone “e” in the spring of 2026, which will likely be called the “iPhone 17e,” which will likely feature a binned A19 chip as well as the Dynamic Island. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if the iPhone 17e will still lack MagSafe or the ultra-wideband chip for the sake of product differentiation. Only time will tell if these improvements to the next “e” model will help boost sales back up a bit.
*Includes a $30 discount when activating it with a carrier; $829 when purchasing it unlocked
