The first e series iPhone is about to arrive, with the iPhone 16e going on sale on Friday, Feb. 28. What does the new iPhone naming system mean for how often this part of the iPhone series will be refreshed?
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in his latest Power On newsletter, the fact that Apple has put a number instead of the letters SE in the name could hint at annual updates. I don’t buy it and I’ll tell you why, but let’s explore the argument and what it will mean for consumers.
“Then there’s the fact that Apple added a model number to the device, suggesting that the 16e will eventually give way to the 17e and 18e in an annual upgrade cycle. (The old brand was just called the iPhone SE for nearly 10 years.),” Gurman says.
Apple changes release schedules regularly, so it’s impossible to be certain, but I’d say this is very unlikely. The most affordable iPhone, when it was called the SE, swung between a two-year and three-year upgrade cycle, and I’d expect that to be the case here, too.
It’s worth noting that, as Gurman points out, though the 16e is the most affordable iPhone, it’s not a budget option any more, costing $170 more than the last iPhone SE.
“Rather than a truly cheap iPhone, the new model is more of a slightly downscale version of Apple’s flagship lineup. For $200 less than a regular iPhone 16, you get most of the features — but not all,” he says.
Which could theoretically lead to a more frequent renewal. Here’s why I think that’s wrong.
This fall, Apple will launch its iPhone 17 series and almost certainly will retire the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. The range will consist of the new iPhone 17 models, plus the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus at lower prices, and perhaps the iPhone 15.
The iPhone 16e will continue in the range, for certain, and at the same price, I would have thought. Though we are in new territory here, so it’s hard to be certain.
But next spring, the thought that the iPhone 16e will be replaced by the iPhone 17e seems fanciful to me. I believe it will stay for the launch of the iPhone 18 series in 2027 at least, and possibly until 2028, when it could be replaced by something called the iPhone 18e.
Gurman doesn’t think the annual upgrade is a shoo-in. “I’d bet Apple is waiting on early buyer data to decide whether to continue the line or not. As of now, I’d assume it’s not a yearly release,” he says. I agree with the lack of annual release, though I’d bet Apple has made up its mind and will not release an iPhone 17e next year.
