The Name

While rumors had been circulating that Apple would choose to brand the new model the iPhone 16E, it was hard to take those seriously. Not only did they come from folks with mixed track records for accuracy, but there were some logical reasons why the next-generation budget iPhone should stick with the “SE” name — or at least get another more generic designation.

Chief among these is the fact that iPhone 16e (the one thing the leakers missed was the lower-case “e,” but that’s a minor nit) suggests an annual refresh. It will feel pretty odd for the iPhone 16e to still be on sale in four years when Apple announces the iPhone 19 lineup. However, Apple was never under any obligation to space these models out, so maybe annual or at least bi-annual updates are precisely what it has in mind. Perhaps we’ll see an iPhone 17e next year.

The other factor was that the new iPhone still wouldn’t quite feel like a part of the iPhone 16 family. By all reports, it would look like an iPhone 14, complete with the notch and ring/silent switch, but with only one camera and a USB-C port. However, Apple seems to have met the iPhone 16 era halfway here, which brings us to the next surprise…