Apple 16e. Goodbye 64GB, hello $599
Image: https://www.apple.com/
Apple has just released a new glossy pre-recorded video, with Tim Apple speaking enthusiastically about Apple’s latest handset as they’ve just invented sliced bread.
If you know Apple products, you know this. If they launch a product in a pre-recorded video instead of a big stage event, there’s a reason they don’t want you paying too much attention.
You can pre-order it Friday, so before you throw down $599 for what Apple calls its most “affordable” iPhone I’m here to help. I’ve run down the advantages and disadvantages for you, and let you know why you should care about this latest gizmo.
The Specs
In
✅ Apple Intelligence
✅ Nonsensical name
✅ Apple Silicon
✅ ChatGPT stealing your personal data
✅ That Apple “privacy”
✅ Satellite service in “selected countries and regions” (wherever they are)
✅ 60hz screen
✅ Camera that is probably not as good as an iPhone pro, but still has many megapixels so it’s hard to tell
✅ USB-C
✅ Overpriced hardware
✅ Crash detection
✅ Action button (they still tout a button as a feature)
✅ 128GB storage
Out
❌ MagSafe
❌ That “I have a flagship iPhone” flex
❌ Any sign of innovation at all
❌ Anything an Android has at around half the price
❌ Any ultra wideband chip for carkeys / missing dog / missing partner as poor performance with AirTags
❌ Small screen sizes, SE RIP
❌ Affordability
And the big one:
❌ 64GB
Now that’s a big deal, but it comes at a cost.
The New Apple, Like the Old Apple
Apple has been selling overpriced hardware for a long time. To make their lineup seem affordable, they’ve traditionally started the base models with a laughably small 64GB of storage. As someone who has owned one of these, let me tell you: it’s a trap.
Trying to update the OS? Time to delete all your photos and offload every single app. It’s a painful, frustrating experience — and somehow even less fun than it sounds.
Most buyers eventually gave up and paid extra for a model with more storage, just so they could take photos of their kids without also signing their soul over to an iCloud subscription for extra $$$.
All of that would be fine. But this year, there’s a catch.
Apple finally ditched 64GB, but their “budget” iPhone? It now starts at $599.
So much for affordability.
Why Should You Care? (Especially If You’re a Developer)
For developers?
It’s yet another device to support, another set of screen sizes to test, and another excuse for Apple to break something that was working fine before.
The lack of features (like the wideband chip) means devs will need to start adding “feature not available on iPhone 16e” disclaimers.
And let’s be honest, if you’re a developer testing your app, you wouldn’t be caught dead using this thing as your daily driver.
The sad story is your boss is about to buy 20 of them for “test devices” because they’re the cheapest iPhones Apple still sells, bad times for all concerned.
Conclusion
Apple finally killed the 64GB model, but don’t celebrate just yet. I think they’ve only done it because Apple Intelligence eats 7GB on its own, whether you like it or not.
And what do you get in return? A phone that’s barely cheaper than a regular iPhone 16, but somehow worse than an iPhone 15. No MagSafe, no ultra-wideband, no actual innovation. Just Apple selling 3–5-year-old tech with a fresh coat of marketing gloss.
Honestly, this whole announcement could have been from 2017.
But don’t worry you can recreate that true “budget Apple” experience by buying an iPad 11. It comes with 64GB of storage. Good luck updating it.