Apple has officially discontinued the third-generation iPhone SE and iPhone 14 soon after the launch of the iPhone 16e. This means the 16e is now the most affordable iPhone that Apple sells today. The iPhone SE 3 was previously its cheapest iPhone while the iPhone 14 continued to offer great value for those seeking more power and relatively modern features.
Apple stopped selling the iPhone SE 3 and iPhone 14 in the European Union long before today’s iPhone 16e announcement. The reason being, they were the only iPhones in the market with a Lightning port and the EU now mandates all devices to have USB Type-C.
Apple doesn’t say it out loud in so many words but the discontinuation of the iPhone SE 3—and launch of the iPhone 16e—also signals the end of the road for the special edition iPhones that have existed since 2016. With no new replacement in years and the 16E being marketed as the “most affordable” iPhone, this could mean a fresh beginning for how Apple does these phones.
Whether or not it would continue to build them with more frequency remains to be seen. But whatever be the case, it is all but certain that 2025 is looking “packed” as far as iPhone launches are concerned. The iPhone 17 series is expected to introduce an “Air” model, adding on to an already expansive lineup of regular, plus, pro, and pro max models.
Anyhow, the big breaking news for today is the launch of the brand-new iPhone 16e. The phone draws design inspiration from the iPhone 14 and power from the iPhone 16’s A18 chip. It is the first to feature Apple’s own 5G cellular modem which is called C1 and billed as the most power-efficient one on an iPhone.
Base storage has been bumped up to 128GB and a single 48-megapixel camera calls the shots with features like 4K video recording and night mode. Apple Intelligence is supported. The one glaring omission is MagSafe charging. The iPhone 16e starts at Rs 59,900 in India and will be available for buying from February 28. Pre-orders kick-off on February 21.
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