Testing an 'affordable' flagship killer for three months

How will the iPhone 16e, which boasts flagship features at a much lower price than the iPhone 16, impact the ecosystem?

- Shouvik Das

On 28 February, Apple launched the iPhone 16e. Its pitch at the time: a smartphone with specifications comparable to the standard version of the latest iPhone, but almost 25% less expensive. Earlier this month, the iPhone 16e finished the first 100 days of being available to one of the world's largest smartphone markets—offering almost all of Apple's latest features, at a considerable discount.

Upon launch, there was conjecture that the iPhone 16e was a touch too expensive for what it offered—a single camera unit and no MagSafe wireless charging support for a phone that cost more than twice the average selling price of smartphones in India. Yet, for those looking at the Apple ecosystem, the iPhone 16e does seem to be making sense today.

A quick glance at storefronts shows you that the iPhone 16e is available for as low as ₹54,000 (before any bank-related offers or device exchanges). In comparison, the one-generation-old iPhone 15 costs ₹64,000, and the standard iPhone 16 is priced at ₹72,000 at the moment. This makes the iPhone 16e 15% less expensive than the iPhone 15, and 25% less than the iPhone 16—substantial margins for value-conscious first-time Apple buyers to consider.

However, it's not just the pricing and value that makes the iPhone 16e an interesting proposition. After 100 days with Apple's most affordable iPhone in India, there are a number of things that the iPhone 16e has done right.

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