Today, Apple unveiled the brand new iPhone 16e. A new iPhone SE model had been long-rumored, as it had been so long since Apple refreshed the lineup. And at $599, the iPhone 16e is the most affordable of Apple’s latest generation of smartphones.
However, with the launch of the iPhone 16e, Apple has discontinued three older generation iPhone models that it was still selling. On Wednesday, Apple pulled the plug on the iPhone SE, iPhone 14 and 14 Plus.
Apple usually discontinues an older generation model of iPhones when it introduces a brand new one, so this isn’t unexpected. However, the iPhone 16e is a pretty big price jump from the previous SE model, from a $429 starting price to a $599 pricepoint. So, we’re now looking at a minimum of $600 if you want an iPhone.
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In addition, the iPhone SE was the last iPhone model to have a physical “Home” button. The iPhone 16e does not have one, so it seems the “Home” button has died along with the end of the old iPhone SE line.
Like the previous iPhone SE model, the iPhone 14 was launched in 2022. It has since been succeeded by both the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16. In fact, the iPhone 16e makes for a similar yet more powerful replacement for the iPhone 14 as well. So, the loss of the iPhone 14 isn’t really a big deal.
However, for users wanting a larger iPhone, the iPhone 14 Plus served as the cheapest available option. There is no new similarly priced, similarly designed replacement. Now, users who simply want a bigger-sized iPhone will have to pay more for one.
