Welcome back! 🍎
Here’s the latest with Apple.

• The iPhone 16e launch

• Apple’s big software delays

• & more!

📊 Poll

Last week, we asked: Do you think the upcoming budget iPhone will be called iPhone SE or iPhone 16E?

Here were my favorite replies:

This week: Do you think the iPhone 16e is appropriately priced at $599? Why or why not? More on this below.

🗞️ The Latest

📲 Welcome, iPhone 16e

This week, Apple announced the newest member of the family, the iPhone 16e. And this has received quite the reaction. Let’s break it down.

• The iPhone 16e has a 6.1" OLED display with Face ID, the Action Button to replace the mute switch, and a notch instead of Dynamic Island.

• It’s the first product to use Apple’s new in-house C1 modem. This replaces the existing Qualcomm modem and while it won’t perform as well (no mmWave), it is more efficient and gives the 16e longer battery life.

• It has a single 48mp camera with an integrated 2x Telephoto.

• A18 chip with 1 less GPU core than the iPhone 16.

• 8GB of RAM, which means it supports Apple Intelligence.

• Starts at $599 for 128GB, comes in Matte Black & White.

• Pre-orders begin today and it ships next Friday.

What’s Missing?

• The most disappointing omission has to be MagSafe compatibility. It can charge wirelessly, but only at the slow 7.5W.

• Camera Control is missing as well, although most haven’t been a fan of that button anyway.

• Since there’s a notch, Dynamic Island is missing. So no cool animations and being able to check your flight details while in another app.

• Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 support is missing; the 16e only supports Wi-Fi 6.

• But more importantly, the Ultra Wideband chip is missing! This means that features like precision finding with AirTags/AirPods won’t work.

• Smaller features are missing, but these are the noteworthy ones.

• Watch my full video comparing the iPhone 16 to the 16e.

My take: Yes, the iPhone 16e costs more than previous SE models, but it’s also not a direct SE replacement. I see this as a similar release to the iPhone XR back in 2018 and if you remember, that phone sold extremely well.

I think the 16e is a better buy than the iPhone 15 since it has Apple Intelligence support, better battery life, it will last longer in terms of software support, and it’s cheaper.

Let’s not forget that there will be dozens of new Apple Intelligence features introduced over the next few years. Why miss out on all of those features by getting an older iPhone 15 that won’t have access to those features?

Anyway, I do think the iPhone 16e is a great entry-level iPhone and while the price is on the higher side of expectations, I believe it to be the sweet spot in the pricing ladder. However, I’m still not a fan of Apple removing MagSafe support.

⚙️ What’s up with Apple Software?

iOS 18.4 is one of the most anticipated versions of iOS 18 and Apple has delayed not only some of the features included but also the release of Beta 1. Here’s the latest.

• iOS 18.4 Beta 1 was supposed to be released this week but it was delayed due to “engineering reasons.”

• This comes after it was revealed that some of the big changes coming to Siri have been delayed due to last-minute engineering and software bugs.

• Now, some of these Siri changes are expected to come in iOS 18.5.

• Along with the iPhone 16e launch, Apple confirmed that the final release of iOS 18.4 will be coming in April.

• In related (good) news, Apple has confirmed that the iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max and the iPhone 16e will get Visual Intelligence in a future update - likely iOS 18.4. This will be activated via a control center toggle, which can also be mapped to the Action Button. Nice!

My take: This whole Apple Intelligence situation has been very unlike Apple. There have been countless delays and features missing for months. However, I’d much rather have stable software than a buggy version that was released prematurely. All we can do at this point is just hope these features don’t slip further to iOS 19.

📰 Quick Bites

• Apple Maps Might Start Showing Ads

• Each iPhone 16 model’s wallpaper is inspired by the number of camera lenses it has

• Apple Says 'Severance' Is Now More Popular Than 'Ted Lasso'

• M4 MacBook Air Models to Launch by March 'At the Latest'

• Apple Already Testing a C2 Modem for iPhones

• iPhone Design to Change 'Significantly' This Year

• iPhone 17 Pro Models Rumored to Feature Aluminum Frame

• iPhone 17 Lineup Rumored to Support Up to 35W Charging Speeds

• All iPhone 17 Models Will Feature Apple-Designed Wi-Fi Chip to 'Enhance Connectivity'

• MacBook Pro Now Expected to Get M5 Chip Before iPad Pro

• Humane has killed its Ai Pin less than a year after its release

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