First, the company shifted away from the “SE” branding after nearly a decade. Then it priced the budget phone higher than expected at $599 – a notable jump from the $429 iPhone SE.

Despite my initial skepticism, I ended up feeling positively about the new iPhone 16e and why it may be a lucrative option, especially for first-time iPhone buys.

Apple's iPhone 16E, the replacement for the 2020 iPhone SE, has seen the company finally kill off multiple things in one go.