Apple’s new iPhone 16e arrived on my doorstep at a critical time in our personal tech world. Prices are higher, consumer demand is lower, and all the “incremental improvements” companies are pushing to get us to dole out the equivalent of a mortgage payment for the next new thing are,

Apple's iPhone 16e features significant upgrades over the previous entry-level iPhone, including Apple Intelligence, Face ID, and an Action button.

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.