This week, Apple has launched the iPhone 16e. There are many commentators with a negative view on the iPhone 16e. Many of them called the iPhone 16e an inferior product and wrong product decision by Apple. I very much disagree with this view. I would like to explain why I disagree.
Who is going to buy the product? A person or an organization which wants to cheapest available iPhone. This will be a customer who does not care for the latest features or fancy colors. They have made the decision based on long term use and a proper support channel. This is especially true for large organizations which are frequently called enterprises. It is especially true for government organizations. These customers buy “fleet devices” by the thousands.
In this type of organisation, users will be issued their iPhone with a screen protector pre-installed, a case, and a USB charger. In some cases Bluetooth might be restricted. If they need a replacement for their accessories, they will call IT or get it from the vending machine. Therefore, there is not much upsell potential for Apple or any third-party accessories manufacturer. Even if these devices came with MagSafe and an UWB chip, it is unlikely that Apple or any other manufacturer would be able to sell any additional accessories to these user groups. So, no upsell on an AirTag or a MagSafe charger.
Enterprises need a device that can last them three to five years. This is a perfect fit for the iPhone 16e. Sure, there are organizations who are deploying iPhone 15 Pro or 16 Pro to their users. These are often VIP users, and the exception.
For the average office worker the iPhone 16e is perfect. The increased battery life is also important for these organisations, as some of them deploy their MDM solution in a darksite scenario where you need to use an Always On VPN or VPN On Demand. These VPN configuration can be very taxing on the battery life. Any increase in battery life is appreciated by these user groups.
Why not a cheaper Android? There are use cases in organisations where Android is the only choice. But often, at least in my experience, iPhones and iPads are much better to manage than most Android devices. The majority of my customers issues iPhones to their users. This is often driven by the fact that the TCO for any iPhone is much better than of most Android devices and the iPhones have a higher acceptance with the users. Even when given the choice between a comparably priced Android smartphone and an iPhone, e.g., iPhone 15 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S24, users tend to select the iPhone.
I am sure there are many enterprises and similar organizations out there which have delayed their smartphone device refresh because they were waiting for “the new iPhone SE”. That is why I think the e in iPhone 16e is for enterprise. If I would have the budget for a new test device, I would have pre-ordered an iPhone 16e.