# Apple unveils iPhone 16e and drops the iPhone SE and 14 Plus
Event date: 2025-02-19
Apple has launched the iPhone 16e and, with it, ended production of the iPhone SE and iPhone 14 Plus while also removing the iPhone 14 from its website. The supplied 9to5Mac report says the new handset is Apple's first product of the year and that the company had originally been expected by many to reuse the SE name. Instead, Apple opted for a new label and used the launch to streamline a part of the lineup that had started to look crowded.
The change is more than a naming exercise. According to the report, the iPhone 16e starts at $599, well above the $429 starting price of the iPhone SE. That price gap matters because Apple has long used the SE as its budget-leaning entry point. The report says the 16e's 6.1-inch display and general design make it a clear replacement for the iPhone 14, but anyone looking for a lower-cost model with a Home button now has to look elsewhere.
Apple's move also leaves a smaller set of obvious choices in the regular iPhone range. The report says the iPhone 14 is still expected to exist in channel inventory, but it is no longer on Apple's site. That distinction is useful because it means the company has not completely erased the model from the market, even if it has removed it from its direct sales lineup. In practical terms, buyers now face a cleaner but more expensive ladder of options.
The launch suggests Apple is making a deliberate shift in what it wants the entry iPhone to be. The 16e is presented as a more modern, simplified option that keeps the lineup fresh while cutting away older hardware. 9to5Mac describes the move as one that makes the lineup more streamlined and simple. The trade-off is obvious: a tighter product family on one side, and less room for bargain hunters on the other. People who wanted the cheapest new iPhone or the last new model with a Home button will now have to look to refurbished devices or prior-generation stock through third-party sellers.
For Apple, the decision is likely about both product strategy and positioning. The company appears to be using the 16e to reset the bottom end of the lineup around a more recent design, a larger display and a higher price. That creates a clearer bridge to the rest of the range, but it also ends an era for the SE name and the old home-button formula.
Apple's move also signals how it wants to sell the bottom of the market. By replacing several older models with one new entry device, the company can simplify its messaging while nudging customers toward a higher starting price. That may frustrate buyers who want the cheapest possible new phone, but it also keeps the lineup from being split between old-design bargains and newer, more expensive options. The 16e is therefore both a hardware update and a strategic reset.
