The rumors turned out to be correct, even if most were styling it with a capital E rather than a lower-case one: the iPhone SE 4 is officially named the iPhone 16e.
One question is what the e stands for. Apple has often been vague about the meaning of suffices like S, R, and SE when appended to various iPhone models, but it did provide an answer this time …
Majin Bu was correct
Leaker Majin Bu was first to suggest the new name, at the beginning of January, and was correct with all the details (if we forgive the upper-case E).
Based on what my source has reported, it seems that the new iPhone that Apple will unveil in 2025 will not be called iPhone SE4, but iPhone 16E. It should feature a design similar to the iPhone 14, with an OLED display and an action button. The available colors will be white and black.
He also referenced apparent packaging shortly before the announcement.
Apple’s history of vague suffixes
Apple has form for using letter suffixes with no clear explanation of what they mean. The ‘S’ in the iPhone 3GS was said to stand for ‘speed,’ but it had no clear meaning in the iPhone 4S to 6S timeframe.
The iPhone 5C was a clear one, with a ‘colorful’ meaning (we’re pretty sure Apple wouldn’t mean ‘cheap’!).
The Macintosh SE stood for Special Edition, but it wasn’t 100% clear whether it had the same meaning in the iPhone SE.
We also had the iPhone XR and XS before Apple adopted the more informative mini, Plus, Pro, and Pro Max conventions.
What does the e stand for in iPhone 16e?
John Gruber notes that someone asked the question in yesterday’s press briefing, and Apple said it meant … nothing at all.
In an online press briefing today, when asked whether the E stands for anything, an Apple rep said no, it does not stand for anything, but that it’s built for everyone. I don’t think she meant to imply that the E secretly stands for everyone, if only because I’m pretty sure Apple doesn’t want everyone buying the lowest-price iPhone model.
So, that’s the official answer: it’s just a random letter.
Image: 9to5Mac/Apple
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