The iPhone 16e is the newest release from Apple, which comes with a lot of exciting features. Unfortunately, it has fallen short of what a lot of hopeful consumers would expect. It is very different from the iPhone SE in terms of its name and price point.
A recent study of Apple consumers and those who bought an iPhone SE recently showed possible pitfalls for Apple with this new model. The most recent report from CIRP was concerned with the demographic of users of the iPhone SE. This included discussions of how these users deviate from the typical iPhone user community regarding their shopping behaviors.
Its main focus was on the most recent device owned by these users of iPhone devices. The findings threaten a considerable hurdle for Apple: conning SE owners that they will upgrade to the iPhone 16e.
Analysis from CIRP shows how price is a big factor with the iPhone SE customer cohort, anchoring any hopes that the price of $599 at which the iPhone 16e kicks off will drive potential purchasers into the arms of a competitor.
One particularly interesting statistic is that 45% of SE purchasers previously owned a ‘number’ model; this shows that even those who had an experience with a higher-end iPhone have no confidence in its benefits. They opted to go for the SE being a budget model.
When the cost of owning a new entry-level iPhone is $599, that becomes a hard decision for SE owners at the point of upgrading. They will either invest a princely amount in the 16e model or look for another, cheaper Android device or perhaps even a refurbished iPhone
Apple would certainly hope for the former. But it is a very big jump from $429 to $599. Carrier promotions will alleviate costs, but most certainly, many users of iPhone SE are with budget carriers that do not benefit from such laden promotions.
