Apple Inc.’s iPhone 16e is outpacing initial sales of the third-generation iPhone SE released a few years ago, but won’t be enough to reverse a China slide, according to analyst firm IDC.

Both the iPhone SE and iPhone 16E have aluminum frames, with the larger size of the 16E giving it a bit more weight: 167 grams, versus the SE's 144g. The iPhone SE has an IP67 rating for water resistance, while the 16E bumps that to an IP68 rating. The iPhone SE comes in black, white and Product RED. The iPhone 16E comes in black and white.

Apple (APPLE) iPhone 16e is outperforming the initial sales of the third-generation iPhone SE launched a few years ago, but isn’t enough to reverse the company’s sales decline in China, analyst firm IDC suggests.

With a starting price of $599, Apple Inc.’s iPhone 16e is hardly a budget phone.

The iPhone 16e sales were 60% stronger in its opening three days, compared to the iPhone SE from 2022, but China sales are forecasted to decline by about 2%.

One important addition to the 16e is FaceID, used to unlock the phone as well as for security in apps and for payment. The iPhone SE was the last handset to still use Touch ID, which scans your fingerprint. However, this is still also used by all iPads with the exception of the iPad Pro models, as well as MacBooks.

Apple's iPhone 16e makes some trades to hit a lower price, but it makes a case for itself as the cheapest phone that will last the longest.

A new iPhone for $600 / €700? Entry-level prices like these and even lower were last seen with the iPhone SE. However, that device was pretty far behind in terms of form factor, battery life and other modern features.