Apple’s new iPhone 16e arrived on my doorstep at a critical time in our personal tech world. Prices are higher, consumer demand is lower, and all the “incremental improvements” companies are pushing to get us to dole out the equivalent of a mortgage payment for the next new thing are,

A rumor from some weeks back is suddenly gathering steam, suggesting a different iPhone is on the brink of release.

Before the iPhone 16e’s arrival, the best budget iPhone option was the SE, which had a decade-plus-old design and a tiny IPS screen with a lower resolution and an IPS panel. Replacing the SE with a product with modern design, top-tier specs, and Apple Intelligence is a major leap forward for Apple’s entry-level smartphone.