The iPhone 16e doesn’t have MagSafe, but apparently Apple thinks you didn’t want it anyway

Thanks a lot, Apple

· TechRadar

News By Jamie Richards published 28 February 2025

(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

  • The new iPhone 16e misses out on MagSafe
  • According to a notable tech blogger, Apple says this is because the phone's target audience doesn't use wireless charging
  • However, we're not sure what this claim is based on

The iPhone 16e is finally here, joining the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max as the latest and cheapest addition to Apple’s current-generation smartphone lineup.

However, the iPhone 16e misses out on some of the best features from its predecessors, chief among them being MagSafe, Apple’s proprietary system of in-phone magnets that facilitates a range of charging and accessory options.

The disappointment in the iPhone fanbase surrounding this omission must have been clear to Apple, as the company has apparently given a statement about the iPhone 16e’s lack of MagSafe (which, for reference, has been standard on all numbered iPhones since 2020’s iPhone 12 series).

This is according to notable tech blogger John Gruber (via his blog, Daring Fireball, who paraphrases a statement supposedly supplied by unnamed Apple representatives: “But according to Apple representatives, most people in the 16e’s target audience exclusively charge their phones by plugging them into a charging cable”.

It seems Apple’s opinion is that if you’re looking to buy an iPhone 16e, you probably didn’t even want MagSafe to begin with – whether that reflects actual consumer opinion is another matter.

As GSMArena notes, who exactly Apple thinks iPhone 16e buyers are remains unclear from this paraphrased statement, as do the figures and research upon which you’d imagine Apple would base its claim.

Rather than gaining MagSafe, like the iPhone 16 (right), the iPhone 16e (center) lacks the feature, much like the iPhone SE (left) (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

Priced at $599 / £599 / AU$999, the iPhone 16e is now the cheapest iPhone Apple sells directly, replacing the iPhone SE as the company’s budget handset and booting the iPhone 14 off of its price point and into the archives; both the iPhone SE and iPhone 14 (and iPhone 14 Plus) have been discontinued.

Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox

Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.

Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors