In an effort to expand the market for a package of artificial intelligence technology, Apple has made a sleeker and more expensive version of its least-priced iPhone in an effort to increase demand for its most lucrative product line-up.
The iPhone 16e, which was unveiled on Wednesday, is the fourth generation of a model that is significantly less expensive than the iPhone’s premium and standard models. The iPhone SE was the most recent model to be released in 2022, replacing the previous bargain-bin models, which were called.
Like the higher-priced , iPhone 16 lineup unveiled last September, the iPhone 16e includes the souped-up computer chip needed to process an array of AI features that automatically summarise text and audio and create on-the-fly emojis while smartening up the device’s virtual assistant, Siri. Additionally, the camera and battery will be more powerful.
The starting price for an iPhone 16e will be $ 600, which is a 40% increase over the previous iPhone SE’s $ 430 price tag. However, the iPhone 16e, priced at $800, will be more affordable than the cheapest standard iPhone 16. The new phone will go on sale on February 28 but can be pre-ordered starting Friday.
Maximise reach vs profits
According to Forrester Research analyst Dipanjan Chatterjee, Apple is also trying to strike a balance between its desire to provide a more affordable iPhone that will attract more customers and its desire to maximize its profits from selling higher-priced products.
A lower-end product in a luxury portfolio should be good but not so good as to cannibalize the crown jewels, according to Chatterjee.
Apple has been hyping its AI venture since June, but the full set of features have not yet been released in the US, and some regions of the world do not even have access to it.
The Cupertino, California company was hit by the delays in making the iPhone’s AI, which is now known as “Apple Intelligence,” more widely available through free software updates during the recent holiday season, when sales of the device slightly dropped from their 2023 levels.
Apple has primarily lost ground there, with no word on when the iPhone’s AI technology will be accessible. However, the company recently forged an AI agreement with Alibaba in China that could enable the technology to be released on iPhones there in the first half of this year.
The iPhone 16e has a different appearance than the previous SE models, in addition to being able to handle AI for the first time. It no longer has the SE model’s home screen button, which is slightly larger than the SE model’s 4. 7-inch display screen. Similar to the higher-priced models, the new iPhone 16e will have a facial recognition option for unlocking the device.
Source: Aljazeera
Leave a Reply