The iPhone 16e skips MagSafe, but Apple says you didn't need it anyway

Summary

Apple excluded MagSafe from the iPhone 16e because its “target audience” usually plugs their phone in.

Initially, it was rumored Apple excluded it because of its C1 modem, but the company denied that being the reasoning.
The decision to remove MagSafe from the iPhone 16e is widely viewed as a cost-cutting measure by Apple.

Now that people have their hands on the iPhone 16e, one of the major criticisms the phone is receiving is its lack of MagSafe support. It’s a puzzling decision by Apple, especially considering the iPhone 16e costs $600. Now, the Cupertino-based company has reportedly revealed why it opted to exclude this feature from the phone.

According to John Gruber’s Daring Fireball tech blog, Apple representatives who spoke to him explained that the decision to omit MagSafe from the iPhone 16e was based on its “target audience.”

“Most people in the iPhone 16e’s target audience exclusively charge their phones by plugging them into a charging cable,” Gruber said, paraphrasing Apple’s comments, noting that Apple believes individuals purchasing the iPhone 16e “tend to not use inductive charging at all.”

Apple iPhone 16e

Brand: Apple
SoC: A18 (3nm)
Display: 6.1-inch 2352 x 1170 pixel resolution Super Retina XDR, 1,200 nits, 60Hz
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB
Ports: USB-C

The iPhone 16e lacks MagSafe, but Apple’s C1 modem isn’t to blame

The iPhone 16e ditches MagSafe, and the reason isn’t because of the Apple’s C1 modem.

A bold assumption by Apple

Apple’s opinion is that users on a budget only plug in their phone?

iPhone 16e charging on blue background. — Apple / Pocket-lint

Apple / Pocket-lint

Initially, it was rumored that Apple excluded MagSafe from the iPhone 16e because it interfered with the Apple C1 modem inside the device. However, that rumor was quickly shut down by Apple, which strongly denied this claim. It seems Apple’s decision here rests solely on the belief that MagSafe would not be utilized by the phone’s target audience. Whether potential consumers actually share that view remains unclear and is a separate issue altogether. Nevertheless, it is safe to say that this is a bold assumption.

Since 2020, when the iPhone 12 series launched, MagSafe has been a prominent feature of every iPhone model (except the iPhone SE 3). Even the iPhone 12 mini and 13 mini had MagSafe. Given that the iPhone 16e is angled to be a budget-friendly iPhone, it’s widely viewed that Apple made the decision to ditch MagSafe from the 16e as a cost-cutting measure, even though its $600 price tag is notably higher than the $429 iPhone SE 3 from 2022.

Apple seems to be adopting a “we know what’s best for you” approach with the iPhone 16e, and whether that will pay off for the company will be known soon enough. My view of the whole situation is that Apple is essentially telling iPhone 16e customers, “lol, just plug it in.” If Apple goes ahead and releases an iPhone 17e next year, I’m willing to bet it will have MagSafe and be touted as an upgrade. For now, a solution to the problem for iPhone 16e users is to pick up a MagSafe-compatible case for the device.