The iPhone 16e just gave Samsung and other smartphone makers a big advantage

It's been nearly three years since the third-gen — and now final — iPhone SE launched, and today, Apple finally unveiled its successor. The iPhone 16e isn't just an unintentional throwback to one of Samsung's best phones of the 2010s, it's also Apple's bold strategy for offering a more affordable iPhone. Gone are the days of sub-$500 iMessage machines. Now, if you want your kids, your parents, or any other budget-minded person in your life to have an iPhone, you'll need to shell out a whole lot more cash to get there.