Apple has introduced a brand new iPhone which brings synthetic intelligence (AI) options at a decrease price than its flagship handsets.
The iPhone 16e has the identical processor because the bigger iPhone 16, Apple mentioned, with related storage choices, although a decrease spec elsewhere, together with fewer cameras.
Apple has been struggling to discover a new product that excites shoppers – gross sales of iPhones dropped on the finish of final 12 months.
It will likely be hoping that bringing enhanced AI performance to a inexpensive telephone will handle that – nonetheless analysts have been cautious concerning the gross sales increase such instruments deliver.
Its title is clearly a nod to its iPhone SE collection, which have been launched from 2016 to 2022, and have been additionally decrease priced.
Apple mentioned the iPhone 16e can be out there for pre-order from 21 February in 59 international locations.
It is going to launch within the UK for £599, which is £200 lower than the iPhone 16 – however greater than double the value of the unique iPhone SE went for when it launched in 2016.
“This now turns into some of the inexpensive highly effective iPhones now available on the market,” business analyst Paolo Pescatore informed BBC Information.
“The transfer ought to assist speed up adoption and particularly its foray into AI with Apple Intelligence.”
Nevertheless different specialists have questioned how a lot worth shoppers placed on AI – an space Apple has spent $189bn (£150bn) on within the final decade.
“All now we have to point out for that’s the HomePod and $3,500 ski goggles,” mentioned Cory Johnson, Epistrophy Capital Analysis chief market strategist, referring to Apple’s Imaginative and prescient Professional headset, which has not bought many items.
“AI ought to be proper in Apple’s wheelhouse. However Apple fanboys, fangirls, and traders are proper to be disillusioned to date,” Mr Johnson added.
In the meantime, tech influencer Marques Brownlee mentioned in a publish on X (previously Twitter) that the “most lowkey attention-grabbing factor” concerning the iPhone 16e was its new C1 modem.
It’s the first time Apple has used its personal modem design for the iPhone, having beforehand relied on Qualcomm and Intel’s chips to supply mobile connectivity.
This additionally meant paying pricey licensing charges to these chip giants – one thing Apple has beforehand wrangled over with Qualcomm in court docket.
Adopting its personal modems would additionally assist the tech big realise a imaginative and prescient laid out by chief government Tim Prepare dinner in 2009 of proudly owning and controlling the tech powering its merchandise.
A lot of the dialog across the new handset will doubtless centre round its energy, with Apple electing to make use of the identical A18 chip behind its costlier gadgets.
This implies the 16e can be able to taking part in the identical video games and working the identical apps as different iPhones – although AI is probably going on the coronary heart of this resolution.
Mr Prepare dinner mentioned within the announcement the brand new mannequin featured “the efficiency, intelligence and privateness” Apple followers “anticipate” from the agency.
And he mentioned the Apple Intelligence options on the system would “show you how to save time, shortly get extra issues achieved, and categorical your self in new methods”.
The agency launched its spin on the tech – Apple Intelligence – with this collection of gadgets, which incorporates new instruments for writing and incorporating OpenAI’s chatbot ChatGPT into Siri.
It hasn’t at all times gone effectively, with the agency at one level suspending its AI-generated information alerts after they created false headlines attributed to information organisations together with the BBC.
It now presents the summaries in italics.
Apple mentioned its new telephone is “constructed for Apple Intelligence”, and pointed to sure options of the tech, like a simple approach to clear up pictures or search your picture library.
Different telephone producers have related options on their gadgets – although the iPhone 16e can be by far the most cost effective approach to entry AI on an Apple handset.
“The iPhone 16e generates a brand new income stream for Apple, and this can be notably noticeable in key markets like India, the place iPhones are out of attain for most individuals,” mentioned Forrester principal analyst Dipanjan Chatterjee.
“There may be additionally a second-order impact of cheaper gadgets just like the iPhone 16e, bringing new prospects into the Apple ecosystem,” he added.
The tech big additionally seems to aiming its new handset at house owners of older fashions, within the hope of boosting upgrades.
A graphic on its web site says “there’s by no means been a greater time to improve” and permits customers to match the iPhone 16e’s specs to fashions relationship again to 2019.
“We have seen a restricted urge for food amongst most of the put in base to improve from earlier variations, however the brand new telephone reduces the fee hurdle of becoming a member of the Apple Intelligence bandwagon,” mentioned Mr Chatterjee.
Further reporting by Lily Jamali.
