In context: President Trump's 104% tariff on goods imported from China is now in effect. It will have an enormous impact on many US firms, especially Apple, which relies heavily on China to manufacture its iPhones. Trump believes the solution is to start making the handsets in the US, but that would be nearly impossible, especially in the short term. And even if it were, iPhones would likely become much more expensive.
Apple's new entry-level iPhone 16e features the powerful A18 SoC, a great OLED display, and Apple AI features. However, it brings back the notch, has only one rear camera, and lacks MagSafe. If Apple Intelligence isn't a priority (why should it be?), the iPhone 15 costs just $100 more.
The big picture: Apple has introduced a redesigned version of its entry-level iPhone that is also debuting new branding. The iPhone 16e is based on the flat-edge design that Apple reintroduced with the iPhone 12 and comes packed with modern hardware and software capabilities – but at a price point that significantly increases the cost of entry compared to the old SE.
In brief: Apple has been secretly collaborating with SpaceX and T-Mobile to integrate Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet into the latest iPhone software. The fruits of the partnership came to light this week with the release of iOS 18.3, which now supports connecting to SpaceX's orbiting Starlink network. Essentially, this functionality allows your iPhone to surf the web and more via satellite when cellular service is out of range.
Cutting corners: Apple Intelligence is now an "opt-out" feature across the entire Apple ecosystem, despite still being marketed as a beta product. Most users aren't keen to have incomplete features forced upon them, but shoving AI down everybody's throat is a popular trend among corporations dabbling in the technology.