9to5Mac

I guess I’m far from alone in having non-techy friends ask my advice on which Apple device to buy. I always start by asking what’s important to them, and what they want to do with it.

For Macs, my advice changed significantly after the launch of the M1 MacBook Air. Prior to that, my answer to the question “which Mac should I buy for basic tasks like email, web, and writing” was quite often “buy an iPad and keyboard instead” …

The iPhone 16e is a unique phone for many reasons. The most notable feature, however, is that it includes Apple’s first-ever cellular modem, the C1. In an interview with Reuters this week, Johny Srouji, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Hardware Technologies, teased that the C1 is “just the start” of Apple’s work in this industry.

Meanwhile, Andru Edwards also had the opportunity to tour Apple’s modem testing labs for a behind-the-scenes look at what went into the development of the new C1 modem.

Apple is now streaming Onside: Major League Soccer, a new docuseries from the makers of Drive to Survive. It covers the drama of the 2024 MLS season, with behind the scenes access to players and managers from across the league.

The entire eight episode season is now available to watch on Apple TV+, Apple’s streaming service. MLS Season Pass subscribers also get access to the first episode for free, giving them a taster of the tone of the series.

Apple’s new iPhone is officially available for pre-order. You can head to Apple’s website now to place your pre-order for the iPhone 16e, with the first orders slated to arrive on Friday, February 28. The device will also hit Apple retail stores on that day.

Here’s a brief recap of what to expect from the iPhone 16e.

The iPhone 16e lacks support for MagSafe charging, an omission that has dominated conversations about Apple’s cheapest iPhone model this week. Initially, there was speculation that MagSafe might have been excluded due to interference with Apple’s C1 chip, which is its first-ever cellular modem designed for the iPhone.

Yesterday, Apple confirmed that the C1 has nothing to do with the omission of MagSafe on the iPhone 16e. New testing conducted by an iPhone case accessory manufacturer and shared with 9to5Mac adds more detail to the situation.

The iPhone 16e is powered by the A18 chip, but there’s one difference between its GPU and the version in the chip that powers the iPhone 16. While the iPhone 16 has a 5-core GPU, the iPhone 16E has a 4-core GPU.

New Geekbench results for the iPhone 16e reveal just how much of a performance impact buyers can expect, plus a few other tidbits about the device.

If you’re coming from an iPhone 8 Plus or iPhone XS, Apple’s newest iPhone may look like a downgrade when it comes to the camera. Fortunately, there’s more than meets the eye in Apple’s latest iPhone camera.

Brought to you by Uniq: Check out the new rugged cases from Uniq including the glow in the dark Combat Active iPhone case featuring a textured grip for ultimate control and a reflective lanyard. And the Stride SE, a high-performance Apple Watch sports band built tough with durable FKM.

Yesterday, Apple launched the new iPhone 16e, the cheapest new iPhone model in the lineup. It brings Apple Intelligence, Face ID, USB-C, the 48MP Fusion camera, and much more – all down to a starting price of just $599.

Obviously, the iPhone 16e is a noteworthy upgrade over the iPhone SE 3. However, there’s an easy comparison to be made to previous generation entry-level iPhones, such as the iPhone 12, 13, 14 and even iPhone 15 – for many great reasons. We’ll be diving into that here.

Tripsy, a popular app to help users plan and organize their trips, has just received another major update with some useful new features. The new version of the app makes it easier for users to check their expenses in different currencies and also to see nearby places on a map.

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This is Rumor Replay, a weekly column at 9to5Mac offering a quick rundown of the most recent Apple product rumors, with analysis and commentary. Today: iPhone 17 rumors and camera bars galore, plus Siri delays and Vision Pro upgrades. Here are this week’s Apple rumors.

Benjamin and Chance discuss the newly announced iPhone 16e, some peculiarities in feature omissions, and exactly what market a lower-cost iPhone actually serves. There’s also exciting new rumors about a second-generation Studio Display, and more doubts about whether Apple will be able to deliver Siri intelligence features in the short-term.

And in Happy Hour Plus, Humane shuts up shop and sells to HP. We reflect on the failings of the Ai Pin idea. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.

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Apple TV+ is hitting new highs this year, powered in large part by Severance’s massive success. Just a day after announcing that Severance is the streamer’s most viewed show ever, now Apple has shared that the just-released film, The Gorge, had the best launch ever for a movie on TV+.

Internally at 9to5Mac, there have been a few conversations about the lack of releases in new HomeKit cameras in recent years. The challenge with HomeKit Secure Video is that the manufacturer sees no option for recurring revenue, so I suspect that might be part of it. The wait for something new is over, though. Today, Aqara has released the new Aqara Camera Hub G5 Pro with HomeKit Secure Video support. I’ve had my hands on one for the last two weeks, so I am excited to share my experience.

Apple clearly has a target audience in mind for the new iPhone 16e. The company is also rather forthcoming about the future of the iPhone 16e.

Apple TV+ has gained a strong reputation for its lineup of sci-fi shows, including its new most popular series ever: Severance. Now, the company has just announced the release date for its next big sci-fi show. It’s called Murderbot, and it hits Apple TV+ this spring.

Apple remixed the 2025 iPhone lineup this week, outdating all existing buying advice until September. That’s when we expect the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and new ultra-thin version likely called iPhone 17 Air. Between now and then, however, there’s one piece of buying advice everyone should hear first.

The new iPhone 16e has a lot going for it, but one surprising shortcoming is its lack of MagSafe support. Some have theorized that Apple’s new C1 modem is the reason, but Apple has just denied that rumor completely.

Apple’s new iPhone 16e packs many of the modern features of the iPhone 16 into a more budget-friendly package that could be enticing to upgraders—especially those using an iPhone 14. Here’s a full iPhone 16e vs 14 comparison.

A number of case makers are rising to the challenge and fixing Apple’s most baffling design decision for its latest iPhone.