Apple on Wednesday unveiled the iPhone 16e, a redesigned device positioned to bring flagship features, including Apple Intelligence, to more users at a lower price.
The successor to the iPhone SE shares the same shape as the mainline iPhone 16 series and features a 6.1-inch (15.5cm) screen, on a par with the base iPhone 16, but with a notch instead of Dynamic Island and, most notably, without the home button, one of Apple's signature hardware features that housed its Touch ID biometric technology.
The home button was hugely popular as it was a convenient way to unlock iPhones, replace password inputs and authorise transactions such as Apple Pay. When it was removed from the iPhone X in 2017, a good segment of the Apple user base still favoured it over Face ID – which is the iPhone 16e's security and authentication method.
The iPhone 16e utilises Apple's in-house A18 processor, which is also used in the current-generation iPhone 16. Its battery will last up to 12 hours longer than the iPhone SE models, Apple said.
The company also added a new C1 chip, the first modem designed by Apple that brings faster 5G connectivity and more power efficiency, according to Apple.
The device will come in 128GB, 256GB and 512GB models, with prices starting at Dh2,599. For comparison, the base iPhone 16, also with 128GB of storage, starts at Dh3,399. The UAE will be among 59 countries that can start ordering the devices on Friday, and its general release will be on February 28.
Other top-tier features on the iPhone 16e include a 48MP camera sensor, which Apple has been using since the iPhone 14 Pro, and the Action Button, which can be customised to trigger a specific function, including Apple Intelligence. The new device does not have the Camera Control side button introduced in the iPhone 16 series.
Apple Intelligence on the iPhone 16e puts it among a handful of Apple devices where the generative AI platform is available. These include the iPhone 15 Pro models and the entire iPhone 16 series.
The California-based company also said it will be expanding Apple Intelligence's language support to 10 more by April – Simplified Chinese, India English, Singapore English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Brazil Portuguese and Spanish.
“The SE series [now e] has long served as an affordable entry point into the Apple ecosystem, helping expand iPhone adoption,” Varun Mishra, a senior analyst at Counterpoint Research, said ahead of the launch.
The iPhone SE has been particularly popular in Japan and the prepaid segment in the US, the Hong Kong-based research firm said.
“With its compact design and lower price point, it appeals to users who prefer smaller devices without top-tier specifications … helping Apple broaden its user base while driving service revenue growth and cross-selling Apple Watch, AirPods and other accessories,” Mr Mishra said.
The first iPhone SE was introduced in 2016 alongside the iPhone 6s, and spawned two more iterations in 2020 and 2022. It received generally favourable reviews thanks to its performance at a lower cost.
The home button's removal is also a full-circle moment: the original iPhone SE, along with the iPhone 6s, were the last devices to feature the 3.5mm headphone jack.
With the rise of generative AI, smartphone manufacturers are scrambling to incorporate the latest technologies to entice a wider consumer base. Apple partnered with ChatGPT maker OpenAI last year and eventually launched Apple Intelligence to throw its hat into the generative AI arena.
That put it in a head-to-head battle with Samsung Electronics, the world's biggest mobile phone manufacturer, which introduced its Galaxy AI last year and partnered with Google at the launch of the Galaxy S25 series earlier this year.
Apple remains a favoured brand among consumers. The iPhone 15 was the world's top-selling smartphone in 2024, continuing a streak since 2018 and outclassing competition that is largely focused on capitalising on the steady rise of generative AI in mobile devices, Counterpoint said in a report this month.
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Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Low turnout
Two months before the first round on April 10, the appetite of voters for the election is low.
Mathieu Gallard, account manager with Ipsos, which conducted the most recent poll, said current forecasts suggested only two-thirds were "very likely" to vote in the first round, compared with a 78 per cent turnout in the 2017 presidential elections.
"It depends on how interesting the campaign is on their main concerns," he told The National. "Just now, it's hard to say who, between Macron and the candidates of the right, would be most affected by a low turnout."
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