What does the 'e' in iPhone 16e stand for?

On Thursday, Apple unveiled the newest edition to its iPhone lineup, namely the iPhone 16e. 

Also: I revisited the iPhone SE in 2025

Initially, many people assumed Apple would christen it with the name iPhone SE 4. But the new moniker makes greater sense given the phone’s more robust features and Apple’s obvious desire to position it in the iPhone 16 family.

What’s new with the iPhone 16e?

Starting at $600, the iPhone 16e offers a host of enhancements over its SE predecessors. You’ll find a newer and refreshed design, a 6.1-inch OLED display, support for the AI-powered Apple Intelligence, an A18 chipset, Face ID, a USB-C connection, and Apple’s first in-house modem. On the camera end, the new model sports a 48MP wide camera on the back with an integrated 2x telephoto lens and a 12MP front-facing camera.

Also: The best Apple deals of February 2025

Sounds pretty good. But then there’s that “e” at the end. 

What exactly does that ‘e’ stand for?

Apple isn’t saying, at least not yet. And that’s prompted people to start speculating. Here are some thoughts.

Edition

The SE in iPhone SE stands for Special Edition. Going with the same scheme means that the “e” in iPhone 16e would stand just for edition. iPhone 16 edition? No, that doesn’t have much pizzazz.

Other possible names

What other words starting with “e” might work? Economy. Enhanced. Essential. Exceptional. Expansive. Extra. I guess any of those could work.

I asked my handy AI bots and voice assistants for possible names. As usual, Siri just showed me a bunch of websites. Asking ChatGPT through Siri suggested that the “e” stands for Edge, indicating that the phone connects to a slower Edge network. But that doesn’t make any sense. Asking ChatGPT directly told me that the “e” stands for Economy, “highlighting its position as a budget-friendly option within the iPhone family.”

Also: Best iPhones

Microsoft Copilot said that the “e” doesn’t have a specific meaning and is just part of the model name to distinguish it within the iPhone 16 lineup. Likewise, Google Gemini told me that the “e” in iPhone 16e doesn’t officially stand for anything, though speculation suggests it signifies “essential” or “entry-level.”

And what does the crowd think? Some of the suggestions on X, aka Twitter, include explosive, enterprise, extra awesome, economy, everyone, entry level, elite, exclusive, excellent, environmental, and same thing as the “e” in Galaxy S10e. And one person on Threads thinks “the ‘e’ in iPhone 16e stands for ‘eggs’ and that’s why it’s overpriced.”

What do you think?

So now I throw it out to you, dear reader. What do you think the “e” in iPhone 16e stands for? Please leave your guesses in the comments section.