In India, Apple’s iPhone 16e faces stiff competition from older models

On Wednesday, Apple unveiled the iPhone 16e. The model replaces both the iPhone SE and iPhone 14 in the company’s lineup. The new handset is the least expensive member of the iPhone 16 lineup, aiming at emerging markets, including India. The world’s second largest smartphone market (behind China) has fueled significant iPhone sales, with Apple recently cracking the top five vendors in India. A week ahead of the iPhone 16e’s release, however, it’s unclear what impact the device will have on this key market. In 2024, India became the fourth largest market for Apple, after the U.S., China, and Japan, seeing a record 12 million shipments during the quarter, with 35% YoY growth, per IDC. It is expected to cross the 15 million milestone this year. But it wasn’t the iPhone SE or iPhone 14 that helped the Cupertino, California, company succeed in the South Asian market. In fact, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 13 were the highest shipped models, with a 6% share of overall smartphone market in Q4. ... Read full article.