Apple’s new iPhone 16e arrived on my doorstep at a critical time in our personal tech world. Prices are higher, consumer demand is lower, and all the “incremental improvements” companies are pushing to get us to dole out the equivalent of a mortgage payment for the next new thing are,

Apple's iPhone 16e features significant upgrades over the previous entry-level iPhone, including Apple Intelligence, Face ID, and an Action button.

Apple delivered its latest budget handset, the $599 iPhone 16e, without pomp. There was no big event in person, nor was there one online. No journalists