This may explain why Apple made the iPhone 16 so good.

Apple did something with the iPhone 16 lineup that surprised a lot of people. It made the base model stronger than ever, giving fewer compelling reasons to upgrade to the iPhone 16 Pro. But recent reports about the next iPhone SE may explain why.

The Compelling Base Model iPhone 16

Over the past few years, whenever Apple started announcing its newest iPhones, my attention tended to wander. During the presentation of the base iPhone 15, iPhone 14, etc., I wasn't particularly interested.

Why? Because they were similar in many ways to the previous year's Pro phones.

Usually, the new non-Pro model gets the same chip as last year's Pro, plus some other year-over-year features.

And that’s fine. “Pro” means you get new tech earlier. That works for me.

But this year was different.

The base model iPhone 16 comes with:

an all-new A18 chip that’s nearly as good as the A18 Pro
camera controls that would likely be Pro-exclusive in any other year
visual intelligence that’s exclusive to the iPhone 16 lineup
new second-generation photo styles
plus the action button, Apple Intelligence support, and USB-C that were on the 15 Pro

The base model iPhone 16 is extremely compelling, and I suspect it’s tempted more Pro buyers than ever to downgrade.

So why did Apple make it so good? I think the reason is the iPhone SE 4.

The iPhone SE 4 will make a strong case against the flagship

Several reports indicate that next spring's iPhone SE 4 will bring major changes to Apple's budget option.

Features will include:

edge-to-edge design with a notch and no Home button
OLED display, an upgrade from the current LCD
A18 chip with 8GB of RAM
full support for Apple Intelligence
48MP main camera
new Apple-designed 5G modem

In Overall, the iPhone SE 4 appears to offer the best value for money among the SE models.

We don't know the price yet, but we'll assume it starts around the current $429 or even $499.

All of the above features will make the iPhone SE 4 a very tempting alternative to the iPhone 16.

Alternate History: A Weaker iPhone 16

What if Apple had stuck to its usual strategy and forgone the key innovations in the base iPhone 16?

For example, imagine it didn't have camera controls, the A18 chip, or the upcoming visual intelligence feature.

It would be very difficult to entice budget buyers from the SE to the iPhone 16. The ~$300 upgrade wouldn't give you much value.

But with the iPhone 16 we got, there are even more reasons to buy the 16 over the SE:

Dynamic Island
Ultra Wide Camera
Action Button
Visual Intelligence Camera Controls

It's important to note that each item in this list represents a visual, physical difference on the device.

If you're shopping at an Apple Store and holding the iPhone SE 4 and iPhone 16 side by side, you'll see a lot of differences. That's important.

Strong Models at Every Price Point

Overall, with the iPhone 16 and SE 4 lineup, Apple will be able to offer strong models at every price point.

Looking for a budget option? The iPhone SE 4 will offer significant value
Need more cutting-edge features? The iPhone 16 will satisfy you
Need the best iPhone possible? The iPhone 16 Pro

This will make for one of the most compelling iPhone lineups I can remember. And all this before the potentially revolutionary iPhone 17 Air next fall.

What do you think? Has the SE 4 influenced Apple's decisions regarding the iPhone 16? Let us know in the comments.