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03.07.25
March 5, 2025
Affordable Tech: What the new iPhone 16e tells us about connectivity for everyone
Written by Valeria
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Apple released its newest iPhone model – the iPhone 16e – last week, with a surprising starting price tag: $599. That is the most affordable iPhone that Apple has released in years, and despite the lower price tag, it doesn’t lose out on value – it still comes with an A18 chip ensuring users have access to Apple Intelligence (Apple’s own AI), and optimized performance.
So, what does this tell us about the evolving world of tech? We like to think it’s telling us what we’ve been saying all along: Communication, or in this case, connectivity, should be accessible to everyone, regardless of budget.
The Importance of a cellular connection
The world has changed drastically over the past decade and is only going to continue doing so. As of 2024, approximately 98%1 of Americans own a cell phone, which is huge for those of us who grew up with the cell phone being a luxury, not a necessity. But, as we all know, that is no longer the case. A cell phone isn’t just a compact camera or a portable phone number to connect with friends and family, it’s an essential connection to jobs, benefits, healthcare, transportation, finances, and more. While it is possible to conduct your daily life without a cell phone in hand, it’s much, much more difficult, and frankly, inconvenient to do so as the world is becoming less and less friendly for those without one. Public transportation schedules (and even payment, in some cases) are run via an app, public parking meters are run via an app, cabs and other paid rides alike are run via an app, menus in restaurants are run via a QR code, even your wallet can be fully accessed and used via an app.
But beyond the everyday tasks of just getting around and navigating spaces, there is the added benefit of enjoying real-time connection to the people that matter. I’m going to drop a number here that is likely to be polarizing – it’s a telling picture of what connection means in today’s day and age, and perhaps a call to reframe it – but, in 2023, the average time spent on social media was 4x the time spent on in-person socializing2. Considering that on average, less than 3% of individuals who access a social media platform are doing so on a computer or laptop, we can safely assume that’s primarily done on a cell phone. Another, blunter number to consider –approximately 48% of people under the age of 42 report spending more time socializing online than offline3.
The truth of the matter is, relationships – the everyday exchanges of real-time updates and sharing information that you find in the world – are maintained online. And that’s not a bad thing. Online connections may be replacing in-person ones when it comes to volume, but they’re also improving the quality of those connections, allowing people to feel like they’re a part of each other’s worlds even when they don’t share the same space (or even time zone).
Affordable connections
Now that we’ve determined how important it is to have the ability to connect online, we come back to what started this all – affordable tech. To maintain an online presence, you need access to the internet, which not everyone has the means for, especially as we navigate difficult economic times. Affordable phones have always been an option, but often at the expense of better, more modern hardware that impacts battery life, storage, camera quality, and overall performance. This new iPhone 16e uses one of Apple’s higher performing CPU chips, features the same camera resolution as their flagship model, same screen resolution, and 21 hours of battery life (better than the iPhone 16) for $200 less than the next model up.
$599 may still seem like a steep price for many Americans, but for Apple fans, it’s a new and exciting direction. Historically, Android-run brands have always had inexpensive options, and Apple may finally be concurring in recognizing that only catering to the population that can afford a $1,000 price tag with the most expensive hardware isn’t the ideal business model anymore.
Connecting with your phone plan
Remember, a phone is only useful if it’s able to connect you to the online world. To do that, you need a phone plan. While you may be used to the “Big 3” networks (T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon) and their commercials for phone service, there are actually a lot more options out there (who don’t spend your money on Superbowl commercials.) The traditional carriers boast of superior quality (spoiler alert: not the case), but they’re also charging you close to $100 for it. In fact, the average cost of a cell phone plan in the U.S, as reported by JD Power, was $141/month last year. That’s nearly $2,000 a year – $2,000 that could, and should, be better spent elsewhere.
Many phone providers agree with TextNow and offer more affordable phone plan options but no one else offers free, no-strings-attached, no-limited-time-offer service. Because we truly believe that you should have access to communication no matter who you are, how much is in your bank account, or what else is happening in your life.
A free phone service like TextNow’s doesn’t just mean $0 bills, it also means no credit checks, no eligibility requirements or government red tape, no waitlists, and no catches. We just took the same model that services like YouTube and Spotify have been using to give people access to music and entertainment and applied it to phone service (AKA, ads.) We took it one step further and partner with brands to offer discounts, promotions, and free trials, because we know that the world is not only changing technologically but also economically, and not in the same trajectory.
An affordable iPhone is a great win, and an exciting step toward making all communication, blue bubble or green bubble, affordable and accessible to all.
If you have any questions or comments, send us a note at [email protected]!
1 Source: https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/mobile/
