Apple surprised. First, the iPhone 16E debuted, a smartphone supposedly budget-friendly, but priced as usual. Which means expensive. A moment later, however, other Apple devices appeared on the market that this time don't cost a million bucks. Is it possible?
Apple got us used to one thing. New launch, wallet cries. But this time it's different. Seriously. In 2025, the new products from the Cupertino giant (I love that phrase for its absurdity!) finally don't scare with the numbers on the label. Of course, it's not like Apple just discovered "value for money" and lowered the prices of its products. These cost roughly the same overseas as usual. However, currency exchange rate adjustments do their job. Strong Złoty, weaker Dollar – and there we have it.
iPhone 16e. A letter from the word "economic" or from "hey, but seriously"?
We all waited for the iPhone SE 4 and had known almost everything about it for a long time. Rumors and leaks were confirmed. The presence of a 6.1-inch OLED screen, A18 processor, Face ID, notch, casing from the iPhone 14, or a single 48 Mpix camera came as no surprise to anyone. The name turned out to be a surprise.
Instead of the iPhone SE 4, we received the 16e model, the new, fifth member of the 'sixteen' family (alongside the iPhone 16, 16 Pro, 16 Max, and 16 Pro Max). This decision is a bit strange, considering the phone's design, which deviates from the newer models, but it defends itself due to the 8 GB of RAM on board. Thanks to it, the 16e will handle Apple Intelligence features (still unavailable in Poland), which are the driving force behind the new line's marketing.
Check out: Good antivirus for your phone. Is it even necessary?
The price of the iPhone SE4 – oops, 16e – also turned out to be a surprise, on the negative side. The iPhone 16e was priced at 2999 PLN at launch, positioning it as the cheapest representative of the 'sixteen' series. Only, that's still a lot. Previous "budget" models from Apple's SE line were always cheaper at launch, that's one point. Two: by adding a few hundred zlotys, you can still find an iPhone 15 Pro in retail; better than the 16e in every respect and also handling Apple's AI (features still unavailable in Poland, I will keep reminding you until I drop).
So, is it worth spending money on the iPhone 16e? There can only be one answer: it depends. You can read more about the new iPhone in Michał Pisarski's post: iPhone 16e: Stripped-down iPhone.
iPad 11. Deserves applause
However, it's definitely worth considering the new iPad. Here, Apple nailed it. The new, basic iPad was priced at just 1799 PLN. Just, because that's how much the 6th generation cost at launch, and that was several good years ago (inflation!).
The iPad 10 at launch cost 2899 PLN for the 64 GB WiFi version. The Eleven starts with 128 GB and costs 1100 PLN less. There's a difference, right?
Moreover, the iPad 10 is an ideal tablet for everyday tasks. A large LCD screen (10.9 inches) supports the Apple Pencil (unfortunately, only 1st generation), modern design, nice case colors, Touch ID (without Face ID, but that's easy to live with), a battery that will last a full day of streaming movies and series. It's a no-brainer. The iPad 10 was absurd, the iPad 11 is a game changer.
MacBook Air with M4 processor
The refreshed MacBook Air with the new M3 processor is again more and better, but also cheaper than before. Two variants (13.6 inches and 15.3 inches display diagonal), much greater performance, excellent design, and battery (up to 18 hours on a single charge!). A year ago, you had to pay 5999 PLN for the smaller Air. Today it's "only" 4999 PLN. For such a laptop – which will serve for years – that's next to nothing.
Is it possible? Yes, it is.
It's still Apple – awesome design, truly excellent operating systems (iOS and MacOS), a great, complementary ecosystem, support provided for many years to come. It somehow became... normal?
Since we're on the subject of normality, I'll just remind you that at Mobile Vikings we don't sign loyalty contracts, we accumulate gigs without limits, and 5G and eSIM are standard in our offer. That's normality!
