I came across something strange. Let me explain. I posted a grumpy article Monday citing the lack of MagSafe support as the single most annoying thing about Apple’s new iPhone 16e. Having lived through and reviewed large segments of four consecutive iPhone

The iPhone 16e settles it: Apple is no longer a luxury company. The original Mac icon artist is selling a set of adorable silver and gold keycaps. Oppo’s new folding phone transforms into a teeny-tiny MacBook.

Apple has offered a reason why the iPhone 16e doesn't include MagSafe, one of the more notable omissions from its latest entry-level smartphone.

Discover how to make the iPhone 16e MagSafe-compatible despite its limitations. Learn about third-party cases and wireless charging options.

We now have confirmation of why the iPhone 16e lacks MagSafe, and the reason is not solely financial.The Latest Tech News, Delivered to Your Inbox

Some observers briefly thought it was due to the technology, but the manufacturer's reason for omitting MagSafe from the 16e is now completely different.

When Apple first introduced MagSafe for the iPhone in 2020, I did not fully appreciate it. iPhones had supported wireless charging for a few years at that point—and Android phones started doing so in 2012—and while MagSafe offered faster and less finicky charging,

The iPhone 16e doesn't feature MagSafe support. Apple explained why it left this beloved iPhone function behind on this model.

You can’t add actual MagSafe to an iPhone 16e, but you can add the ring of magnets that helps align charging coils and hold your phone onto charging stands and car phone mounts.

Regardless of Apple's reasoning for this decision, the solution seemed simple: Just get a MagSafe case. However, typically for Apple, the company went all the way with omitting MagSafe on the iPhone 16e, because even the official cases for the device do not support it.

The iPhone 16e doesn't officially support MagSafe charging, but a test shows that you might want MagSafe cases nonetheless.