When 5G debuted with the iPhone 12 lineup, Apple introduced a sneaky new pricing tactic. Apple would list iPhones as starting at $799, but that price would require you to activate with one of the major US carriers at the point of purchase. If you wanted an unlocked iPhone, the actual starting price point was $829.iPhone 16e gets rid of this annoying upcharge.iPhone activation discountEvery entry-level iPhone since iPhone 12 has carried this pricing strategy. Even the latest iPhone 16. It never applied to the higher priced Pro models, luckily.This pricing strategy always annoyed me, since people often refer to the iPhone 16 as a $799 phone, despite the fact that a lot of people arent actually paying that price. If youre on one of the major carriers and activate your iPhone through Apple, youll pay that price. Otherwise, you arent.Many people buy their iPhones from their carrier directly, and even if youre buying from a big four carrier the pricing is based on the full $829 price tag.Some may argue that $30 isnt a big deal, but its still worth pointing out.Apple C1 modemWhen Apple introduced the iPhone 12, they included 5G mmWave technology on the entire lineup. This was likely because carrier partners, like Verizon, pushed hard for its inclusion. 5G mmWave is a pricier technology, one that tends to be excluded from lower-end phones. It has fairly limited benefit, given that it can only be advantageous in super dense environments, like stadiums. Even in dense cities like New York, you can easily lose connection to a mmWave tower by turning a corner.Luckily, Apples C1 modem doesnt support mmWave 5G, for one reason or another. And thus, there isnt a need for a carrier subsidy to help offset the cost.No matter which carrier you have, you can purchase an iPhone 16e for the $599 price tag that its listed at. That hasnt been true for any other mainstream non-pro iPhone since 2020.That said, Apples C2 modem will likely support mmWave technology. However, given the fact that Apple has withheld from including mmWave on iPhones outside of the US, therell likely be a variant without it.My favorite iPhone accessories on Amazon:Follow Michael:X/Twitter,Bluesky,InstagramAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel