You can get MagSafe magnets on iPhone 16e by using the back glass of an iPhone 17e.

It’s not perfect and I don’t expect Apple to update the software to support it, but the back glass of an iPhone 17e can be swapped into an iPhone 16e. Per iFixit:

It’s not a 100% identical experience: Your 16e won’t inherit the “thonk” noise and MagSafe animation, and it won’t pop into StandBy mode when you’re MagSafe charging and your phone is on its side. 

Your 16e also won’t suddenly become aware of the iPhone 17e’s Qi2 charging standard, which draws a consistent 15W instead of the variable 5-15W of Qi and Qi Magnetic. It should still mean more efficient charging, however. We’d have to do more testing to be sure, but we have observed the 16e with a 17e back glass draw up to 10W, and it seems plausible that a 16e with the MagSafe alignment might even draw closer to 15W. In all, being able to swap in a 17e MagSafe back is essentially giving last year’s phone this year’s upgrade, for a fraction of the price. 

How much? Apple hasn’t released 17e parts yet, so we won’t know exactly until then, but you can get other MagSafe iPhone back glass parts for $120 after a return part credit. Many third-party suppliers currently offer an equivalent part for about $20.

Most people who are buying a budget, entry level iPhone 16e have a case on it, and I would bet that case has MagSafe rings. For those non-enthusiasts, the MagSafe problem never existed. In fact, their phone case gave them a bonus magnetic system allowing for easier charging and easier mounting for accessories like wallets and battery packs.

Most tech enthusiasts who carry their iPhone caseless aren’t using an iPhone 16e and already have MagSafe on their iPhone, so although this is a neat feature, only about 5 people in the world will appreciate it. Out of those 5, how many will actually pay extra and teardown their phone to do the “repair?”

My guess is zero.