I wonder if the play is to be able to differentiate themselves from the other phone manufacturers. Perhaps they think a free bundled laptop (that is cheap enough to make financial sense to include), instead of a wearable or tablet, could get a significant amount of people on the fence to choose Apple. Then again, they could likely get a lot of them by having a cheaper phone; perhaps though, their fear is cannibalization of the higher end iPhone sales? According to their latest statement, net sales of computer were only a fifth of that iPhone sales. I suppose they think it’s a better risk carving out more sales in the computer market over what they might lose on the entry level MacBook Air sales.

https://www.apple.com/newsroom/pdfs/fy2025-q4/FY25_Q4_Consol...

There’s bound to be multiple reasons, heck, it could even just be internal politics. I too am curious.

Without trade in AT&T has iPhone 16 @ 11$/month * 36 months = 396$. iPhone 16e @ 6$/month * 36 months = 216$. https://www.att.com/buy/phones/browse/apple/

Without any contracts an unlocked (renewed) iPhone 15 through Amazon 400 - 500$.

One thing that is different is that carriers regularly subsidize phones. I paid 0 for my current phone, an iPhone 13 mini (when it was relatively new), partner paid nothing for theirs, latest pixel.

Now, lower cost carriers do less of this, and you need to get the high end plan, so it’s not good advice for everyone to get the free phone deal. It is one way a laptop is different. A decent chunk of people aren’t directly paying for their phone.