Apple’s low-cost iPhone 16e is expected to get a successor this year in the form of the “iPhone 17e.” Thanks to leaks, we have learned a lot about it, including a potential release date. The new iPhone 17e will supposedly include changes and improvements to the display, chipset, and more, but we don’t expect any drastic changes.
After all, it’s a low-cost iPhone, and Apple would likely want to save as much as possible, especially now, as the ongoing memory crisis continues to disrupt industries. In this article, you will find everything we know so far about the upcoming iPhone 17e.
Note: This article is based on leaks and rumors and also partially reflects the writer’s own opinion. As such, it should be taken with a grain of salt.
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The Apple iPhone 17e: Everything you need to know
Potential specs and changes
The upcoming iPhone 17e might see only iterative changes instead of a huge spec bump in various aspects. The design should largely remain the same, as Apple doesn’t experiment too much in this regard when it comes to low-cost models. There’s no mention of any design or color changes in any related leaks so far, either.
However, previous leaks suggested that the phone’s display might get an upgrade over the 16e in terms of usable screen space via the potential inclusion of Dynamic Island (as opposed to a notch) and thinner bezels. However, the refresh rate will supposedly stay at 60 Hz. Moreover, the iPhone 17e will reportedly include an updated Apple A19 chipset. Industry sources from Mac Otakara, Mark Gurman from Bloomberg, and more have reported the potential inclusion of the A19 chipset.
Apple used to do the same with the older iPhone SE lineup, where the company bumped the chipset with every SE release. Therefore, this tradition could very likely continue with the iPhone 17e. However, the new phone will reportedly include a special lower-binned variant of the A19 chip, with one GPU core disabled, which aligns with how Apple usually operates.
There are no reports of any camera upgrade so far, but considering the better Image Signal Processor (ISP) of the Apple A19 chipset, the upcoming low-cost iPhone may have slightly better cameras than the 16e. Unfortunately, there’s no info on the device’s battery capacity either, but The Information reported that the iPhone 17e may include MagSafe.
Potential release date and pricing
According to Macworld’s sources in the case and accessory industry, the launch of the iPhone 17e is imminent, which they believe will happen on February 19th, 2026 (once again, take this with a grain of salt).
As for pricing, nothing concrete is known about it. The memory crisis suggests there could be an increase, but given that this upcoming device would be part of Apple’s most affordable smartphone lineup, the company may just eat the cost and launch it at the same $599 price, at least in the US.
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Edited by Niladri Roy