- 0-20%: Unlikely – Lacks credible sources
- 21-40%: Questionable – Some concerns remain
- 41-60%: Plausible – Reasonable evidence
- 61-80%: Probable – Strong evidence
- 81-100%: Highly Likely – Multiple reliable sources
The biggest perpetrators of increasing smartphone prices are NAND flash and DRAM, which were estimated to cost 70 percent and 100 percent higher, respectively. For the top-tier storage iPhone 18 models, which are expected to launch later this year, Apple may not have a choice but to charge consumers a premium, but the iPhone 17e could witness a different scenario. According to the latest rumor, the technology giant has achieved a supply chain boost in efficiency for its low-cost model, hinting that Apple could offer the same price, or potentially a lower figure, to buyers. However, there are other factors that determine how affordable the iPhone 17e becomes, which we have discussed below.
Apple is practically using the majority of the same parts for the iPhone 17e that are found in the iPhone 16e, especially the C1 5G modem, which stands to offer the company tremendous savings in component costs
A rumor on yeux1122’s blog states that Apple has ‘achieved yet another efficiency boost in its supply chain with the iPhone 17e.’ While NAND and DRAM aren’t mentioned in the components list, parts like the 5G modem, chipset, and others make up what Apple can procure at a lower cost. The specifications of the iPhone 17e include an A19, the same SoC found in the base iPhone 17, along with the C1 5G modem, which was introduced with the iPhone 16e last year and is estimated to provide Apple with $10 in savings per unit compared to incorporating Qualcomm’s baseband chip.
While the iPhone 17e is expected to shift from the iPhone 16e’s notch to a Dynamic Island, it will utilize BOE’s LTPS OLED panels instead of the more expensive LTPO variants found in the premium models. The Chinese display maker doesn’t have the best of reputations as far as quality and quantity are discussed, so it is possible that Apple procured those panels at a fraction of the cost compared to the amount the company would need to pay Samsung or LG. The rumor states that despite the difficult situation surrounding the memory crisis, Apple could freeze or even lower the iPhone 17e’s price.
However, this move doesn’t necessarily have to do with the Cupertino firm’s supply chain efficiency boost, but how it cleverly arranges existing parts to lower its component costs. Apple’s 5G licensing agreement with Qualcomm pays the latter billions, so a shift to the C1 5G modem is a brilliant decision, particularly during the DRAM shortage as now, the company can absorb the estimated 230 percent premium that it has to pay suppliers like Samsung and SK hynix for memory into the lowered of components such as BOE’s OLEDs, A19 and C1. Of course, it remains to be seen if the iPhone 17e will launch at the same $599 figure in the U.S., with the device rumored to enter mass production shortly after CES 2026 concludes.
News Source: yeux1122’s blog
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