Earlier this year, Apple surprised us by launching the iPhone 16e when everyone (including me) was expecting the SE4. It seems like the Cupertino giant wants to continue this rebranded budget series, as a new report says that the company plans to launch the iPhone 17e early next year.
According to Gurman’s report on Bloomberg, Apple will be coming out with the successor to the iPhone 16e early next year. So we can expect it to probably launch around late February or early March. As per the report, the 17e will share the same design as the current iPhone 16e.
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard about an upcoming budget iPhone. Korean news outlet The Elec also reported that the device will feature the exact OLED panel as the current device. This could mean that the iPhone 17e might keep the notch, to help it differentiate from the rest of the iPhone 17 lineup.
It could also feature Apple’s upcoming A19 chipset, perhaps with a lower CPU or GPU core count. The current iPhone 16e features a 6.1-inch OLED panel, a notch for the Face ID camera, a single camera on the back, and uses a USB-C port, all for the cost of $599. This could also be the case with the iPhone 17e, bringing only a modest spec bump.
But that is mostly speculation, at this point. Mark Gurman also reported that Apple’s launch schedule includes an entry-level iPad, a new iPad Air, as well as a Mac external display. For now, all eyes are on the upcoming iPhone 17 series that is coming with a new design and the introduction of a new iPhone Air model to the lineup.
