With the iPhone 16e, Apple tried to revitalize the affordable iPhone segment by offering a familiar form factor and powerful hardware. Still, the cheapest iPhone version of 2025 wasn’t as hot and popular as the others. Well, that could change with the arrival of the iPhone 17e.
With detailed rumors going on for over six months, the iPhone 17e is one of the most anticipated Apple launches of the first half of the year, and so far the rumor mill has been nothing but kind to the device. So without further ado, here’s everything we know about the iPhone 17e.
Rumors about release date and price
While some rumors suggested a February 19 release date for the iPhone 17e, that hasn’t happened. Instead, the phone should come out of cover at the “special Apple experience” media briefings on March 4, 2026.
Apple is holding press conferences in three cities around the world – New York, London and Shanghai – which sounds like the perfect time to introduce the world to the new, better and, most importantly, cheaper iPhone.
Pre-orders for the iPhone could begin either at the end of the event or the next day, with general availability beginning around the second week of March.
But how cheap could the iPhone be exactly? Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman suggests the iPhone 17e (128GB) could maintain the iPhone 16e’s launch price of $599. Despite rumors of hardware upgrades, the company may freeze the launch price of the smartphone for another year.
Despite reports of the ongoing memory crisis, Apple’s long-term partnership with its suppliers and the scale of its operations give it a unique advantage over other brands, even as other smartphone makers (including global giants like Samsung) struggle to control smartphone prices.
Design and presentation
Apple’s iPhone 16e is often criticized for its dated design (it’s the huge notch at the top of the screen that bothers some buyers). Well, that might go away with the iPhone 17e, as rumors suggest that the ugly notch will be replaced by Dynamic Island (as seen on the newer iPhones).
I strongly believe that the iPhone 17e could take its screen from the base model iPhone 15, which would allow for Dynamic Island and thinner bezels. The choice of materials – an aluminum frame between two layers of glass – should also remain the same.
Aside from the classic black and white finishes, the iPhone 17e is said to be available in a new purple or lavender finish, which will appeal to younger buyers and help the device compete with the variety of colors in which the Pixel 10a is available.
As for the screen, the iPhone 17e is rumored to ship with a 6.1-inch OLED screen (smaller than the regular iPhone 17’s 6.3-inch screen) that supports a 60Hz refresh rate and 2,000 nits peak brightness, making it, well, usable.
No ProMotion display, no dramatic brightness improvements, just the usual Apple-typical refinement. In terms of design, the iPhone 17e will likely mirror the iPhone 15 from the front and the iPhone 16e from the back.
Performance and software
Under its familiar hood, the iPhone 17e should feature Apple’s A19 chip (3 nm), possibly a binned version with one less GPU core (five instead of six). I’ve been using the iPhone 17 with the A19 chip as my daily driver and the chip has more processing power than I can use most days.
Additionally, the chipset could be paired with Apple’s in-house C1X modem (similar to the iPhone Air), which is said to offer faster 5G speeds and up to 30% better power efficiency than the C1 modem. In this case, the “e” series iPhone may also receive the N1 wireless chip.
Like the iPhone 16e, the iPhone 17e could also have 8GB of RAM, which is the bare minimum to support Apple Intelligence (both current and upcoming features).
The handset may get a storage upgrade to 256GB in the base variant, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Apple continues with 128GB base storage (as the $599 price is expected to remain the same). Like last year, the top variant will have 512 GB of storage.
Out of the box, the iPhone 17e should run iOS 26 (perhaps iOS 26.3 or iOS 26.4) with all Apple Intelligence features (including Writing Tools, Gemoji, Cleanup, and more).
And no, the redesigned version of Siri may not be available on iPhone 17e as it is delayed on iOS 26.5 or iOS 27. Like other iPhones, the cheapest iPhone should receive new iOS versions for about five to six years before Apple ends support.
Cameras and battery
The iPhone 17e’s sole rear camera should feature a 48MP Fusion camera sensor, capable of capturing images at 24MP or 48MP resolution, along with 2x optical-quality in-sensor zoom and Dolby Vision HDR video recording (up to 4K at 60fps).
I’m curious to see whether Apple will use the same 1/2.55-inch sensor on the iPhone 16e or upgrade the camera with the 1/1.56-inch sensor on the iPhone 16 or iPhone 17.
If you’ve heard about and envy the iPhone 17’s Center Stage camera, the iPhone 17e could be your chance to unlock the wonderful selfie experience for you and your friends. According to rumors, the latest iteration of the “e” series could ship with the 18MP square-sensor front camera that we saw on the iPhone 17 series.
Beyond the cameras, the rumored addition to the latest iPhone lineup could come with a 4,005mAh battery, larger than that of the iPhone 17. In that case, the iPhone 17e could offer around 30 hours of video playback (up from 26 hours), making battery life a key selling point for buyers.
As if that wasn’t enough, Apple is also considering equipping the handset with MagSafe charging capability, with the faster variant (up to 25W), no less. In addition to convenient wireless charging, MagSafe also enables support for a variety of accessories.
Whether it’s design, display, performance, looks or battery life, the iPhone 17e should receive upgrades across the board, which would make it one of the easiest recommendations for potential iPhone buyers on a budget, albeit with familiar compromises like a single-camera setup and the lack of a ProMotion (120Hz) display.
