Apple Reportedly Prepping an iPhone 17e for Next Year
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When Apple retired its longstanding iPhone SE brand in favor of the iPhone 16e earlier this year, it was more than just a new name. The choice to make the most affordable iPhone part of the iPhone 16 family also hinted at a shift to a much shorter release cycle — possibly even a permanent third-tier entry in the lineup.
After all, while the iPhone SE largely followed a four-year release cycle, it would be pretty awkward for Apple to still be selling the iPhone 16e when the iPhone 20 debuts. Plus, Apple has become an outlier in a modern smartphone world where its two biggest Android competitors — Google and Samsung — all offer three smartphone tiers. Samsung’s annual Galaxy S-series features the Ultra, a pair of standard models in different sizes, and a budget FE “Fan Edition” that comes later. Google keeps things a bit more straightforward with the Pixel and Pixel Pro arriving together and a mid-cycle A-series budget model usually about half a year later.
In that light, Apple’s new “e-series” iPhones fit right in. Ever since the iPhone 16e became official, we’ve suspected that it would be the beginning of such a trend, and early reports from leakers and analysts hinted at the possibility. Some of that was speculation, but it definitely wasn’t a stretch.
Now, Fixed Focus Digital, the leaker that first predicted the iPhone 16e name in December, claims to have confirmation that the iPhone 17e is already in the trial production stage, with an expected release date of May 2026.
Although Fixed Focus Digital has had a mixed track record for leaks in the past, it was spot-on with the iPhone 16e name. The leaker was also the first to share the existence of an internal Apple project that pointed to a possible iPhone 17e in February.
The leaker suggests that Apple’s May timing could be intended to let it go head-to-head with Chinese rivals such as Xiaomi. However, this would also put it in the same launch cycle as Google’s Pixel A-series.
The Pixel 7a and Pixel 8a were launched in May 2022 and 2023, respectively. The Pixel 9a came a bit earlier; it was announced in March but didn’t begin shipping until mid-April. However, Google released its Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro in August last year, which may have shifted the entire cycle back. It’s expected to follow the same schedule this year, which will also be bolstered by an earlier release of Android 16.
If an iPhone 17e is indeed coming, it’s almost guaranteed to see an early 2026 release. However, the specific date may not even be nailed down by Apple yet, much less available to leakers. If the new model is in trial production now, it’s certainly possible it could be ready earlier in the year. Apple’s iPhone SE models always launched in March or April. The iPhone 16e came in February, but that may be an aberration spurred on by the lack of any affordable iPhones in the European Union after the new USB-C rules came into effect. Apple had a void to fill there that won’t exist next year.
Sadly, it’s too early to say what we should expect from next year’s iPhone 17e. The current iPhone 16e has some odd and seemingly artificial limitations, such as omitting MagSafe and UWB support. That helps Apple cut costs and set it further apart from the mainstream iPhone 16, but as I wrote in February, there’s hope the iPhone 16e could help to elevate the rest of the lineup. If Apple pushes the iPhone 17 (and iPhone 17 Air) forward in some significant ways, such as finally adding 120Hz displays, it gives the company more room to advance its lower-end e-series models without cutting into the rest of the lineup.
We also wouldn’t yet bet on this becoming an indefinite annual update cycle. The iPhone 16e is still very much an experiment for Apple at this point, and it may still go the way of the iPhone mini.
[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]
