Apple already has the iPhone 17e on its drawing board, according to rumors. Surveys indicate the company has a new strategy that’ll bring much more frequent updates to its most affordable iOS handsets.
Here’s when to expect the replacement for the iPhone 16e, and what hardware changes are coming.
The end of the iPhone SE
For years, Apple’s strategy to appeal to budget smartphone shoppers centered on the iPhone SE line. These came out roughly every three years and were moderately updated versions of older iPhone models. It’s a tactic that didn’t work — the iPhone SE 3 never made up more than a tiny percentage of Apple’s sales, for example.
So the company dumped the whole idea by launching the iPhone 16e. This is based on one of Apple’s latest products but with many noncritical features removed. And rather than getting only occasional updates, Apple apparently intends to refresh the line every year.
Recent rumors point to the iPhone 17e coming in spring 2026. Both Bloomberg and TheElec predicted this in the past few days. That’s a year after the iPhone 16e launched in February 2025.
Given three new strategy, an iPhone 18e, 19e, 20e, etc. are anticipated on an annual basis. The apparent goal is a steady revenue stream from the product line.
iPhone 17e rumors: Keeping the notch
Despite Apple’s next budget handset being over half a year away, a few features have leaked out already.
Most notably, TheElec said, “The iPhone 17e, which is scheduled to be released next spring, uses the 6.1-inch OLED that was used for the iPhone 16e again.” The 16e is the last with the screen notch that debuted in the iPhone X — all other models have since moved to the Dynamic Island. Apparently, the 17e will include the same feature.
But a faster processor is on the way. In his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman wrote Sunday that iPhone 17e shoppers should “expect a near-identical design to the iPhone 16e, but with the A19 chip to match this year’s iPhone 17 lineup.”
Other details remain cloudy. An open question is whether Apple can maintain the 16e’s $599 price for the successor in the face of Trump tariffs. iPhones made for U.S. release are now assembled in India, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t considerable import taxes on products made in the South Asian nation.
