Apple is already working on a new iPhone 17e model that is expected to succeed the recently launched iPhone 16e, according to a tipster. After the discontinuation of the iPhone SE (2022), the iPhone 16e is now the entry-level smartphone in the brand’s lineup. The iPhone 16e may have not fully impressed us in our review, but recent reports suggest it has outsold the iPhone SE (2022) model after it was launched. Meanwhile, details about the purported iPhone 17e continue to surface online, and the latest leak indicates that Apple will introduce the successor to the iPhone 16e as early as next year.
According to a post on Weibo by tipster Fixed Focus Digital (translated from Chinese), Apple will have a yearly release schedule for its new ‘e’ series model. The post claims that trial production for the iPhone 17e is currently on Apple’s agenda.
The tipster has also claimed that the remodelling of the iPhone 16e production lines is already underway. Meanwhile, the post reveals that the iPhone 17e will arrive next year, as Apple’s second entry-level model without SE branding.
Apple’s iPhone 16e is currently priced at Rs. 59,900 in India and the phone is available in two colour options. Apple took a different path with its newly branded smartphone, adding a number to its name and discontinuing the SE lineup with the iPhone SE (2022, which also led to speculation about a yearly release cycle and the iPhone 17e.
The iPhone 16e is the first iPhone to be equipped with Apple’s new C1 modem. Unlike older SE models, the iPhone 16e uses an A18 SoC, which is also present in the latest iPhone 16 models. In our review, we pointed out that the phone is more future-proof compared to competing older iPhone models that can still be purchased in India, like the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, both of which retail from Rs. 69,900 and 79,900 respectively, and offer more features like Dynamic Island, MagSafe support and faster charging, but lack support for Apple Intelligence features.
