iPhone 17e: Everything you need to know

Macworld

iPhone 17e: Summary

Upgraded A19 processor.

New display design with Dynamic Island instead of notch.

Single rear camera with similar specs.

Spring 2026 release.

Apple launched a new series of iPhones at the end of 2025: the iPhone 17, 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max as well as a brand new iPhone Air, but there was no new iPhone 17e for those hoping for an update to the budget iPhone.

This wasn’t a surprise: Apple released the iPhone 16e in February 2025 to replace the iPhone SE, so an update to the iPhone “e” series phones wasn’t expected to arrive until early 2026.

If you’re considering an iPhone 17e, this is the place to keep up to date on its development. We’ll keep track of the latest reports and provide our analysis to help you decide if the iPhone 17e is the right phone for you.

At a glance: What to expect from iPhone 17e

6.1-inch OLED display with Dynamic Island.

A19 chip.

Single 48MP back camera; 18MP front camera.

C1 cellular modem.

Black or white color options.




Like the iPhone 16e – and the iPhone Air – the iPhone 17e will likely have a single back camera.Foundry | Alex Walker-Todd

iPhone 17e: Specs

A19 with one fewer GPU than iPhone 17.

C1X modem possible.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that the iPhone 17e will have an A19 chip. If this is the case it will be the same A19 chip as is used by the iPhone 17. There may still be a difference though: Apple uses binned chips in the “e” series. The A18 in the iPhone 16e has one fewer GPU core than the A18 in the standard iPhone 16; the A19 in the iPhone 17e will likely have one fewer GPU core than the iPhone 17.

In August 2025, a leaker named Digital Chat Station also reported that the iPhone 17e will have an A19 chip.

Apple’s C1 modem first appeared in the iPhone 16e and rumors suggest the iPhone 17e will use the same modem. However, it could take the newer C1X modem as found in the iPhone 17 series which is apparently two times faster than the C1 while using 30% less energy.

iPhone 17e: Display

Might have Dynamic Island instead of notch.

The iPhone 17 has a 6.3-inch screen, which is larger than that of the iPhone 16 (6.1-inch). The iPhone 17e is not expected to get a bigger screen. It will likely sport a 6.1-inch OLED display with a 60Hz refresh rate, the same as the iPhone 16e. This was reported by Digital Chat Station in August, who also said that the display will have a Dynamic Island, which would be a change from the notch on the iPhone 16e.

iPhone 17e: Cameras

18MP front camera possible.

The iPhone 17e will likely continue to have a single 48MP camera on the back and a 12MP camera on the front, just like the iPhone 16e. This was reported by Digital Chat Station in August.

However, the other front facing cameras across the range have been updated to 18MP, so it is possible that the iPhone 17e will see the same update to the selfie camera, maybe even to include the same square sensor that is capable of taking photos in any orientation without requiring the user to rotate the phone.

The iPhone 16e is missing a few iPhone 16 features, such as Camera Control and MagSafe. The iPhone 17e will likely continue not to have these features in order to provide the customer an incentive to buy the higher-end iPhone 17 and 17 Pro.




The notch may be replaced by the Dynamic Island in the iPhone 17e.Foundry | Alex Walker-Todd

iPhone 17e: Design & Colors

There have been no reports relating to the iPhone 17e’s colors. The iPhone 16e is available in black or white, and we expect the same for the iPhone 17e.

No changes are expected for the design, although as mentioned above, the new iPhone 17e could have a Digital Island instead of the notch at the top of the screen.

iPhone 17e: Release date

Spring 2026.

Like the SE, Apple started shipping the iPhone 16e in early 2025, several months after the rest of the iPhone 16 line. According to reports, the iPhone 17e has entered test production runs to prepare it for a spring 2026 release.

iPhone 17e: Price

From $599.

The iPhone 16e starts at $599, and Apple is expected to price the iPhone 17e at $599 as well, though no reports have been made so far. Tariffs and production cost increases may affect the price, but since the “e” series is considered Apple’s lowest-priced iPhone, the price would not exceed that of the iPhone 17, which starts at $799 and the iPhone 16, whose price has been reduced to start at $699.

Now read our reviews of the best iPhone 17 cases.