Apple’s next iPhone release will be coming soon, a new report claims, and it will be the iPhone 17e, in spring 2026.
Apple iPhone 16e — is the iPhone 17e coming soon?
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This news comes from an industry heavyweight, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, in his latest Power On newsletter. The reason it’s so interesting is that there was no certainty the iPhone 17e would happen at all, and its release will be unprecedented for Apple.
That’s because the iPhone 16e landed in February 2025 and the 17e will, if the report is correct, land one year later. That’s different to the release cadence for the iPhone SE, which was only updated every two to three years.
The iPhone SE, the most affordable iPhone, was replaced by the iPhone 16e which, although it was still the lowest-priced iPhone in the range, was noticeably pricier. It may be that the higher price allows Apple to update the “e” model more frequently.
Gurman expects 2026 to have “some significant new hardware products,” as part of Apple’s 50th anniversary year. “I expect the early portion of the year to include the iPhone 17e, an entry-level iPad with the A18 chip and an iPad Air with the M4 processor,” Gurman said.
If Apple follows the same policy as it did with the iPhone 16e, it could be that the iPhone 17e will have the same processor as the iPhone 17 (the Apple A19 chip), a single camera and Apple’s in-house modem, possibly the C1X or C2. It could sit alongside the iPhone 16e or replace it.
If both are available, then the iPhone 16e would likely drop in price — although the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 plus became cheaper when the iPhone 17 series was announced, the iPhone 16e stayed at the same price. Which makes me think the iPhone 16e could vanish when the 17e appears.
As to when the iPhone 17e will go on sale, I believe it will be at or around the same time as the iPhone 16e went on sale this year, that is, at the end of February or the beginning of March.
