A new supply-chain report suggests that the iPhone 17e will launch next spring, which is in line with previous reporting.
It doesn’t sound like the upcoming model will be a major update, with today’s report indicating that it will use the exact same display as the iPhone 16e …
This display was itself repurposed from the iPhone 14.
One big question when Apple replaced the iPhone SE with the iPhone 16e was whether the new naming scheme pointed to an annual update. The SE had been updated at random intervals, while the company slotting it into the iPhone 16 line-up seemed to hint at yearly revisions.
This idea was boosted by leaker Fixed focus digital reporting a product code that appeared to relate to an iPhone 17e, and grew more credible when they subsequently spotted the model in trial production. This is a stage which very clearly points to a launch next year.
This is now backed by TheElec, which states that it will launch in the spring.
It was learned today that Apple plans to launch the entry-level organic light-emitting diode (OLED) iPhone 17e next spring. The panel reuses OLED for iPhone 16e.
The 16e was launched in February of this year, while a spring launch for its successor would point to a slightly later date, spring officially starting on March 20.
Not much else is known at this stage, but it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see only a modest update. The offset launch schedule will be designed both for logistical purposes – reserving 100% of Apple’s production capacity for the main line-up around the launch – and to maximize sales of flagship models before the much later introduction of the budget model.
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iPhone 16e photo shown: Apple