The 5 Most Anticipated Features For Apple's iPhone 17e

Apple is expected to unveil a new generation of its cheaper iPhone model early this year. It's still unclear if the company might hold the introduction of the iPhone 17e for a spring event or if a release could come later this winter and be announced via a press release. Either way, rumors point to an announcement of some nature in the next few weeks.

Even though the iPhone 16e wasn't exactly a bestseller, likely in part due to the fact that it lacked several features available on the other iPhone 16 models, it seems Apple learned a thing or two in the process that could benefit the next generation. The iPhone 17e is not expected to introduce many new features, as it's a budget release compared to the pricier iPhone 16, iPhone Air, and iPhone 17 models, but it could be a solid option for those on a budget who don't want to opt for an older iPhone generation.

With that in mind, we've gathered up some of the latest rumors and reports regarding the iPhone 17e to make a list of the most notable potential changes coming to Apple's most affordable smartphone. Fortunately, the price doesn't seem to be one of those changes, as there haven't been any reports thus far to suggest that Apple plans to increase the price of the iPhone 17e from $599.

Rumors suggest the iPhone 17e will undergo one major change: It will ditch the iPhone 14-style notch in favor of a Dynamic Island. While the 17e is not expected to have a substantially different design, Apple seems to be ready to phase out the notch on all of its iPhone models in favor of the Dynamic Island. This comes as a few reports have suggested that Apple plans to make the Dynamic Island smaller or possibly even move it from the center of the iPhone to the left side as a punch-hole cutout on the iPhone 18 Pro models.

This wouldn't be the first time Apple's more affordable phones have adopted the latest look just as the company is getting ready to introduce a new design. While the Dynamic Island will give a fresh look to the iPhone 17e, it is still expected to feature a 60Hz OLED display, as rumors don't support the idea that this model will upgrade to the newer iPhone 17 display with a variable refresh rate and the ability to dim the screen to 1 nit.

In order to position the iPhone 17e part of the iPhone 17 family, Apple will need to add the A19 chip to this phone. The A19 was an important jump over the A18 chip that debuted in the iPhone 16, as it improved Neural Engine capabilities, introduced an updated display engine, and added a Neural Accelerator to each GPU core.

However, it's important to note that the chip in the iPhone 16e is different from the ones you'll find across the rest of the iPhone 16 family, as Apple downclocked it by offering a 4-core GPU instead of five cores. Since these processors are difficult to make, Apple is likely reusing those which didn't make the cut for the iPhone 17 on this new model. This way, Apple is able to make the production less expensive by reusing these "faulty" chips in other products.

The company previously pulled a similar stunt with the 2022 Apple TV 4K, which features an A15 Bionic chip, but with one less CPU core than the one available on the iPhone 13 models. In practice, fewer CPU or GPU cores don't drastically change the performance of the device, but will save Apple some serious cash.

One of the biggest flaws of the iPhone 16e is the lack of MagSafe capabilities. This feature has been available on Apple's phones since the iPhone 12. However, Apple explained to Daring Fireball that "most people in the iPhone 16e's target audience exclusively charge their phones by plugging them into a charging cable."

While this could mean most iPhone 16e buyers are coming from a pre-iPhone 12 device, it seems the company has listened to feedback, as it is rumored to be adding MagSafe support for the upcoming iPhone 17e. This change would unlock wireless charging speeds of at least 15W, as the iPhone 16e is limited standard wireless charging of up to 7.5W. Even though current iPhone models can charge at up to 25W over MagSafe, we're not convinced that it's very likely we'll see such a significant leap on the cheaper model.

Still, this upgrade is important not only for charging speeds, but also for opening up support to countless MagSafe accessories that current iPhone 16e users can't take advantage of, such as MagSafe wallets, PopSockets, external batteries, and more. With the iPhone 17e, Apple could help to ensure that even iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 users will see this device as an attractive upgrade.

The iPhone 17e isn't expected to get major upgrades in the camera department, as it will maintain a single front-facing camera and one lens on the back. The iPhone 16e features a single 48MP Wide Angle camera and a 12MP selfie camera. Rumors so far don't indicate that Apple will add its new 18MP Center Stage selfie camera or a Camera Control button to this device.

Even if the company ends up with the same sensor from the previous generation, the new A19 chip could allow for improved post-processing performance. It's also important to note that the main sensor on the iPhone 16e isn't the same as the one available on the regular iPhone 16, so there's no reason to believe Apple will change its strategy significantly for this generation. That said, a camera upgrade would be a notable selling point.

Last but not least, Apple is expected to add the C1X modem to the iPhone 17e. If you don't recall, the iPhone 16e was the first iPhone model to use Apple's own 5G modem. However, this modem was less capable than the Qualcomm chip available on the iPhone 16 models. Still, Apple kicked off the era of its own 5G modems with the iPhone 16e, as the C1 chip integrates better with Apple's own hardware and software (while saving the company money).

With the iPhone 17e, Apple is expected to use the same C1X modem available on the iPhone Air, which is twice as fast as the C1 while being more energy efficient than the modems available on the iPhone 17 Pro. Apple is reportedly working on a new generation called C2 for all the iPhone 18 models, as it hopes to be on par with Qualcomm's capabilities, but with a far more energy-efficient chip.

Besides that, Apple also has the option to add its new N1 chip for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to the iPhone 17e, but leaked code suggests the company will skip putting the N1 inside its next-generation affordable smartphone. This could change in future generations as Apple continues to lower the cost of production.