The iPhone 16e is the start of a new line for Apple. It uses some similar components to the iPhone 16 but downgrades some areas to reduce the price. The phone also features Apple’s first implementation of the C1 Modem, which promises better signals and efficiency gains.
As per Fixed Focus Digital on Weibo, trial production for the iPhone 17e is close to beginning. When the iPhone 16e was first released, we didn’t know whether Apple would update the product annually with a new version. For the iPhone SE, the updates were random and unpredictable, sometimes going years without a new model.
However, the new “e” lineup might get yearly model refreshes. The leaker claims to have sources in Apple’s supply chain in China. The industry sources report that the phone is nearing trial production. The phone might launch in late May 2026, which is slightly over a year after the launch of the iPhone 16e. The iPhone 16e was released at the end of February in 2025. The leak does not specify an exact date for the launch.
Apple has a lot of potential for improvement in the iPhone 17e. Despite having 48MP resolution, the sensor size of the main camera is rather tiny for 2025 standards. The phone does not have an ultrawide camera at all, and there are many other hardware compromises, like the low-brightness display.
While battery life is promising, thanks to a physically larger battery capacity and the new Apple C1 modem, Apple can still massively improve the camera hardware of the product. Another key criticism of the product is the 599$ price tag, which is at least 100$ more than what’s justified for the hardware.
The iPhone 17e is targeted at the midrange smartphone segment. It competes directly with Oppo, Vivo, Redmi, etc- these companies are currently at the top of the market for midrange smartphones. To capture some market share in this price segment, the “e” series of iPhones will do the job. Despite the hardware cutdowns, the phone has its place in the segment internationally, especially after carrier deals.
One day before the launch of the iPhone 16e, the same leaker (Fixed Focus Digital on Weibo) claimed that there’s a new project codename in Apple’s supply chain. This is supposedly related to the iPhone 17e, and the leaker has a good track record. The Weibo leaker mentioned the new “e” series first; others simply assumed Apple would update the SE lineup with better hardware. However, Apple is selling it under the 16 series, and not the SE lineup.
This is not the first time we’re hearing about the iPhone 17e. A report from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) in February of this year said that Apple would release a follow-up to the iPhone 16e in 2026. However, the report mentions a February release date, which is around the same month that the iPhone 16e launched. We’re not sure when Apple might decide to launch this product.
Apple is planning to capture the midrange segment with the “e” models, and it’s a viable alternative to not having any new iPhone models at the start of the year. Usually, the company just refreshes the colors in the middle of the year.
So far, the strategy is working. Data from Counterpoint Research shows that Apple took the first spot in a Q1 update- the first time the company reached the top spot in the first quarter. We can assume that the sales of the iPhone 16e had a lot to do with this, especially in emerging markets.
