Apple reportedly plans to announce the iPhone 17e exactly one year after the iPhone 16e was introduced.
The iPhone 16e (pictured) is the most affordable non-flagship iPhone in Apple's lineup
The iPhone 17e is widely rumoured to launch in 2026 as Apple's next-generation affordable iPhone. While the company has yet to confirm the successor to the iPhone 16e, its launch date has now been leaked. According to a report, the purported handset could see the light of day in February. The iPhone 17e is expected to have a similar overall design to its predecessor, with rumours that Dynamic Island could replace the notch dismissed.
Citing anonymous sources, German publication Macwelt reported on the launch date of the iPhone 17e. Apple reportedly plans to announce the iPhone 17e on February 19 (Thursday), exactly one year after the iPhone 16e was introduced. For context, the Cupertino-based tech giant announced the current generation model on February 19, 2025.
The leaked launch date corroborates previous leaks about the iPhone 17e, which was expected to break cover in the first quarter (Q1) of 2026. Apple may introduce the handset via a usual press release instead of a dedicated launch event.
Cosmetic upgrades on the iPhone 17e are reported to be few and far between. As per the publication, the purported handset will largely retain the design of the iPhone 16e, including the notch on the front that houses the selfie camera and the Face ID sensor. Previously, it was reported that Apple could finally bring Dynamic Island to its non-flagship iPhone with the next-generation model.
The iPhone 17e is also reported to feature the same single rear camera. However, a key upgrade could be introduced in the charging department. As per the report, Apple will bring MagSafe charging to the purported iPhone, which means it will finally offer support for faster wireless charging.
In comparison, the iPhone 16e did support wireless charging, but only the Qi standard, which was around 7.5W. With the introduction of MagSafe, the iPhone 17e may support charging power up to 25W.
Apart from this, the tech giant reportedly plans to bring the C1X modem to the upcomin ‘e' model. It was introduced with the iPhone Air in September 2025. Apple claims that it can deliver twice as fast networking speeds while being more efficient compared to the C1 modem on the iPhone 16e.
If the February 19 launch date holds true, then we can expect more details to surface over the next few days.
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