iPhone 17e could drop in May 2026 as it allegedly enters trial production
There will allegedly be an “iPhone 17e” as Apple is rumored to have kicked off trial production of this mid-range smartphone.
A leaker known as “Fixed Focus Digital” wrote on the Chinese social network Weibo that Apple is now trialing the production of the iPhone 17e. Based on this information, the leaker speculated that Apple might launch the device around May 2026.
With sources in Apple’s supply chain, “Fixed Focus Digital” has made several accurate predictions, including the “iPhone 16e” nomenclature when we expected a device under the “iPhone SE” moniker. In February, the leaker discovered a new codename in Apple’s supply chain that he believed refers to the iPhone 17e.
iPhone 17e will take on mid-range Android phones
When the iPhone 16e arrived, Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) predicted there’d be more “e” models. “It appears that ‘e’ phones may be part of the program going forward,” CIRP said. “Following the core iPhone 17 model launches in September, we expect Apple to announce an iPhone 17e around this time next year.”
If the iPhone 17e releases around May instead of in February as CIRP originally predicted, the handset will compete with not only Google’s Pixel “a” models but also mid-range Android handsets from Chinese makers like Vivo, Xiaomi and Redmi. CIRP estimated that the iPhone 16e helped propel Apple to the top of smartphone sales during the first quarter of 2025 with a 19 percent global share.
Apple’s entry-level phone now costs $600
Apple unveiled the iPhone 16e on February 19, 2025. The mid-range handset features the company’s first in-house cellular modem, dubbed the C1, along with an Apple A18 chip, a 48MP rear camera and a fullscreen design sporting a 6.1-inch OLED display with a notch and Face ID.
The device starts at $600 for the 128GB version, with the 256GB and 512GB models priced at $700 and $900, respectively. Following the iPhone 16e’s debut, Apple stopped offering the iPhone SE, iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus. This turned the iPhone 16e into Apple’s new entry-level device, but many don’t like that it costs $170 more than the discontinued third-generation iPhone SE 3, which cost $430.
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