If you've read the iPhone 17 review my colleague John Velasco wrote, you'd know that Apple's lastest flagship phone packs in a fair amount of significant upgrades. That's great news if you're planning an upgrade to the new phone — but if you're waiting for a cheaper iPhone, it could be an encouraging sign for the iPhone 17e that's reportedly in development for next spring.
Previous editions of Apple's midrange model — whether it's the iPhone SE or the iPhone 16e that took the SE's place earlier this year — tend to stick pretty closely to the flagship phone that Apple released the previous fall, at least when it comes to key features. Yes, there are some things that Apple reserves for its higher-priced phones, which is why you'll only find one camera lens on the iPhone 16e. But in other areas, the cheaper iPhone definitely takes it cues from the flagships.
So what does that mean for the iPhone 17e, reportedly on tap for a May 2026 release if you believe at least one rumor about Apple's phone plans for next year? It's probably too early to say definitively what the phones specs will be, but I'm willing to make some guess as to which iPhone 17 improvements might find their way to the iPhone 17e.
An A19 chipset
Let's start with an easy one. Every time Apple has rolled out an entry-level phone, it's featured the same system-on-chip that featured in the entry level flagship phone that arrived the previous fall. In the case of the iPhone 16e, that's the A18 silicon Apple introduced with the rest of the iPhone 16 lineup. So it's hardly going out on a limb to think the iPhone 17e, if it exists, will run on the iPhone 17's A19 chip.
It might not be the exact same chip. Again using the iPhone 16e as an example, it's got the same 6-core CPU as the iPhone 16, posting nearly identical Geekbench scores. However, graphics testing scores for the iPhone 16e are lower than what the iPhone 16 posted, so I imagine its A18 silicon comes with one less GPU core. Look for the A19 in the iPhone 17e to follow a similar path.
Chances of happening: Practically guaranteed
A bigger screen
Apple expanded the screen size on the iPhone 17 to match the panel its smaller Pro model users, expanding the display from 6.1 inches to 6.3 inches. The iPhone 16e also has a 6.1-inch display, so could a similar move happen once the iPhone 17e rolls around?
Maybe. But I don't think it's likely.
Screen size seems like an area where Apple can distinguish its flagship phones from the midrange model. If you like bigger displays, the argument could go, then pay up for the standard model.
Besides, the iPhone 16e isn't a one-to-one copy of the iPhone 16's design. Really, it's based more on the iPhone 14, as it maintains a notched display instead of a Dynamic Island feature. If Apple's going to make a change on the iPhone 17e's panel, you'd figure the more likely move would be to adopt the iPhone 15 design and introduce that Dynamic Island. That's what early iPhone 17e rumors seem to think anyhow.
Chances of happening: Slim, outside of Apple ditching a notched display once and for all
A fast-refreshing display
After years of locking in at 60Hz, the display refresh rate on the standard iPhone flagship can now adjust, depending on what's happening on the screen. If you're doing a lot of scrolling, the refresh rate can ramp up to 120Hz; if things are more static, like in the always-on display mode, the refresh rate scales down to 1Hz.
By doing so, the iPhone 17 now matches a feature that the iPhone Pro models offer — as have many other Android phones, including ones much cheaper than the iPhone. So does Apple follow suit with the iPhone 17e and give that model an adaptive refresh rate.?
I think it's unlikely. Keep in mind that the fast-refreshing displays have been a part of the Pro's bag of tricks since the iPhone 13 Pro came out in 2021. In all that time, the regular stayed stuck at 60Hz. I just don't expect Apple to extend this capability to all its phones, once again using refresh rates to set the main iPhone flagships apart from the E Series.
Chances of happening: Very unlikely
Expanded storage
Amid all the other changes Apple introduced to the iPhone 17, it also bumped the storage on the phone's base model to 256GB — all without a price hike. In fact, every phone in the iPhone 17 lineup, including the new iPhone Air, starts with 256GB of storage. And that makes the 128GB of storage on board the base model iPhone 16e stick out like a sore thumb.
Still, I wouldn't bet on Apple being as generous with storage when the iPhone 17e appears. This feels like another area where Apple will want to distinguish its midrange phone from the rest of the lineup. Besides, the company took its time extending extra storage to the full iPhone lineup, having introduced a 256GB Pro Max model as the base version two years ago.
Chances of happening: Unlikely, though not as unlikely as the fast-refreshing display
Ceramic Shield 2
Ceramic Shield is the material Apple uses on its iPhone screens to help them withstand the bumps and bruises of daily use. The iPhone 17 release has introduced us to Ceramic Shield 2, a new version of the material that's supposed to be 3x more scratch resistant than the original version of Ceramic Shield.
And I would bet that it's going to arrive on the iPhone 17e, too.
Apple may cut back on some features with its midrange phones to keep costs down, but durability hasn't been one of them. The iPhone 16e features Ceramic Shield, and it's also got the same IP68 water and dust resistance rating as the more expensive iPhones. Now that Ceramic Shield 2 is on hand, I imagine it's going to be a mainstay on any iPhone model, regardless of price.
Chances of happening: Very likely
Faster charging speeds
Across the board, the iPhone 17 models charge faster than ever, with 35W wired charging speeds promising a 50% charge in 20 minutes. In fact, my colleague John Velasco reports that in his iPhone 17 testing, the phone reached a 71% charge after 30 minutes. We saw similar results with iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max testing.
The iPhone 16e maxes out at 27W wired charging speeds, but I could see Apple extending the faster charging to an iPhone 17e. It's a bigger question of whether MagSafe wireless charging comes to the cheaper iPhone, but that's a question for another time.
Chances of happening: I wouldn't bet against it
Camera upgrades
If the iPhone 17e sees any updates to its camera setup, I think it would be along the lines of a larger sensor to let in more light or improvements to its photo-processing algorithms. But changes along the line of what we've seen from the iPhone 17 models — a new 48MP sensor on the iPhone 17, and a 48MP telephoto lens on the Pros — are likely out of the question.
That's because ultrawide and telephoto lenses simply don't exist on Apple's E series iPhone. And I don't see that changing with the iPhone 17e. Apple seems perfectly comfortable making single-lens phones, as evidenced by that lone shooter on the back of the new iPhone Air. And I'd guess that's because Apple decided it's a compromise iPhone shoppers are willing to make, whether it's for a thinner phone in the case of the Air or a cheaper phone in the case of the iPhone 17e.
Chances of happening: Abandon all hope
Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
More from Tom's Guide
- Should you upgrade to iPhone 17? Here’s who should buy (and skip) from the iPhone 13 and up
- 2026 is the year Apple needs to release the iPhone Ultra — and ditch Pro Max for good
- iOS 26 review
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
