Apple’s iPhone 17e Could Bring Major Upgrades Without a Price Hike

Apple's calendar could get a whole lot busier with the imminent arrival of its more affordable iPhone 17e. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the follow-up to the iPhone 16e is poised to break cover any day and it's packing quite a few meaningful upgrades without hiking the price.

iPhone 17e Tipped to Debut with A19 Chip, MagSafe and New Apple Modems

As per the latest report, the biggest improvement with the iPhone 17e is a move to Apple's A19 chip, the same processor that powers the standard iPhone 17.

For those unaware, the Apple A19 processor promises better performance and efficiency in comparison to the Apple A18 that powers the iPhone 16e.

Besides, under the hood, Apple is said to be adopting its newest in-house C1X and N1 networking chip modems to boost 5G, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth performance of the iPhone 17e. This aligns with previous reports suggesting that the iPhone 17e and iPhone 18 Pro could use Apple's own modems.

iPhone 16e in hand while showcasing the back design — Image Credit: Beebom Gadgets

Additionally, the iPhone 17e is also expected to finally get MagSafe charging support, adding Apple's magnetic charging and accessory ecosystem to a series that has lacked it.

As per earlier chatter, the iPhone 17e could sport thin bezels and a BOE display. Reports also suggest that the iPhone 17e could feature Dynamic Island.

Despite all the upgrades, Gurman states that the iPhone 17e pricing will stay untouched at $599 (approximately Rs 54,500). So, in India as well, we can expect the phone to launch for the same price as the iPhone 16e, which is Rs 59,900. If that's true, it will be quite honourable for Apple to absorb the impact of the global RAM shortage.

Just a couple of days ago, we got to know that the iPhone 17e launch date has been reportedly scheduled for February 19, 2026. Taken together, Bloomberg's latest details frame the iPhone 17e as a "more features for the same cost" refresh, making it quite the enticing first iPhone of 2026.