When Apple launched the iPhone 16e earlier this year, it raised a lot of eyebrows as it packed a very limited feature set for Rs 59,900. With a single camera and a dated notch design, it didn’t make a lot of sense in a market where the iPhone 16 was available for a little more. We’re in the business end of 2025, and it’s now time for the iPhone 17e to make the rounds and if Apple is serious about making this the best budget phone, I think it has got to nail down these features.
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Bring on the mighty Apple A19
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An attractive element of this year’s iPhone 16e was certainly the Apple A18 chipset that powered the baseline iPhone 16. It’s a recipe that even Google does with its A-series phones, as the Pixel 9a arrived with the Tensor G4.
And if rumours are to be believed, the iPhone 17e is likely to equip the Apple A19 processor that was on the iPhone 17. The A19 is faster, packs a better performance and is more efficient than its predecessor as you’ll see in this Apple A19 vs A18 benchmarks comparison. That should be a solid starting point for the iPhone 17e, and anything less will obviously be a letdown.
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Dynamic Island
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While looks are subjective, there’s no doubt that the iPhone X-style notch has become dated in 2025. In fact, a lot of people, including me, were surprised when Apple went with this old display design instead of the Dynamic Island that has braced regular iPhones (like the iPhone 15) since 2023.
The pill-shaped camera module on the front isn’t just a looker, it’s also functional. That’s because it shows Live Alerts from various apps and even acts as a dynamic widget of sorts that you can expand upon a long-press.
During my limited time with an iPhone 16e, I found myself constantly reaching the top of the display only to find that I can’t interact with anything like do on my iPhone 15. But if the iPhone 17e somehow makes room for this pill-shaped goodness, it’ll make it all the more attractive.
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Wider selfies, please!
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Since we’re on the topic of the Dynamic Island, we might as well discuss what it should pack internally. While the 12 MP sensor on the 16e performed well beyond expectations, one thing that might be a bigger upgrade than Dynamic Island will be the addition of the 18 MP Centre Stage camera.
First seen on this year’s iPhone Air and iPhone 17 lineup, the new selfie sensor leaves room for wider, landscape selfies without needing to tilt the phone sideways. The sensor is smarter, too. Like my fellow Beebom colleague Anshuman pointed out in his iPhone Air review, Centre Stage adjusts the frame subtly when it detects how many people are in the shot.
Like the Centre Stage camera on recent MacBooks, the camera also finds itself useful during video calls, as it keeps you at the centre of the frame at all times. There already are rumours about an improved selfie sensor on the iPhone 17e, and the Centre Stage camera will be one of the biggest upgrades you might see on a budget iPhone.
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Let’s just have a smoother display all around
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As we now move into the ‘less likely to happen’ territory, it’ll be a quite a sensation if Apple squeeze in a 120 Hz OLED screen on its next budget phone. Yes, it might be a lot to expect from the brand at this price point, but I’ve got a sound reasoning for it.
Firstly, smooth 120 Hz displays have made their way to even the most affordable Android phones. Secondly, Apple finally brought high refresh rate panels to the standard iPhone 17. So, while 60 Hz on the iPhone 16e was understandable since the iPhone 16 featured the same, it wouldn’t make sense for the iPhone 17e to not pack it.
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More cameras, maybe?
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The biggest disappointment with the iPhone 16e, however, was the lack of a proper imaging setup. Since early rumours of this year’s budget iPhone pointed to being the successor of the iPhone SE (2022), a single main 48MP camera was acceptable. That’s because the industry, at the time, believed it made sense for a phone that would cost around the same price as the iPhone SE 3rd generation, which launched at Rs 43,900.
Instead, the device came with the iPhone 16 moniker and for a starting tag of Rs 59,900. At that price, getting the iPhone 16e with a single rear camera over the Pixel 8a or entry-level flagships that had more versatile sensors was a hard pill to swallow. As smartphone prices are expected to rise in 2026, a lot rests on Apple to figure out a way to justify the iPhone 17e, if it does set a higher price tag for its next budget phone.
So, if the Cupertino brand is really serious about making the iPhone 17e an attractive offering for budget conscious consumers, a camera upgrade of some kind will have to be a must. If that means, taking the secondary 12MP ultra-wide camera from the year-old iPhone 16, so be it.
That brings us to the end of this story. As I shared my optimism for the iPhone Fold earlier, 2026 could prove to be a game changer for Apple. And the iPhone 17e could play a major part in helping the brand maintain the top crown in smartphone sales. If Apple somehow gets the recipe right, the iPhone 17e could indeed be the biggest, most compelling budget phone of 2026.
