iPhone 17e Rumours Indicate That A Budget iPhone Will Become An Annual Release

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The iPhone 16e must have shown signs of success for Apple because new leaks of an iPhone 17e indicate that the budget model may be a permanent fixture in the release cycle. There were already suggestions that this may be the case following the iPhone 16e’s launch in February 2025, but leaks from a trusted Chinese source have contributed to some more firm expectations of a successor.

This would mark a departure from the sporadic release schedule of the SE series which the 16e replaced. If the iPhone 17e does materialise, then it would seem likely that Apple is sticking to manufacturing a cheaper iPhone annually.

And this would make a lot of sense. Pretty much every other smartphone manufacturer releases a yearly budget version of their flagship device. Take Google’s Pixel ‘a’ series as an example; we get the Pixel 9 and then the Pixel 9a a few months later.

The latest research from Counterpoint Research indicates that Apple has seen sales rise again in March after a few sluggish quarters, which could have been fueled by the popularity of the iPhone 16e. It follows that if a cheaper iPhone has been flying off the shelves that Apple will want to replicate that success.

Potential iPhone 17e release date

As 9To5Mac reported, the iPhone 17e is apparently already in the very early stages of production, which not only suggests Apple is serious about another release but that it will likely be in 2026.

If the same period of release for the iPhone 16e holds, then the iPhone 17e should drop sometime between February and May 2026. As for what the iPhone 17e might look or perform like, we don’t know yet, but we can reasonably assume that the single rear camera design will stay and it will receive the same chip as the standard iPhone 17.

Adding in a yearly slot for the ‘e’ iPhone would fill a hole for Apple that exists all year from September, when they usually release the new main iPhone series. The budget phone is a new market for Apple and one they seem keen to exploit further.