In the past, Apple offered an entry-level model in the iPhone lineup called the iPhone SE, which went through three generations until Apple recently introduced the iPhone 16e in February, which was rather positioned as the new and more affordable model in the iPhone 16 series. The iPhone 16e brings much of the more modern hardware over the iPhone SE 3 that it replaced, including the 6.1-inch OLED display, the A18 chip, Face ID, the Action Button, and the USB-C port. However, since it sits below the regular iPhone 16, several features are omitted, most notably MagSafe and the Dynamic Island. Still, for $599, you’d get a much more modern iPhone that would be supported by many future iOS versions to come.
So with the upcoming iPhone 17 lineup expected to launch in less than six months, what will happen to the iPhone 16e? According to WeChat-based leaker Fixed Focus Digital, Apple has been developing the next-generation “iPhone 17e”, and they claim that the smartphone is nearing trial production with a potential launch as soon as May 2026. This could be a better strategy for Apple overall and here’s why.
In the past, Apple would introduce a new color for its regular iPhone models in the spring to get more users to buy iPhones, and thus boosting sales in the mid-upgrade cycle. Now, it appears that Apple is taking a different approach for its mid-cycle refresh by introducing a new, more affordable “e” model every spring to continue generating revenue for its iPhone in what would be the slowest season for sales. As a matter of fact, the latest report from Counterpoint Research indicates that the iPhone 16e helped Apple take the top place in global smartphone sales during the first quarter of 2025, and despite initial criticism, the iPhone 16e performed strongly in emerging markets. Additionally, users would easily expect when the next “e” model to come out because in the past, the update cycle for the iPhone SE was inconsistent with several years between each iteration.
Apple may have committed production for this said model in advanced, so if everything goes well, we should expect the next “e” model to launch next spring, several months after the launch of the flagship iPhone 17 series. The future looks to be very bright for the iPhone “e” model.
