- iPhone 17e will reportedly land “immediately”
- It’s also said to stick with its predecessor’s starting price of $599
- But aside from a new chipset and MagSafe, it might not have many upgrades
There could be both good and bad news for Apple’s upcoming mid-ranger, as the latest leak suggests it will land very soon, and without a price increase – but also with few upgrades.
According to Apple watcher Mark Gurman, writing for Bloomberg (via Apple Insider), the iPhone 17e will land “immediately,” which could mean within the next few days, though we’ve previously heard that it might launch on February 19, which is a bit further out but still could be considered imminent, depending on your perspective.
The even better news is that it apparently starts at $599 in the US, meaning there’s no price increase there, at least for the base model. If the iPhone 16e’s pricing holds true elsewhere, expect a starting price of £599 / AU$999 in the UK and Australia.
Hardly an upgrade
But Gurman also claims that this phone won’t see too many changes from its predecessor, with the main upgrades being just an A19 chipset (up from an A18) and MagSafe support.
Such modest upgrades would go some way to explaining how Apple was able to maintain last year’s price, even in the face of rising RAM prices. And Gurman is a very reputable source, so it’s likely that this information is accurate.
If that’s the case, then the iPhone 17e, even with its limited upgrades, has a shot at being one of the more compelling mid-range phones to land this year, especially since the Pixel 10a – which is likely to be one of its main rivals and is also set to launch soon – is reportedly even less of an upgrade over its predecessor.
So with big-name alternatives to the iPhone 17e potentially either costing more or offering less, Apple could find itself in a good position with this upcoming phone – even if it doesn’t sound very exciting.
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