Will Apple Release an iPhone 17e? Here's What We Know

[timmodugdale]

I'm sorry, but this needs to stop. We need to intervene with Apple and its product lineup.
iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone 17 Air, and then iPhone 16e or 17e? What are the meaningful differences between an iPhone 17 Air and an iPhone 16/17e? And what does Air even mean? Does the word "air" now mean thin? And we already have no idea (and Apple didn't even attempt to explain to us what the "e" in the iPhone 16e stands for.

These people get paid a ton of money, and yet this is the crazy mess they have created? Pull it together, Apple.

 

[ghanwani]

The lineup is their most confusing ever and getting even more so.

 

[hatter]

Nope, that's not the SE replacement I want. A full-fat phone with a small screen is that made the OG SE win for so many people, the price was just a bonus (but well deserved, given it was existing tech and didn't need as much screen or battery to run a bigger screen). The 2nd/3rd was at least small-ish even if it was rather weaker. I bought a 12 mini and upgraded to a 13 mini because really there's not much else in the market, but the very first thing I looked up, after the disappointing 'mid range phone' words near the top, was the screen size of this 17e and it's bigger again so I can''t imagine I'm going to buy a relatively expensive (for a mid-range phone), underpowered (so may not remain usable for as many years - necessary when they're so flaky about bringing out the phones I want) iphone. I/we are happy enough to pay a bit of a premium as it's more of a niche product, but apple seem happy to let more people go find an alternative before bringing out a new product some years later, which maybe attracts some back, maybe doesn't.

 

[Mousse]

This is really starting to feel like 1990s confusing Macintosh product line here. Too many phones, too little differences.

What was so confusing about the Performa line? 🙃 You could tell exactly what the specs* as sold are from the name alone.🫨 Every little change in processor speed, RAM or HD size had it's own name.

• The Performa 6200 was the base: 8MB RAM, 1GB HD, 14.4K modem, monitor.
• The Performa 6216 was the 6200 without a monitor.
• The Performa 6218 was a 6200 with 16MB RAM.
• The Performa 6220 was a 6216 with a with a TV card.
• The Performa 6230 was a 6220, but the TV card had an mpeg decoder.
• The Performa 6205 was a 6200 with a 28.8K modem.
• The Performa 6290 was a 6200 with a faster 100MHz 603e and 1.2GB RAM.
• The Performa 6300 was a 6290, but with 16MB RAM instead of 8MB.
• The Performa 6260 was a 6290, but with an 800MB HD.

Not confusing at all.😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

Then there was the 6400 and 5200 (AIO) lines.

I was so glad Jobs brought back the concept of KISS (keep it simple stupid).

 

[TruthAboveAllElse]

it's been a day of "one idea, let's write a post".

the whole new phone could easily have been covered in one posting.
must be a maximize clicks and comments for pay somehow...

Obviously, but also this is an Apple rumor site, and this is the biggest announcement we have had this year so far.

 

[Bregalad]

My family is all iPhone (from kids to grandparents) and almost all Mac, but Apple is slowly but surely pricing themselves out of my life. The 16E is C$320 more than the SE3 was. It's a lot more phone so some price increase is justified, but it means that there's no longer any iPhone available under C$1000 (tax included). That's a lot of money for something that gets replaced on a regular basis. It means that I'm going to be forced to baby my phone to drag as much life out of it as possible and also put off replacing my Macs until Apple declares them obsolete. With the current Studio Display costing almost as much as my 27" iMac did I'm effectively forced to go with a 3rd party display next time. It's sad to think that I have to accept a big downgrade in the component I look at, but the alternative is going to Windows and that's not happening.

 

[iGüey]

Oh boy! Please let us breathe.

 

[dampfnudel]

The whole reason for the iPhone SE branding (I believe) was so that with its lack of a generation number it wouldn't "age" as much on the shelves over years.

Since the 16e is now synonymous with the 16-generation iPhone line, I believe there will be faster turnaround for these cheaper iPhones.

Yeah, I think that may be Apple’s strategy. Keep the body the same, drop in the A19, a couple of new camera features (still single lens), maybe Dynamic Island and you got your “new” 17e.

 

[ksec]

I'm as much of a small phone evangelist as you'll find and I've come to terms with Apple having no interest in keeping me as an iPhone customer

We are never getting another Mini, barring a leadership change


(I'll be the first here to eat my words if I'm wrong -- I'd be delighted to be wrong on this)

Well the mini has always been used as a "tool" for price change. When iPhone 12 range came out, the default pricing is still "$699", except that was for the mini. Effectively if you want the normal iPhone you have to pay $100 more. That is Apple's tactics of a price hike without calling it as such.

Once the mini range ended. iPhone 14 continue to be $799 and iPhone 14 Plus is now $899.

"IF", the iPhone Mini range are really that bad in sales because somehow small phone market is tiny, putting it at $499 would actually normalise the iPhone SE ( now 16e ) price to $599.

And obviously the iPhone 16e is only there to drive you to buy iPhone 15, or iPhone 16 etc. Something like the Lineup below by Next Feb. And may be going forward the "e" would get more regular update to something like every 2 years.

$1199 iPhone 17 Pro Max
$1099 iPhone 17 Pro

$899 iPhone 17 Air
$799 iPhone 17

$799 iPhone 16 Plus
$699 iPhone 16

$549 iPhone 16e
$449 iPhone 16e Mini

 

[wbeasley]

Obviously, but also this is an Apple rumor site, and this is the biggest announcement we have had this year so far.

it's a low end phone to replace a previous one.

based off an ealrier iPhone design.

it's not worth the number of endless postings.
it wasn't even worthy of an Apple Event release.

it's a welcome item to fill out the iPhone family for sure.

thank goodness there's only two colours or else we would have had more discussions on the shades and which will be popular

 

[Bregalad]

it's a low end phone to replace a previous one.

based off an ealrier iPhone design.

it's not worth the number of endless postings.
it wasn't even worthy of an Apple Event release.

it's a welcome item to fill out the iPhone family for sure.

thank goodness there's only two colours or else we would have had more discussions on the shades and which will be popular

Except that it's neither low end nor low end priced. Apple has moved the entry level price up rather substantially, especially outside the USA. Whether that will add to the bottom line or cost them customers is the $64,000 question.

If you can't afford to even try an iPhone and are forced to go Android for your first smartphone it's likely that you'll remain an Android user for life, even if your financial situation improves in the future.

 

[wbeasley]

Except that it's neither low end nor low end priced. Apple has moved the entry level price up rather substantially, especially outside the USA. Whether that will add to the bottom line or cost them customers is the $64,000 question.

If you can't afford to even try an iPhone and are forced to go Android for your first smartphone it's likely that you'll remain an Android user for life, even if your financial situation improves in the future.

Actually if you can't afford a new "low end" iPhone there is a thriving second hand market because apple products tend to last better and are supported much longer with software updates.

My old phones have often ended up gifted to relatives.

And the local shopping centre has a phone repair shop that sells lots of traded in devices, including Apple ones.