Apple has dropped the dramatics in favour of shoving those products it doesn’t feel are especially special, out the door. Yesterday, it revealed the iPhone 17e — a successor to the Fruit Company’s last crack at a lower-cost iPhone meant for the masses. The iPhone 17e hopes to wrangle similar customers, clinging to the same $600 price.
Lest we forget that Apple took the opportunity to debut the ‘new’ iPad Air, this time powered by an M4 chipset. There’s not much to say about this one other than the usual bump to the processor under the hood, though Apple did at least stick the N1 chip in to bring Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 to the lineup. You’re still getting the same Liquid Retina IPS LCD (60Hz) in 11- and 13in sizes. The price, too, remains unchanged at $600 and $800, respectively.
Good thing this was just an email
The returning Super Retina XDR OLED display is a little on the scrawnier side, measuring 6.1in. There could be a ‘Plus’ model in the works, but for now, you’ll have to make do with what Apple serves. A tougher Ceramic Shield 2 coats the display, supposedly offering reduced glare and scratch resistance.
The A19 chipset lodged inside should be more than equipped to handle everyday tasks without suffering too much. More interesting is the addition of MagSafe charging (with Qi2 support) that’ll deliver 15W wireless charging. Also packed in is Apple’s C1X cellular modem, which is apparently two-times faster than the 16e.
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As ever, Apple’s being cagey about the battery in there, claiming an “exceptional all-day battery life,” that we’ll believe when we see it. There may not be any hard figures, but Apple promises at least a 50% charge in roughly 30 minutes. Oh, and the same 48MP Fusion sensor resides on the rear, but adds 2x optical-quality telephoto through the same lens. The Action Button isn’t a new feature, but it’s great to see Apple hasn’t ditched it yet.
Owners of Apple’s iPhone 16e or newer flagship probably won’t be much enticed by this iPhone, but anyone coming off something older probably won’t mind the storage upgrade from 128GB to 256GB or the $600 price — likely starting at R16,000 locally if last year’s efforts are anything to go by. Pre-orders open in the US tomorrow, with an expected launch date of 11 March 2026. We’ll let you know when these turn up in SA. We shouldn’t have to wait too long.
