Leaks have surfaced suggesting that Apple's budget-friendly offering, the iPhone 17e, will bid farewell to the traditional 'notch' display and embrace the same Dynamic Island design that graces its premium siblings. The front of this device will boast a 6.1-inch OLED screen. However, in a departure from other iPhone 17 models slated to upgrade to ProMotion adaptive displays with refresh rates soaring up to 120Hz, the iPhone 17e will maintain a 60Hz refresh rate. This strategic move is aimed at achieving an optimal equilibrium between functionality and cost-effectiveness.

Furthermore, the iPhone 17e will be propelled by a downclocked iteration of the A19 chip. It will also come equipped with Apple's in-house developed C1X 5G baseband, which promises transmission speeds double those of its predecessor, the C1, while simultaneously slashing power consumption by 30%. Additionally, for the first time, it will support MagSafe magnetic charging.

The model will kick off with a generous 256GB of storage. On the photography front, it will sport a 48-megapixel main rear camera harnessing pixel binning technology, alongside a 12-megapixel front-facing camera that incorporates the Center Stage function. The iPhone 17e is anticipated to make its debut in the first half of 2026, with the official price for the Chinese variant starting at 4,499 yuan, and a subsidized price estimated to hover around 3,999 yuan.