iPhone 17e Rumored for Early 2026 With A19 Chip as Apple Adopts Yearly 'e' Model Cycle

Apple will launch an iPhone 17e model early next year, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The device will be a successor to the iPhone 16e launched in February, signalling a move to an annual update cadence for Apple's entry-level iPhone.

According to Gurman, the ‌iPhone 17e‌ will look similar to the 16e model but include the A19 processor to match this year's iPhone 17 line. The current model, starting at $599, has the A18 chip. Korean outlet The Elec earlier this month said Apple plans to launch a second-generation ‌iPhone 17e‌ next spring, and that it will use the same OLED panel as that found in the iPhone 16e – a panel that originally debuted in the iPhone 14 – as part of its efforts to use lower-cost components based on established production lines.

Gurman's reporting corroborates a previous claim by respected industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who said that Apple will launch a second-generation ‌iPhone 17e‌ in the first half of next year. An earlier rumor from April suggested Apple's next-generation ‌iPhone 17e‌ was already nearing the trial production stage, though the leaker behind the claim suggested a May 2026 release for the device rather than February.

Looking further ahead, Kuo says a third-generation "e" device will reportedly be released alongside the standard iPhone 18 in the first half of 2027. That's because Apple is now said to be launching the standard ‌iPhone 18‌ and iPhone 18e in the spring – a full six months after the iPhone 18 Pro models – as part of its switch to a split iPhone yearly launch strategy.

Collectively, the reports effectively confirm Apple's switch to an annual update strategy for its entry-level iPhone. Previously, it was not clear whether Apple would opt to release "e" series iPhone models based on a non-linear roadmap, similar to the iPhone SE. The first-generation iPhone SE was released on March 2016, while the second-generation model arrived in April 2020, and the third-generation iPhone SE came in March 2022.