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First Details on iPhone 17e - Apple's Cheapest iPhone

While the iPhone 16e is hitting Swedish stores and the first American reviews of the phone have been published, signs suggest that Apple's cheapest phone will be updated with new models annually.

Erik Mörner
Published

The iPhone 16e may be cheaper than the regular iPhone 16 and is somewhat of a simpler model, primarily because it lacks a wide-angle camera, the dynamic island on the screen introduced with the iPhone 14 Pro, and MagSafe. However, the iPhone 16e is also significantly more expensive than its predecessor, the iPhone SE. The latest iPhone SE was released in 2020 and cost from 5695 kronor, while the iPhone 16e costs from 8495 kronor.

When the iPhone 16e hits stores tomorrow, February 28th, we also receive the first American reviews of the phone where several reviewers praise the battery life, likely thanks to Apple's new, self-designed modem chip, but criticise the lack of a wide-angle camera and the absence of MagSafe. 

Seems to become an annual occurrence

The name change from iPhone SE to iPhone 16e suggests that we might see new models of this phone every year, unlike the iPhone SE which was updated at several-year intervals. Now, indeed, the first reports about the iPhone 17e are coming from respected leakers referring to Chinese subcontractors. According to Fixed Focus Digital, references to the iPhone 17e in the form of new code names have been discovered.

It seems, therefore, that Apple is following Google's habits, launching annual flagship models in the autumn followed by cheaper alternatives in the spring, in Google's case the Pixel 9a. 

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