One more iPhone 17 model launches next week: Here’s every new feature

Apple is launching new products next week, as confirmed this morning by CEO Tim Cook. iPhone 17e will be one of those launches, here are the new features to expect.

A19 chip

iPhone 17e is expected to include the latest-generation A19 chip. That’s the exact same chip that launched in iPhone 17 last fall.

By giving its budget model the A19, Apple is making the iPhone 17e future-proof for users who don’t upgrade very often. The power and efficiency of A19, combined with its Neural Engine for AI tasks, will make iPhone 17e stack up nicely against more expensive models.

MagSafe support

When iPhone 16e launched last February, it offered a lot of modern features at a lower price. But among the most noteworthy omissions, the lack of MagSafe may have been the most painful.

MagSafe has been part of the iPhone line since 2020, when iPhone 12 debuted. So by removing it from iPhone 16e, Apple not only withheld a great charging solution, it also dropped support for a vast ecosystem of MagSafe accessories.

Fortunately, iPhone 17e is expected to add MagSafe support. The outcry from users over the past year has clearly been heard.

18MP Center Stage front camera

One of the most surprising features rumored for iPhone 17e is the front camera.

iPhone 17e will reportedly gain the new 18MP Center Stage front camera that first debuted in iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro last fall.

No other camera changes are expected—for example, iPhone 17e will still only have one rear camera. But adding the new, popular Center Stage front camera is a big upgrade.

C1X and N1 wireless chips

iPhone 16e was the first model to offer an Apple-designed 5G modem: the C1. It didn’t take long for Apple to ship a second-generation chip though, as the C1X arrived last fall with significant speed gains.

Rumors say iPhone 17e will add this newer C1X modem for cellular, and also gain the N1 wireless chip that handles Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Thread.

It’s still early in the Apple silicon era for wireless connectivity, but we’ve seen several benefits of Apple-designed chips already, and that’s likely to prove true for years to come.

Maybe: Dynamic Island instead of notch

One long-standing iPhone 17e rumor is that its design will change, with the notch replaced by a Dynamic Island.

More recently though, rumors have conflicted on whether that change is truly happening.

The Dynamic Island would be a nice upgrade for two reasons:

I’ve been a big fan of the Dynamic Island since it debuted with iPhone 14 Pro. While I hope iPhone 17e gets the new feature, I would also understand if Apple chooses to keep the notch around. That move might help push buyers to the more expensive $799 iPhone 17.

iPhone 17e new features: wrap-up

iPhone 17e is expected to keep the same $599 price as its predecessor, and there’s even a chance of it increasing the base storage from 128GB to 256GB.

Whether that happens or not though, the upgrades above make iPhone 17e an attractive, modern iPhone at a compelling price. The main drawbacks of the ‘e’ model are a 60Hz display with no ProMotion, no Camera Control, and only one rear camera. But those shortcomings aside, $599 still sounds hard to beat.

Are you interested in buying the iPhone 17e? Let us know in the comments.

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