Apple faces criticism for allowing its iPhone 16e to outshine the standard iPhone 16 model after its release earlier in 2025. The company captured 19 percent of the global smartphone market in the first quarter of 2025, according to Counterpoint Intelligence. Analyst Mark Gurman predicts Apple will limit features on the upcoming iPhone 17e to prevent it from overshadowing the base iPhone 17 model.
The iPhone 16e featured a 6.1-inch OLED display with an aluminum frame, but used a four-core GPU instead of the five-core version found in the standard model. The device also contained a single camera lens rather than a dual-camera system. Apple plans to equip the iPhone 17e with a 60Hz display refresh rate and maintain the single-lens camera setup. The budget model will receive the A19 chip with reduced core count and feature Dynamic Island technology when it launches in the first half of 2026.
The iPhone 16e featured a 6.1-inch OLED display with an aluminum frame, but used a four-core GPU instead of the five-core version found in the standard model. The device also contained a single camera lens rather than a dual-camera system. Apple plans to equip the iPhone 17e with a 60Hz display refresh rate and maintain the single-lens camera setup. The budget model will receive the A19 chip with reduced core count and feature Dynamic Island technology when it launches in the first half of 2026.
