iPhone 18e release date expectations, price estimates and upgrades
iPhone 17e for reference. | Image by PhoneArena
iPhone 18e: what to expect
What's expected to change vs iPhone 17e:
- New A20 chip, potentially the same as the one in iPhone 18
- Familiar iPhone design
- Potentially Dynamic Island at the front
- Display refresh rate may remain at 60 Hz
- C2 modem
- The iPhone 18e is expected to come with the base iPhone 18 in spring 2027.
Expected price:
- No price leaks are out just yet.
- The current iPhone 17e starts at $599 for 256 GB of storage.
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iPhone 18e release date
Apple is reportedly changing its release strategy with the iPhone 18 lineup and may launch the iPhone 18 Pro Max and Pro in the fall, while the base iPhone 18, together with the iPhone 18e, will be released in the spring of 2027.
| Device family | Announcement | Market release |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone 18e | Spring 2027* | Spring 2027* |
| iPhone 17e | March 2, 2026 | March 11, 2026 |
| iPhone 16e | February 19, 2025 | February 28, 2025 |
* - probable dates
A spring release for Apple's next mid-range phone is totally in line with Apple's traditions. What's different is that the "vanilla" iPhone 18 may be announced together with the e-branded model.
iPhone 18e price and deals
The iPhone 18e's price is yet to leak. For now, expectations are that Apple will keep the phone in its usual mid-range category.
| iPhone model | 128GB of storage | 256GB of storage | 512GB of storage | 1TB of storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone 18e | - | $599* | $799* | - |
| iPhone 17e | - | $599 | $799 | - |
| iPhone 16e | $599 | $699 | $899 | - |
*- anticipated prices
We have to consider the rising component prices that are affecting the entire mobile tech industry right now. Currently, many companies, including Samsung, have raised prices because of the memory chip shortage (driven by demand from AI computing).
We don't know if Apple is going to raise prices of iPhones this year. Rumors claim it may not, which would help it undercut the competition. As for the iPhone 18e, we'll have a clearer view of what price we may expect once we see if Apple raises the iPhone 18 Pro prices in the fall.
iPhone 18e deals to expect:
- Apple: Apple usually offers good trade-in discounts for new phones, depending on the device you trade in.
- AT&T: You can expect AT&T to offer the phone for $0 or at a steep discount spread over 36 months when you open a new line on an eligible unlimited plan, with no trade-in required.
- Verizon: Verizon will likely offer the device completely "on us" via 36 monthly bill credits when you activate a new line on a select unlimited plan, sometimes bundling it with a free tablet or smartwatch.
- T-Mobile: We can expect T-Mobile to offer the phone for free with a 24-month installment plan if you switch and port in your number or via an "any condition" trade-in on their premium unlimited plans.
iPhone 18e camera
Leaks are yet to give us details about the iPhone 18e camera system. However, don't expect it to be much upgraded from the iPhone 17e's, given it's already quite a capable camera for a mid-range device.
iPhone 18e expected camera setup:
- 48 MP wide
- 12 MP front
We're likely getting a single Fusion camera once again, and it's likely going to remain the same as the one on its predecessor.
For reference, the iPhone 17e's 48 MP Fusion camera is quite capable, and it offers 2x "optical quality" telephoto and an upgraded portrait mode with new image processing. You can expect some software tricks to enhance the camera, but overall, a huge revamp or an additional camera is not expected at this point.
iPhone 18e storage
Apple got rid of the 128 GB storage option with the iPhone 17e, and the iPhone 18e is not returning it. You can expect the standard storage options for mid-range devices here.
iPhone 18e rumored storage capacity:
- 256 GB
- 512 GB
Also, the iPhone 18e is likely not going to offer a 1 TB storage option, just like its predecessor.
iPhone 18e design
The iPhone 18e design has not leaked yet, nor have we seen renders of the 2027 mid-range iPhone. However, Apple has stayed pretty consistent with design over the years, so we don't expect dramatic changes here either.
One thing that's probably changing this time around is the addition of Dynamic Island to the e-branded model instead of the notch. The same was rumored for the iPhone 17e (and unfortunately didn't come to fruition), but it's more likely to come with the iPhone 18e.
The iPhone 17e for illustrative purposes. | Image by PhoneArena
Rumors exist about Apple shrinking the Dynamic Island for the iPhone 18 Pro, and potentially, the vanilla iPhone 18 may also get the slight design change. If so, the iPhone 18e will likely come with a Dynamic Island, but it won't be the smaller one, but the current one.
The thing is, if Apple doesn't change the Dynamic Island for the standard iPhone 18 line, it will be more likely to keep the notch on the iPhone 18e.
Apart from that, the iPhone 18e is expected to look like its predecessor, potentially keeping the same dimensions and lightweight design (just 169 g). Expect an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance.
The new 3x better scratch-resistance coating of the 17e should make a return. MagSafe, which the iPhone 17e got, is also likely returning to the iPhone 18e.
iPhone 18e display
Currently, a huge upgrade in the display of the iPhone 18e is not expected. Apple is likely going to stubbornly keep the 60 Hz display refresh rate for the purposes of differentiation from the vanilla iPhone 18.
The size is also likely to stay at the compact 6.1-inch. An upgrade in brightness may be required, but whether Apple would add it is another question.
| iPhone model | Screen size | Brightness |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone 18e | 6.1 inches* | 1,200* |
| iPhone 17e | 6.1 inches | 1,200 |
* - anticipated sizes
iPhone 18e battery
Apple is likely not hugely upgrading the iPhone 18e's battery. The company has not yet jumped on the silicon-carbon tech bandwagon and is not expected to do that anytime soon.
So, expect an "all-day" battery life for the iPhone 18e. The phone is likely going to sport a 2nm A20 chip and Apple's C2 connectivity modem, and these components would be quite efficient and would contribute to the battery life of the phone.
As for charging, MagSafe is likely to return next year as well. The iPhone 17e supports 15 W wireless charging, which will likely also be the speed supported by its successor.
For reference, the iPhone 17e's battery life is actually good, more or less on par with the iPhone 17's. In our battery tests, the phone managed to last 15 h 30 min of continuous browsing on a single charge. It also managed to keep the lights on for 9 h and 7 min during video playback.
The gaming endurance of the phone was 11 h 18 min. Generally, not bad.
iPhone 18e features and software
The iPhone 18e will likely come with iOS 27 out of the box.
Reportedly, iOS 27 is refining the Liquid Glass look with a system-wide slider. We're also getting Siri 2.0, reportedly, which is expected to get a new brain thanks to Gemini AI.
Rumor has it that Siri would be getting its standalone app in iOS 27, where you would be able to enter previous conversations you've had, similarly to generative AI chat apps like Gemini and ChatGPT.
iPhone 18e hardware and specs
The iPhone 18e is expected to come with the 2nm-built Apple A20 chip. Of course, here we're not talking about the A20 Pro that is likely to power the iPhone 18 Pro, but the less powerful and still quite capable A20 that would likely be shared with the iPhone 18 as well.
iPhone 18e's expected specs:
- CPU: A20
- RAM: 8 GB
- Battery: around 4,000 mAh
- Charging: 20 wired, 15 wireless
- Storage: 256, 512 GB
- Camera setup: 48 MP main, 12 MP selfie
As for RAM, the iPhone 18e is not likely to get an upgrade. Rumor has it that the entire iPhone 18 lineup may get 12 GB of RAM now for Apple Intelligence, but realistically speaking, the iPhone 18e may not get that much.
Meanwhile, the A20 chip the iPhone 18e and the iPhone 18 are going to share is said to come this time with the same number of GPU cores.
Should I wait for the iPhone 18e?
- You should wait for the iPhone 18e if you currently have an older iPhone that's going to stop being supported in the coming year (like iPhone 12 or older) and you're interested in a "cheaper" iPhone option.
- You should not wait for the iPhone 18e if you currently rock the iPhone 17e or another recent iPhone model. The differences between the 18e and the 17e are not expected to be major, and newer iPhones are generally as fast as you'd probably need them to be anyway.
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