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Hotspot #29: iPhone 17e might solve Apple’s budget phone issue

By Ilia Temelkov

Published: Apr 30, 2025, 5:13 PM

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Hotspot #29: iPhone 17e might solve Apple’s budget phone issue

Welcome to Hotspot, your weekly newsletter with three takes on the most important news of the week, which you can read in 3 minutes. If you want to receive Hotspot in your inbox, you can subscribe for it here.

iPhone 17e might solve Apple’s budget phone problem

Everyone who hoped Apple would offer a modern budget smartphone was understandably disappointed by the $599 iPhone 16e, but light might be at the end of the tunnel. The latest rumors from China suggest that Apple is preparing for mass production of an iPhone 17e, expected in 2026. That would be a departure from the uneven launch pattern of the iPhone SE and could potentially solve Apple’s budget phone problem. If there’s indeed a $599 iPhone 17e in 2026, Apple could keep selling the iPhone 16e at a lower price, likely for $499. That would provide a better-priced entry-level iPhone capable enough to perform well for several years. If this is Apple’s strategy, and the rumored iPhone 17 Air and the foldable iPhone in 2026 turn out true, there would be an iPhone at nearly every price point from $499 to over $2000. Such a lineup would allow Apple to compete in virtually every price segment except the ultra-low budget, which is crucial, especially outside the US. Unless, of course, the global trade war derails all plans.

Fun phones are back, but we won’t buy any

Whenever Apple, Google, or Samsung launch another glass-and-metal slab, people mourn the death of smartphone innovation and design diversity. Yet when truly unique devices appear, almost nobody buys them. The vivo X200 Ultra boasts incredible specs, but what makes it special is the external lens that extends the zoom camera range to 8.7x or 200mm equivalent and the camera grip accessory required to attach the lens. Motorola's Razr Ultra (2025) is a flagship flip foldable with uncompromising specs, like a 4,700mAh battery, which is impressive enough. On top of that, there is one version with a leather and velvet back and another with a wooden panel. That makes the feeling of the phone completely different from any iPhone or Galaxy. If people genuinely wanted different phones, they'd buy one of those. Instead, they criticize boring designs, praise experiments from the sidelines, and ultimately stick to the same old and boring slabs of glass and metal.

The final chance for small smartphones

If you’re not paying close attention, the OnePlus 13T sounds like another “flagship killer.” Packing the Snapdragon 8 Elite and up to 16GB RAM and 1TB storage, it has a decent 6.3” screen and a dual camera. The standout feature, which makes it one of the most important phones in recent years, is its battery. The 13T is marginally larger than the iPhone 16, yet its 6,260mAh battery is 76% larger than the iPhone’s. Even more impressively, it’s significantly smaller and lighter than the Galaxy S25 Ultra, yet it still has a 25% larger battery. That alone won’t make many people switch their iPhone or Galaxy, but it signals an exciting future for smaller phones. If a 6.3” device can pack such a battery, a 5.5” phone could accommodate a 5,000mAh battery and last far longer than the iPhone 13 mini ever did. That would solve the biggest issue of smaller phones and make them viable for everyone. If they fail again under these circumstances, we’ll know people don’t want small phones and only enjoy complaining about phone sizes online.