iPhone 17e leaks hint at a familiar display — with one subtle upgrade that could matter

The iPhone 17e is Apple's next mid-ranger, and the phone has recently started appearing in the rumor mill. Now, the latest rumor claims that the device may feature the same iPhone 14-based OLED panel as its predecessor, but may feature slimmer bezels. 

iPhone 17e may have the same display as the iPhone 16e, with one change

A new report coming from South Korea cites supply chain sources on the potential display panel for the iPhone 17e. Reportedly, BOE will be producing the majority of the panels for the mid-range iPhone, while Samsung Display and LG Display are going to cover the rest. 


Digital Chat Station, a prominent leaker, has previously said that the iPhone 17e may come with the Dynamic Island and the A19 chip. However, this may not be the case. The iPhone 16e features a notch like older iPhones (13 and 14), and comes with the A18 chip. Apple replaced the notch with the Dynamic Island in the iPhone 14 Pro models.


Obviously, implementing the Dynamic Island is harder to achieve. Apple would need to rework the camera layout, change the sensor placement, and make other tweaks. It can't just place the Dynamic Island in an older notch-based panel. And of course, if Apple decides to do that, that would raise costs and somewhat undermine the fact that the "e" line is trying to be more affordable.

The report also claims that the iPhone 17e's display will remain the 6.1-inch OLED with a 60Hz display refresh rate. Reportedly, BOE has not been able to produce LTPO (low-temperature polycrystalline oxide) panels for the iPhone 17 line, but only LTPS TFF panels, such as the one in the iPhone 16e. 

These LTPS panels support the variable refresh rate. 

iPhone 17e: will it be good enough?

Nowadays, mid-range phones come with all sorts of bells and whistles, including 120Hz display refresh rate, big batteries, and fast charging. On the other hand, the iPhone 17e is shaping up to be, well, very similar to the iPhone 16e. 

The Dynamic Island upgrade would've been a good addition to the iPhone, as well as a potentially 120Hz display refresh rate, but it doesn't seem likely to happen.

Then again, we have the iPhone 17 that brought a 120Hz refresh rate to "base" iPhone models for the first time. So it may take a couple of years more for the update to trickle down to the mid-range model.

The iPhone 16e costs $599. Potentially, the iPhone 17e may cost the same, if there's no price tag. For $50 more, you can get the Galaxy S25 FE, which has a triple camera system and a 120Hz display refresh rate. However, Apple's chips are faster than the Exynos powering the Galaxy. 

Other competitors include the Pixel 9a, which delivers the Pixel camera experience and exceptional battery life, and the OnePlus 13R, which sports top-notch specs and can even be called a "flagship killer". 

If I'm buying an iPhone next year, it's not going to be the iPhone 17e

For me, the regular iPhone 17 is the better deal, even if it costs a bit more. The smoother 120Hz display alone is worth it. After using fast displays on other phones, going back to 60Hz feels slow and a little outdated. The iPhone 17 also gets the newer chipset and the refreshed design, so you feel like you're getting something modern, not something built to fit a tight budget.

And honestly, when I buy an iPhone, I want it to last. I want a phone that feels fast a few years from now, not one that already feels like it's missing things on day one. The 17e will make sense for some people, of course – the price is good, and Apple's software is always smooth – but for me, the regular iPhone 17 feels like the one I'd be happier living with.

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