iPhone 17e may address the biggest flaw of Apple’s budget phone

With its premiere drawing closer, rumors about the upcoming iPhone 17e are intensifying, making the device sound even more intriguing. The latest leak suggests that Apple may address what was perceived as the iPhone 16e's biggest flaw with its successor.

iPhone 17e may feature MagSafe

Apple may offer MagSafe with the iPhone 17e. According to a new report by The Information, the budget device will support magnetic wireless charging. That would add magnets to its back, and it’s likely to increase the charging speeds to 20W or 25W, compared to the iPhone 16e’s non-magnetic Qi wireless charging with up to 7.5W.

According to leaked code reported by MacRumors, the device will be equipped with either the C1 or the newer C1X modem, which debuted with the iPhone Air. That’s in line with The Information’s report, which claims the newer C1X chip will be used for the budget device’s cellular connectivity.

The iPhone 17e is shaping up as a great upgrade

Earlier rumors claimed that the iPhone 17e may also feature a Center Stage camera and a Dynamic Island, which would make the device feel even more similar to the iPhone 17. Apple is also likely to add a version of the A19 chip to the device, which would make it a very compelling model.



With its spring premiere, the iPhone 17e will face sizable competition. This month, OnePlus is launching the OnePlus 15R, and in the spring, Samsung and Google are expected to release the Galaxy A57 and Pixel 10a. Those premieres will make the mid-range segment very interesting to follow.

It sounds too good

I don’t know what happened with Apple this year, but apparently, the company is compensating for the lackluster launch of iOS 26 with great hardware. The iPhone 17 addressed most of the complaints people had with the company’s base devices, and the iPhone 17e may do the same with the budget phone. I won’t get excited before I hear from Apple directly, but so far, things sound a little too good.