iPhone 17e is coming soon with A19 and $599 price tag

The iPhone 17e will be hitting store shelves soon, with the update to the iPhone 16e packing the same A19 chip as the iPhone 17.

Apple is expected to bring out an update to the iPhone 16e in early 2026, replacing it with a new iPhone 17e model. That update could arrive very soon, if one report is correct.

According to Bloomberg’s “Power On: newsletter on Sunday, Mark Gurman writes that the launch is due “imminently.” Gurman doesn’t specify a specific date, but it could arrive within days or a few weeks.

The 2026 update will include an upgrade of the chip to the A19, a version also used in the iPhone 17. The chip changes will also involve connectivity, with Apple said to be using the newest versions of its in-house-designed cellular and wireless chips.

The model will also benefit from a charging upgrade, with it gaining MagSafe, missing from the iPhone 16e.

When it comes to pricing, Apple reportedly plans to maintain the $599 of the original version.

Budget-focused improvements

Gurman’s post is in line with previous rumors when it comes to the iPhone 17e. The general gist is that it will be what is typically referred to as a spec-bump update, namely a main chip update with few other changes to the form.

On February 6, a report from the quite reliable MacOtakara said that the current design of the iPhone 16e will be retained for the iPhone 17e. Overall, the new model should look like the current counterpart.

The main change to the A19 chip has been previously discussed, complete with 8GB of memory, as has the shift to the in-house C1X cellular modem and N1 wireless networking chip. The OLED display is expected to measure 6.1 inches, but there have been rumors that the notch could finally disappear in favor of the Dynamic Island.