It is almost certain that Apple will soon present the iPhone 17e. Now two specifications surrounding the screen have been leaked. One makes us very happy, the other makes us disappointed. This is what’s going on.
iPhone 17e in brief
The iPhone 17e is expected to be Apple’s affordable alternative within the iPhone 17 series. Just as the iPhone 16e is a cheaper variant of the iPhone 16, the 17e should also become an attractive entry-level model for those who want a new iPhone, but do not want to pay the top price.
New rumors have now emerged about the device, and they mainly concern the screen. To be honest, some news makes us quite happy, while others are a bit disappointing. The information has been shared by the acquaintance Weibo leaker Digital Chat Stationwhich often releases details about upcoming iPhones.
Good news: Dynamic Island is coming to the iPhone 17e
According to the leak, Apple will provide the iPhone 17e with Dynamic Island. That’s the pill-shaped screen part at the top that can show live information, such as music controls, timers, navigation and other activities.
Until now, Dynamic Island was mainly reserved for the more expensive iPhones. The cheaper models had to make do with the familiar notch. If this rumor is true, Apple would finally say goodbye to that older design completely with the iPhone 17e.
The step is also logical: the iPhone 16e is largely based on the iPhone 14 (2022), while the iPhone 15 (2023) introduced the Dynamic Island. The iPhone 17e would therefore fit nicely into that pattern.
Less good news: the screen is stuck at 60Hz
Yet there is also a clear disappointment. Despite the innovation at the top of the screen, the iPhone 17e is rumored to have a 6.1-inch OLED screen with 60Hz.
This means that you don’t get ProMotion, and therefore you don’t get the extra smooth animations and fluid scrolling experience that you notice at 120Hz. The image refresh is also flexible, which allows you to save energy. If nothing moves on the screen, the refresh scales back to 1Hz. ProMotion is one of the biggest differences between entry-level models and the more luxurious iPhones.
The rest of the iPhone 17 series has taken a big step by giving all models ProMotion. This makes the contrast with the iPhone 17e even greater.
iPhone 17e may get an A19 chip
Under the hood, Apple seems to be considering a major upgrade. Digital Chat Station says the iPhone 17e will have an A19 chip, succeeding the A18 in the iPhone 16e.
That chip would be made with TSMC’s 3nm N3P process, which provides modest performance gains (about 5 to 10 percent faster on the CPU front). But there is also another rumor: Apple could use a slimmed-down version of the A19. In that case, performance would be approximately at the level of the A17 Pro (although AI functions via the Neural Engine would improve).
MagSafe may return
Another rumor that makes many Apple users happy: the iPhone 17e would again have a magnetic ring for MagSafe. That is striking, because the iPhone 16e does not have this function. If Apple does indeed add this, you will be able to use MagSafe chargers, holders and accessories as usual. The fact that the predecessor did not have MagSafe was our biggest criticism in the review of the iPhone 16e.
This is when the iPhone 17e will appear
Apple could release the iPhone 17e at the beginning of the year, just like the iPhone 16e. An announcement in February is obvious, although a release a little later in the spring (March/April) is also possible.
Don’t want to miss any Apple announcements? Keep an eye on iPhoned or sign up for our newsletter.
Download the iPhoned app
