The new version of the iPhone SE is coming soon, but it will be different in 2026 than you think. You can expect these changes!
Update 2-3-2026: Apple has announced the iPhone 17e! The iPhone has more storage space and a new chip. See more about the first iPhone of 2026 here:
Successor to the iPhone SE
The first iPhone of 2026 could appear at any time! For a long time, the iPhone SE was the entry-level iPhone model. That changed last year, as Apple released the iPhone 16e in February 2025. This is the new version of the iPhone SE, but with a modified design and a new name. While the iPhone SE 2022 still has Touch ID, the iPhone 16e is secured with Face ID.
In 2026 we will see a new version of the iPhone SE, because Apple will release the iPhone 17e this year. We don’t have to wait long for the next iPhone, the phone could appear at any moment. Tim Cook has already announced that the first week of March will be important for Apple, so there is a good chance that the iPhone 17e will appear then. Are you looking for a new iPhone SE? Please be patient, because the iPhone 17e is coming soon.
iPhone 17e
The iPhone 17e gets a number of important improvements both under and above the hood. Apple is reportedly equipping the new iPhone with the A19 chip. That is not a new processor, because the iPhone 17 already runs on the same chip. With the A19 chip, the iPhone 17e is about ten percent faster than the iPhone 16 and the iPhone 16e. No changes are expected in the RAM, which will once again be 8 GB of RAM.
While the iPhone 17 now has a 6.3-inch screen, the iPhone 17e remains a 6.1-inch display. Apple is making an important improvement at the back of the housing. The iPhone 17e will have support for MagSafe. This function is still missing from the iPhone 16e, but it will come to the new generation of the iPhone. This means that wireless charging works much faster on the iPhone 17e and that magnetic accessories stick to the phone.
End of the iPhone SE
Furthermore, according to rumors, the iPhone 17e may have a Dynamic Island. The iPhone 16e still has to make do with the notch, the notch above the screen. We haven’t seen this notch on regular iPhones for years, so it is high time that the entry-level model also says goodbye to the notch. With the Dynamic Island, the iPhone 17e gives you quick access to applications running in the background, such as running timers or songs that are currently playing.
So there will be another iPhone SE in 2026, but in a different way than you think. The iPhone 17e is the successor to the iPhone SE 2022 and the iPhone 16e. Due to the upcoming release of the iPhone 17e, it seems almost certain that Apple will say goodbye to the previous name. The iPhone SE therefore appears in a different form, because the iPhone 17e has the most important functions at a lower price.
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