What's so great about this year's affordable iPhones?

The iPhone 17e is rumored to have several upgrades over the iPhone 16e, including thinner bezels and a newer processor.

iPhone 16e. Photo: CNN .

Based on rumors, Apple is expected to launch its next budget iPhone early this year. Called the iPhone 17e, it will be the successor to the iPhone 16e, which is scheduled to be released in February 2025.

Priced at $600 , the iPhone 16e is considered a replacement for the iPhone SE. Instead of the thick bezels and fingerprint-integrated Home button, the iPhone 16e inherits many features from the more expensive models, such as a thin-bezel display, USB-C port, and the A18 chip, which supports Apple Intelligence.

To save costs, Apple cut back on some features on the iPhone 16e, including a 48MP rear camera and no support for MagSafe accessories.

With the iPhone 17e, rumors suggest the product will add features missing from its predecessor, such as MagSafe and Dynamic Island. These are notable details on Apple's next budget smartphone.

Thin-bezel display, but no 120Hz refresh rate.

According to the Weibo account of leaker Digital Chat Station , the iPhone 17e will have a design similar to the iPhone 15 with a 6.1-inch screen and a Dynamic Island notch at the top.

Dynamic Island is pill-shaped, containing the TrueDepth system and selfie camera. Compared to the old notch, Dynamic Island takes up less space. Apple also uses software to change the size and shape of the pill based on the application.

With Live Activities, users can monitor real-time information on Dynamic Island, such as ride booking times, incoming calls, music controls, etc. The usage status of the microphone, flashlight, screen recording, or AirDrop is also displayed in this area.

According to The Elec (South Korea), BOE will supply OLED screens for the iPhone 17e. The Chinese company previously manufactured screens for the iPhone 16e. Other partners such as Samsung Display and LG Display may also supply screens for the new product.

The iPhone 15 screen. Photo: The Verge .

A Weibo account named Smart Pikachu stated that the iPhone 17e still uses a 60Hz display, instead of the 120Hz display found on the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air.

According to CNET , those with basic needs or upgrading from an iPhone SE may not be too concerned about the refresh rate. While 120Hz displays are now available across the entire iPhone 17 lineup, many will not notice a difference in performance if upgrading from models without this feature.

Using a 60Hz display means the iPhone 17e doesn't support always-on mode. To feature this, the device needs an OLED panel with a minimum brightness of 1 nit and a flexible refresh rate between 1-120Hz.

Although the screen specifications remain essentially unchanged compared to the iPhone 16e, rumors from The Elec suggest that the bezels on the iPhone 17e will be reduced, offering a similar experience to recent iPhone models.

Supports MagSafe and A19 chip.

On the iPhone 16e, Apple surprised many by not including MagSafe. Appearing on most iPhones since 2020, this feature allows accessories like wallets and power banks to be securely attached to the back of the phone via magnets.

According to The Information , the iPhone 17e may feature a glass back with magnetic wireless charging. This means the product will support MagSafe and the Qi2 charging standard, similar to the iPhone 17, with a higher charging power than the 7.5W on the iPhone 16e.

The inclusion of MagSafe is a major improvement for those upgrading from the iPhone SE or iPhone 11. These models support Qi wireless charging but lack magnetic attachments.

In terms of hardware, MacRumors predicts the iPhone 17e will feature the A19 processor. First appearing in the iPhone 17, the A19 is manufactured using the next-generation 3nm process (N3P), offering 5-10% higher performance than the A18.

MagSafe has been available on most iPhones since 2020. Photo: Tom's Guide .

To save costs, Apple may reduce the clock speed of the A19 in the iPhone 17e. This means the product's performance could be slightly lower than the iPhone 17, if the rumors are accurate.

Last year, Apple did something similar when the A18 chip in the iPhone 16e only had 4 graphics cores (GPU) instead of 5 cores like the iPhone 16.

Besides the CPU and GPU, the A19 chip also features improvements in display, image processing, and the neural engine, enhancing AI performance.

The iPhone 17e will most likely still feature a 48MP rear camera. Although present on the iPhone 16 series, the Camera Control button is absent on the iPhone 16e. To date, there are no rumors about Apple including this feature on the iPhone 17e.

For the front camera, the iPhone 17 series features a new 18MP square sensor with Center Stage support. Analyst Jeff Pu predicts the new sensor will also appear on the iPhone 17e.

According to MacRumors , the iPhone 17e will feature the C1X, the same network modem Apple uses in the iPhone Air. Compared to the C1 modem in the iPhone 16e, the C1X offers twice the speed and is more energy-efficient, according to Apple.

Release date and price

According to Digital Chat Station , the iPhone 17e could launch as early as February. Last year, Apple unveiled the iPhone 16e in February.

It's worth noting that the iPhone launch schedule is likely to change starting this year. According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone Pro models will still launch in the second half of the year, while the standard model may debut in early next year.

The design of the iPhone 16e. Photo: Macworld .

If the rumors are accurate, Apple introducing a cheaper iPhone early in the year wouldn't be surprising. Analysts suggest this strategy could help Apple maintain stable sales throughout the year, instead of concentrating them on the year-end launch season.

There isn't much information available regarding the price of the iPhone 17e yet. For comparison, the iPhone 16e starts at $600 for the 128GB version. It's worth noting that the iPhone 17 currently has a minimum storage capacity of 256GB. Apple still sells the iPhone 16e and the 128GB iPhone 16, with the iPhone 16 starting at $700 .

Source: https://znews.vn/cho-doi-gi-tren-iphone-gia-re-sap-ra-mat-post1624377.html