The iPhone 17e, expected in January 2026, promises to dominate the smartphone market with affordable innovation, featuring thinner bezels, a square selfie camera sensor, and a price point starting at R14,999, making it a compelling choice over the iPhone Air. Picture: Angela Weiss/AFP One model that was missing with the latest fleet ofiPhone 17s launched in September was the 17e, but that will be coming in early 2026 according to the latestAppleleaks. It may come as a surprise to most, but theiPhone 16eis the best-selling smart phone model in the USA.
This is mostly down to price as it’s the cheapest iPhone available from the tech giant, despite missing many of the premium features reserved for the rest of the range. The 16e was the successor to the iPhone SE 3rd gen, and Apple will continue with the shortened title with future models. The 16e was a smaller phone compared to the rest of the range, and featured just one main camera with the ultra-wide also missing.
The 17e, which could come as soon as January, will feature the same dimensions as its predecessor but will have thinner bezels. However, the selfie camera will feature the same sensor as the new 17 range. It means users will have the ability to hold their phone vertically and still shoot photos or videos in landscape due to the square sensor.
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Most importantly, the 17e is said to start at the same price point the 16e did, which is currently R14,999 from the iStore. The 17e will definitely be a far better value choice than the iPhone Air. This starts at R25,999. The 17e, though, will be yet another addition to an already convoluted lineup which will now feature five models (iPhone 17e, iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPhone Pro, andiPhone Pro Max).
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