Apple iPhone 17e to be launched in just one year, affordable iPhones to be released annually in future

The Apple iPhone 16e is both the successor to the third-generation iPhone SE and the cheapest model of the iPhone 16 family. Following the first three generations of the iPhone SE from 2016, 2020 and 2022, Apple is intending to launch new "low-cost iPhones" much more regularly in future.

CIRP analysts assume that the iPhone 17e will be launched in around a year's time, i.e., around six months after the launch of the iPhone 17 series. Hence, Apple would be pursuing a similar strategy to Google, as the cheaper Pixel A models are usually launched a few months after the more expensive models in each series. The reason for this shift in strategy is said to be the lack of popularity of the iPhone SE, which only accounted for around 5% of iPhone sales in 2024. 

With the iPhone 16e, however, Apple may try to replicate the success of the iPhone 5c from 2013, as the iPhone 16e also offers a modern design and most of the features of the more expensive models, but by omitting components such as MagSafe or the ultra-wide-angle camera, the surcharge for the more expensive iPhone 16 is still arguably justified. The analysts at CIRP opine that the iPhone 16e is a more attractive entry into the iPhone world than the iPhone SE and will therefore sell better.