Apple may launch iPhone 17e in 2026: A19 chip, Centre Stage camera expected

Apple's anticipated iPhone 17e will likely launch in 2026 with slimmer bezels around the display, A19 chip and an upgraded front camera sensor with Centre Stage

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Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17e in the first half of 2026, bringing its most affordable iPhone model into the annual refresh cycle alongside the rest of the lineup. The next-generation model is tipped to receive several hardware upgrades, potentially including a new Apple Silicon chip, display improvements and an updated front camera. Here is what to expect from the successor to the iPhone 16e:

iPhone 17e: What to expect

New Apple Silicon

The iPhone 16e shipped with the A18 chip—the same processor powering the standard iPhone 16. Following that pattern, the anticipated iPhone 17e is expected to adopt Apple’s latest A19 chip used in the iPhone 17.

The A19 features an enhanced display engine, a faster neural engine (NPU) and increased memory bandwidth to support more advanced on-device AI capabilities. It also includes a new five-core GPU that Apple claims delivers up to 20 per cent faster performance compared with A18.

Display upgrades

According to a report from MacRumors, citing South Korea’s The Elec, the iPhone 17e is expected to feature slimmer bezels around the display, resulting in a slightly larger screen area. While earlier rumours hinted at the possibility of Apple adopting a Dynamic Island-style cut-out similar to the higher-end iPhones, the latest report suggests that the company may retain the familiar notch design seen on the iPhone 16e.

New front camera

A report from 9To5Mac indicates that Apple may introduce the new 18MP Centre Stage front camera—first launched with the iPhone 17 series—to the iPhone 17e as well.

 

For context, this upgraded front camera features a square-shaped sensor and a wider field of view, improving framing for group selfies and video. Apple’s Centre Stage capability uses this wider field to keep the subject centred automatically and improves stabilisation during video calls.

iOS 26 and Apple Intelligence

The iPhone 17e will likely ship with a newer release of iOS 26 out of the box — expected to be iOS 26.4, which is rumoured to introduce a significantly upgraded version of Siri. This enhanced Siri experience is said to be powered by a customised version of Google’s Gemini AI model, enabling the voice assistant to deliver more contextual and relevant responses, perform multiple actions across apps, and interpret on-screen content.

 

Beyond Siri, the iPhone 17e is expected to support the full suite of Apple Intelligence features that debuted with iOS 26. These include Live Call Translation, on-screen visual intelligence, Hold Assist for handling waiting periods during calls, and new Image Playground visual styles.