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iPhone 17e and iPad 12 Features and Release Date Rumors Surface in Two New Reports

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Japanese blog Mac Otakara today shared some alleged details about the iPhone 17e and iPad 12, which are both expected to be released within the next few months.

iPhone-16e-Feature.jpg

In February 2025, Apple discontinued the iPhone SE and released a new entry-level iPhone 16e. The device features a 6.1-inch OLED display, an A18 chip, Apple Intelligence, a single 48-megapixel rear camera, an Action button, a USB-C port, and more. The iPhone 17e would be the follow-up, spec-bumped model.

According to the report, which cites "reliable sources," the iPhone 17e will have a similar overall design as the iPhone 16e. While some previous rumors indicated that the iPhone 17e would have a Dynamic Island, the report said this information is not true and that the device will continue to have a notch like the iPhone 16e.

The publication expects three key upgrades for the iPhone 17e:
  • A19 chip: This one is no big surprise, but the iPhone 17e is expected to be powered by Apple's A19 chip, up from the A18 chip in the iPhone 16e. This upgrade will result in faster performance and power efficiency improvements.
  • C1X modem: Apple says its second-generation C1X modem for 5G and LTE is up to twice as fast as its first-generation C1 modem in the iPhone 16e. Apple also says the C1X is the most power-efficient modem in an iPhone to date.
  • N1 chip: Like the iPhone Air, the report said the iPhone 17e will be equipped with Apple's N1 chip for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Thread. In the iPhone Air, the N1 chip supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, and Apple says the chip improves the overall performance and reliability of features like Personal Hotspot and AirDrop.
As for the iPad 12, the report said that device will likely have a similar design as the iPad 11, but with a newer A18 chip that supports Apple Intelligence. That means the iPad 12 would have 8GB of RAM, up from 6GB in the iPad 11.

iPad-A16-Colors.jpg

A separate report from Macwelt, available in English on Macworld, cites a source who said that Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e with a press release on an unusual date: Thursday, February 19. The publication agreed that the iPhone 17e will not have a Dynamic Island, but they do expect the device to feature MagSafe, as previously rumored.

  • MagSafe: Unlike the iPhone 16e, the iPhone 17e will reportedly feature MagSafe for up to 20W-25W magnetic wireless charging. The iPhone 16e is limited to Qi wireless charging at up to 7.5W speeds. You would also be able to magnetically attach accessories like Apple's MagSafe Wallet to the back of the iPhone 17e.
Macwelt added that the iPhone 17e will still have a single rear camera.

Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil new products on a Thursday, but anything is possible.

No other major changes have been rumored so far, so the iPhone 17e's overall design and other specs should be similar to the iPhone 16e. In the U.S., the iPhone 16e starts at $599, but there is no word yet on how much the iPhone 17e will cost.

Article Link: iPhone 17e and iPad 12 Features and Release Date Rumors Surface in Two New Reports
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/02/05/iphone-17e-and-ipad-12-rumors/
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MacRumors said:
  • C1X modem: Apple says its second-generation C1X modem for 5G and LTE is up to twice as fast as its first-generation C1 modem in the iPhone 16e. Apple also says the C1X is the most power-efficient modem in an iPhone to date.
  • N1 chip: Like the iPhone Air, the report said the iPhone 17e will be equipped with Apple's N1 chip for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Thread. In the iPhone Air, the N1 chip supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, and Apple says the chip improves the overall performance and reliability of features like Personal Hotspot and AirDrop.
Click to expand...
What's the latest word on if/when these two things will be merged into a single chip/system? I'm far from being an expert, but I would think that integrating all the network functionality would save space and increase integration.
 
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klasma said:
Nice! Now make a mini version of it. 😉
Click to expand...
Ironically, sounds like the iPhone fold is gonna be the mini-est phone out there, with a 5.x” (I forgot the exact number) display on the outside. Ironic because it will also be the biggest. Perhaps that will be appealing to at least some who like the mini
 
The 16e sold surprisingly well this year despite its limitations. I believe it was the 10th best selling phone of 2025 according to Counterpoint.
 
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ClaraStahlbaum said:
If the 17e doesn't have the dynamic island, then what is the point of there being another "e" series phone that is otherwise the exact same phone as the 16e?
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The e is there so Apple can discontinue older base model iPhones with one that costs less to manufacture yet has more modern performance. Since there’s a new iPhone introduced every year, there’s also a new phone to be discontinued every year, and thus an annual e version is needed to replace it.

Glad it will now get MagSafe. That was a dumb omission.
 
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tomtad said:
Laminate the iPad screen you cowards
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This is literally the only differentiator between the iPad air and the iPad that makes any real usability difference so they’re unlikely to do so, but for health reasons they absolutely should.

Are there any good third-party kits for reducing display glare?
 
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MacRumors said:
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e with a press release on an unusual date: Thursday, February 19 [...] Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil new products on a Thursday, but anything is possible.
Click to expand...

A possible reason for that might be the Google Pixel 10a’s release date, which appears to be February 18.
 
Mac Okatara has one of the worst track records in history when it comes to Apple so do not believe them

Secondly we all knew of the 17e’s specs anyway even before this report so for them to say it will have a notch when much better credentials have said it will come with Dymanic Island is ridiculous

Last and not least Mac Okatara is the type where they use others analysis and presents they’re own in the worst way.
tomtad said:
Laminate the iPad screen you cowards
Click to expand...

Not happening and you know it. Budget iPad is not meant to have a laminated screen and non laminated screens are much cheaper to repair than laminated ones because for laminated ones usually a repair of the screen is usually more than just the screen itself
 
guzhogi said:
What's the latest word on if/when these two things will be merged into a single chip/system? I'm far from being an expert, but I would think that integrating all the network functionality would save space and increase integration.
Click to expand...
They need to keep them separate for use in the non-iPhone devices.
 
Tyler O'Bannon said:
Ironically, sounds like the iPhone fold is gonna be the mini-est phone out there, with a 5.x” (I forgot the exact number) display on the outside. Ironic because it will also be the biggest. Perhaps that will be appealing to at least some who like the mini
Click to expand...
Since the display’s aspect ratio is completely different, the screen diagonal isn’t a suitable measure for comparison purposes. The iPhold’s outer display will be roughly 30% larger than the iPhone mini. Due to its width (wider than the Pro Max), it will be unsuitable for one-handed use. And it will be very thick, with a substantial camera plateau (probably similar to the Air) in addition to the thickness of the two halves. It will likely be as heavy as the Pro, if not more. The only measure in which it is close to the mini is the height.

Overall the 17e will still be the closest thing to a mini.
 
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