iPhone 17e Will Reportedly Fix iPhone 16e's Biggest Limitation

[MacRumors]

In February, 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 with Apple Intelligence support, a single 48-megapixel rear camera, an Action button, a USB-C port, and more, but one capability that it lacks is MagSafe wireless charging.

In a wide-ranging report today about future iPhone models, The Information's Wayne Ma and Qianer Liu said that the iPhone 17e will address this limitation.

Specifically, the report said the iPhone 17e will support "magnetic wireless charging," which implies that the device will feature MagSafe for faster, magnetic wireless charging — likely at speeds of up to 20W or 25W. The iPhone 16e is limited to Qi wireless charging at up to 7.5W speeds, and it is not a magnetic system.

The iPhone 17e will be equipped with Apple's second-generation C1X modem for cellular connectivity, according to the report. The iPhone 16e is equipped with Apple's first-generation C1 modem, while the C1X modem debuted in the iPhone Air.

Apple is expected to release the iPhone 17e in spring 2026. Overall, the report said the device will be an incremental upgrade over the iPhone 16e.

In the United States, the iPhone 16e starts at $599. It is unclear if the iPhone 17e will maintain that starting price, and it is also unknown if the device will move to a pill-shaped Dynamic Island cutout instead of a notch.

Article Link: iPhone 17e Will Reportedly Fix iPhone 16e's Biggest Limitation

 

[Nyx1]

No dynamic island just f*ck off

 

[SactoGuy18]

I still think Apple may implement the iPhone 16 display with Dynamic Island on the iPhone 17e.

 

[MacUserFella]

Question for ya'll, will these new features make the $599 price tag for this budget iPhone acceptable?

 

[joshwithachance]

The 17e needs more than MagSafe and the A19 chip to justify its $599 starting price imo. But at least it's SOMETHING...

 

[orangeadrenaline]

Using a 16e right now that Walmart had for $199. Awkward to hold compared to my 12 mini but otherwise I like it. Bought a $10 case that has magnets. It’s not quite as good as MagSafe but fine.

 

[bmark]

I don't see the purpose of putting Apple Intelligence in the 17e. No one really cares about those features in a budget friendly phone.

 

[the 12th Doctor]

I don't see the purpose of putting Apple Intelligence in the 17e. No one really cares about those features in a budget friendly phone.

I don’t care about it on a premium phone.

 

[Biro]

The 17e needs more than MagSafe and the A19 chip to justify its $599 starting price imo. But at least it's SOMETHING...

An A19 chip, MagSafe AND at least a C1X modem that should double 5G speeds and possibly improve battery life. Not too shabby. And if the competition raises its prices a bit by the time the 17e comes out, it should be a solid deal. If one can afford spending $200 more, then by all means go for the base iPhone 17. But the 17e should be a legit option at that price.

 

[klasma]

Question for ya'll, will these new features make the $599 price tag for this budget iPhone acceptable?

If my iPhone 13 mini broke, I would likely go for it. The missing MagSafe was the primary reason to be opting for the regular iPhone instead. The $599 price point is still not cheap, but I’d be spared a large camera bump, Dynamic Island, and higher weight. A brighter display would be nice, but not essential.

 

[cicalinarrot]

Hope this has the Moronic Island.
I absolutely hated how Apple made their cool widgets dependent on an aesthetics change. It was planned obsolescence at its worst.
And they used it to sell a $600 phone that lacked software that had been around for 3 years so that the pricier ones feel cooler. Pretty pathetic.
Glad that at least they updated notifications for all with iOS 26 or the 16E would still have a notification system that make you feel like it's 2009. But that's not enough.

 

[iSayuSay]

LOL and Apple acts as if MagSafe is a breakthrough innovation all over again? $600 is not a cheap phone by any means. Give it something worthwhile, or not at all.

iPhone 17 is by far the best value iPhone that ever made by Apple this decade. A basic, vanilla-flavored iPhone with 120Hz display, 256GB base storage and actually looks better than Pro counterparts, even the Apple logo on its back is actually centered LOL.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

No dynamic island just f*ck off

Notch, dynamic island, blah blah. Who cares...

Apple could have made the notch act almost identical to the dynamic island if they wanted to.

 

[ifxf]

Only used wireless charging once in a hotel. Not worth it especially when I own other devices that only support wired charging.

 

[Ctrlos]

No dynamic island just f*ck off

Given the screen space above the DI is essentially dead the notch actually takes up less space. The only decent DI is on the iPhone Air where, being lower it becomes enveloped by the display rather than pushing it away.

 

[Bearygoodfries1]

I thought the biggest limitation was the price of the phone 👀

 

[ZiBart]

Amazing how Apple can create several best values in the industry products and also one that is the worst value as well. Without super heavy retailer discounts, i would buy any new, used or refurb iphone 12 pro or later / base iphone 13 or later for same price or better.

 

[and 4096 others like this]

MagSafe is not included in the iPhone 16e because "most people in the iPhone 16e's target audience exclusively charge their phones by plugging them into a charging cable."

So what has changed Apple? Have people lost their charging cables?

Apple Provides Reason for iPhone 16e's Lack of MagSafe

Apple has offered a reason why the iPhone 16e doesn't include MagSafe, one of the more notable omissions from its latest entry-level smartphone. According to Apple representatives who spoke to Daring Fireball's John Gruber, MagSafe is not included in the iPhone 16e because "most people in the...

www.macrumors.com

 

[Tivoli_]

Apple is going the way of Intel by introducing small improvements of no considerable value. They are not innovative any longer; Just one in the crowd.

 

[Dr Citrus]

16e would have been perfect for me. I don’t need lots of cameras or use MagSafe but the lack of U1 chip and therefore precision finding is an absolute dealbreaker for me. I wonder how many feel the same way.

 

[Contact_Feanor]

Ah, yes. The BIGGEST LIMITATION. I'm sure it'll become a super popular phone when... *checks notes...* Apple adds MagSafe charging to it.

 

[bodonnell202]

I don't see the purpose of putting Apple Intelligence in the 17e. No one really cares about those features in a budget friendly phone.

I have a 17 and don't care about it and have left it off, but the 16e has Apple Intelligence support, so why would they take it out of the 17e?

 

[bodonnell202]

Most likely scenario for the 17e is it will take the current 16, put a single 48MP rear camera, A19 chip and C1 or C1X modem, delete the camera control (or maybe just replace with a simple button). There was also a rumor that they would keep the same panel from the 16e but shrink the bezels - this scenario seems less likely to me as there is more engineering (and development cost) involved in reducing the size of the frame and fitting everything in a smaller footprint.

 

[CATiNTHESTORE]

Question for ya'll, will these new features make the $599 price tag for this budget iPhone acceptable?

I would rather buy Nothing phone

 

[applefan8254]

Using a 16e right now that Walmart had for $199. Awkward to hold compared to my 12 mini but otherwise I like it. Bought a $10 case that has magnets. It’s not quite as good as MagSafe but fine.

$199 Locked to a carrier or fully unlocked?