APPLE'S NEXT IPHONE 17E ENTERS MASS PRODUCTION AS LEAKS CLARIFY DESIGN AND PRICING

Apple is preparing to move its next entry-level iPhone into mass production, according to supply-chain claims circulating from China, with manufacturing expected to begin shortly after CES.

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The device, referred to as the iPhone 17e, is positioned as a lower-cost alternative within Apple's 2026 lineup and is expected to retain a $599 starting price in the U.S.

The latest details come from the leaker known as “Smart Pikachu,” who says production is set to ramp this month. If the timing mirrors last year's cycle, the schedule would point to a late-February launch, similar to the rollout of the iPhone 16e. Apple has increasingly separated its budget-oriented iPhone releases from the fall flagship cycle, and the reported production window aligns with that strategy.

DESIGN SHIFTS AND DISPLAY QUESTIONS

According to the leak, the iPhone 17e will adopt Apple's pill-shaped Dynamic Island, replacing the traditional notch used on the current iPhone 16e. That change would visually align the budget model more closely with Apple's mainstream devices, reducing design fragmentation across the lineup.