IPhone 17e Predicted To Disappoint, Apple Widens Distance With IPhone 17 Standard

IPhone 17e will be launched in the spring of 2026 (photo: x @SumhoReview)

JAKARTA - After the unexpected success of the iPhone 16e, many hope that Apple will continue a similar strategy for the next model. However, recent reports show that the iPhone 17e is likely to be disappointing, especially for users who are looking for a more affordable version of the iPhone but still capable.

When Apple introduced the iPhone 16e this year, many parties sneered at it. The device is considered too expensive for the features offered. However, the prediction proved wrong. The iPhone 16e turned out to be one of the most popular models.

One of the reasons is that the difference in specifications between the iPhone 16e and the iPhone 16 standard is relatively small. For many consumers, the price difference of around 200 US dollars (Rp3.3 million) is not significant enough to justify the purchase of the standard iPhone 16, so the iPhone 16e is a very reasonable choice.

However, this situation is not expected to happen again next year. According to a report from reliable technology journalist Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, Apple seems to be taking a different direction from the iPhone 17e. The difference between the iPhone 17e and the standard iPhone 17 is predicted to be much bigger than the previous generation, making the iPhone 17e seem more inferior and less attractive.

Apple has made a number of major improvements to the standard iPhone 17 over its predecessor. One of the most striking improvements is on the screen. The iPhone 17 now comes with a larger, brighter screen, and has a higher refresh rate, providing a much smoother and more comfortable visual experience.

In addition, the basic storage capacity of the iPhone 17 has also been increased to 256GB, up from 128GB on the iPhone 16. All of these improvements make the iPhone 17 feel more premium, even though the price is up about $100 from the previous model.

On the other hand, the iPhone 17e is reportedly not going to get much from this upgrade. Although still using Apple's latest chipset, the A19 is also used in other iPhone 17' features, it is predicted that it will be much simpler.

The iPhone 17e screen is rumored to still use a panel with a 60Hz refresh rate, such as in older models, and does not yet support ProMotion technology or a smoother display. In terms of camera affairs, the iPhone 17e is rumored to only have one 48MP rear camera and a 12MP front camera, a configuration very similar to the iPhone 16e.

If these rumors are true, then the attractiveness of the iPhone 17e could be much lower than its predecessor. Where the standard iPhone 17 offers many significant improvements and only around $100-200 adrift, consumers will most likely prefer to buy the standard model directly than the economic version that feels too compromised. This raises the question: does Apple deliberately widen the distance between these two models so that more people switch to a more expensive version?

Untuk saat ini, belum ada konfirmasi resmi dari Apple. Namun, rumor menyebutkan bahwa iPhone 17e akan diluncurkan pada musim semi tahun 2026, sekitar satu tahun setelah peluncuran iPhone 16e. Hingga saat itu tiba, kita masih harus menunggu dan melihat apakah Apple benar-benar akan mengambil langkah yang berisiko ini, atau justru mengjutkan pasar sekali lagi seperti yang mereka lakukan dengan iPhone 16e.