If you’re considering grabbing either the iPhone 16e or iPad Air, then you may want to think again, as stock shortages are reportedly appearing in most stores.
In a post on X, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman stated that Apple retail employees are seeing that stock numbers for the iPhone 16e and iPad Air have “basically dried out.” If accurate, then it will be a lot harder for people to pick one of these products up, while also hinting that Apple is getting closer to releasing the successive devices.
Apple retail employees say that inventory of the iPhone 16e has basically dried out and the iPad Air is seeing shortages as well. I’ve been expecting new versions of both (iPhone 17e and M4 iPad Air) in the coming weeks. https://t.co/yOPuN4QAzMFebruary 12, 2026
This post on X follows a recent report from Gurman on Apple’s plans for its next line of releases, including the iPhone 17e and the M4 iPad Air. According to his report, the iPhone 17e will release with the same $599 price tag as the iPhone 16e, but with new chips and MagSafe support. Meanwhile, the new entry-level iPad is stated to feature the A18 chip and Apple Intelligence.
How does the iPhone 17e compare to the iPhone 16e?
It looks like it will become increasingly difficult to find Apple's "affordable" iPhone in the coming weeks. As such, users looking for their next iPhone may instead have to grab the iPhone 17e, so the question now is what the actual differences are.
For the most part, it appears that the iPhone 17e will follow a very similar design to the iPhone 16e, which includes having the same 6.1-inch 60Hz display. Certain rumors indicate that the iPhone 17e will feature the notch on the display seen on the current model, while others hint at a Dynamic Island. On the plus side, we could also see wireless charging speed increase from 15W to 25W.
In terms of specs, the iPhone 17e is rumored to feature the same A19 chip seen in the iPhone 17, alongside the C1X modem and Apple’s N1 wireless modem. In comparison, the iPhone 16e comes with the A18 chip that was seen in the iPhone 16 series. For day-to-day use, it’s certainly pretty powerful, but it does fall behind a bit for more intensive tasks like gaming. The phone was also the first to feature Apple’s in-house designed C1 modem.
One big question will be around the cameras, especially as this is an area that many thought the iPhone 16e failed in. For reference, the current phone only features a single 48MP main camera with 2x zoom and a 12MP selfie camera. Unfortunately, the rumors indicate that Apple will launch the phone with the same camera, but we may see a larger aperture for improved low-light shooting or even the addition of a Center Stage camera.
Overall, the iPhone 17e has a difficult road ahead of it to entice customers, especially with the upcoming launch of the iPhone 18 Pro series and the iPhone Fold. Apple's expected to reveal the iPhone 17e on February 19, so we don't have long to wait to see what's in store.
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