I don't think it's selling short the prospects of the iPhone 17e to declare that Apple's next phone — expected in the first half of the year — isn't going to be a particularly earth-shattering device. Midrange models like Apple's iPhone E series don't exist to break new ground. Rather, they're added to the lineup to draw in customers who can't — or won't — pay flagship prices and will accept some trade-off on features if it means a more affordable.
In the iPhone 17e's case, the likely changes include a new chipset — the same one that powers the iPhone 17 seems like the ideal candidate — and maybe a switch from a notched display to one with the Dynamic Island feature. The Ceramic Shield 2 material introduced last fall also seems like it could find its way to Apple's lowest-cost phone as well.
