Apple’s replacement of the iPhone SE with the iPhone 16e raised an obvious question: Would the ad-hoc update schedule for the SE series also be replaced with an annual refresh, kicking off with an iPhone 17e?

A leaker with the right credentials to answer this question said back in February they believed the answer to be yes, and the same source says there is now solid evidence for this …

From ad-hoc updates to annual

Apple’s previous name for its entry-level phone wasn’t accidental. By calling it the iPhone SE, and avoiding the use of numbers, the company was free to issue updates on any schedule of its choosing.

Accordingly, we saw completely freeform update plans. The original model launched in 2016, with a four-year wait for the 2nd-gen in 2020, followed by the 3rd-gen model two years later.

By opting instead for iPhone 16e nomenclature, Apple appeared to be pointing to an annual update. Fixed focus digital, the leaker who first revealed that name said back in February that this was indeed the plan.

• A source shared a little information: “e model” is likely to be available in the next generation. At present, a new project code has been seen, which is suspected to be 17e.

Work on the iPhone 17e already well advanced

The same source now says that Apple is already working on designing the production line for next year’s model, and that it will soon enter trial production.

• The setup of the 17e production line is being planned. This answers the question: There will be a 17e next year, and now it is almost in the trial production stage.

Trial production – otherwise referred to as “new product introduction” – is the point at which Foxconn sets up a small-scale version of the planned production line. It uses this to make small batches of the phone.

The purpose is to identify any problems with the planned process, as well as to identify opportunities for refinement and streamlining in the full-scale production lines.

9to5Mac’s Take

Evidence for the iPhone 17e is now significantly stronger than it was back in February. At this point, it seems more likely than not.

There are a couple of disclaimers to add about the annual update idea, however. First, Apple has in the past kept older iPhone models on sale as more affordable options, so the company clearly isn’t afraid to have ‘outdated’ model numbers in its line-up. The launch of an iPhone 17e doesn’t necessarily imply a new model every year.

Second, Apple experiments with non-core models. The mini was dropped when it didn’t generate enough sales, and we’re expecting the Plus to be dropped next year. The company may well have current plans for the e models to be an annual update, but everything will depend on how well it sells.

Source: 9to5mac