iPhone 17e Leaks, Release Date, Design, Display, Price: Will Apple Finally Ditch Notch For Dynamic Island?

A week from now, Apple will usher a small crowd to a 'Special Experience' on 4 March, and somewhere in that choreographed calm there is likely to be a familiar little rectangle with a new name attached. The iPhone 17e is expected to be introduced during the week of that event, and those hoping for a budget iPhone that finally looks contemporary should probably temper their expectations.

Key points, briefly: the iPhone 17e is expected to retain the same 6.1-inch size and the same basic 'single camera, black-or-white' simplicity; it is also expected to keep a 60Hz display and forgo an always-on feature; the big 'maybe' is whether Apple replaces the old notch with Dynamic Island; and one upgrade that sounds less glamorous but far more practical is the return of MagSafe to the cheaper line.

iPhone 17e Leaks Point to a Safe, Familiar Shape

MacRumors says the iPhone 17e will be the first update to Apple's low-cost iPhone 16e, which Apple unveiled in February 2025. Design-wise, the story so far is not 'reinvention' but 'repeat': the iPhone 17e is expected to look a lot like the iPhone 16e, down to the 6.1-inch display, a single-lens rear camera and black and white color options.​

For a mental picture, imagine Apple's entry-level iPhone as the sensible sneaker bought repeatedly because it fits — then notice Apple still does not stitch on the premium logo. The screen is expected to use the same panel as the iPhone 16e, limiting the phone to a 60Hz refresh rate. MacRumors notes that Apple introduced 120Hz ProMotion to the standard iPhone 17 in 2025, but the cheaper iPhone 17e is not expected to receive it, leaving it as Apple's only new iPhone release without 120Hz support.

That choice is telling. Apple knows precisely how different a 120Hz phone feels when scrolling, and MacRumors explicitly describes 120Hz as delivering smoother scrolling and improved video performance, so the omission reads less like an engineering constraint and more like a velvet rope.

Always-on display is also expected to remain off the table, with MacRumors saying it is not likely to change from the iPhone 16e. The site adds that always-on would require an OLED display with 1-nit minimum brightness, which is limited to Apple's more expensive iPhones, and that HDR and brightness are also lacking compared with Apple's flagship lineup.​

Will the iPhone 17e Ditch the Notch for Dynamic Island?

Here is the part people will argue about in comment sections because it is both visual and symbolic. MacRumors says the iPhone 16e uses the notch Apple has eliminated in newer flagships, and that some rumors suggest the iPhone 17e could replace it with Dynamic Island.​

For readers who do not live and breathe iPhone design jargon: Dynamic Island is Apple's pill-shaped cutout that houses the TrueDepth camera system and front-facing camera, and MacRumors says it takes up less display area than the notch and is better integrated into the iPhone's interface. But it is not a slam dunk — MacRumors also notes other rumors suggest the iPhone 17e will continue to use a notch, meaning the Dynamic Island upgrade 'isn't a guarantee.'​

Even within MacRumors' own reporting, you can see why the rumor refuses to settle. In January, the site wrote that a Chinese leaker claimed Apple would bring Dynamic Island to the iPhone 17e alongside a downclocked A19 chip, but it also pointed out an opposing rumor: that Apple may reuse the iPhone 14-based OLED panel from the iPhone 16e (with slimmer bezels), which would imply the notch stays.​

Specs, Pricing and the iPhone 17e Launch Week

Under the hood, MacRumors expects the iPhone 17e to use Apple's A19 chip, built on an upgraded N3P 3-nanometer process with a 5-10 % performance improvement over A18. It also says Apple could use a downclocked A19 in the iPhone 17e, and points to the iPhone 16e's 4-core GPU (vs. a 5-core version in iPhone 16) as precedent for a similar GPU downgrade. MacRumors adds that the A19 includes updates to the display engine, image signal processor, and Neural Engine for improved AI performance, and expects 8GB RAM again while other models have 12GB.​

The unglamorous upgrade that could matter most in daily use is MagSafe. MacRumors reports that the iPhone 16e lacks the magnetic ring for MagSafe charging and is limited to 7.5W wireless charging, whereas the iPhone 17e is expected to include MagSafe, increasing wireless charging to at least 15W.

Price, at least, may be mercifully boring. MacRumors says the iPhone 16e starts at $599 and no price changes are expected for the iPhone 17e.​

As for when the device will actually be available, the rumoured window is narrow: Apple's 'Special Experience' is set for March 4, and MacRumors expects the iPhone 17e to launch during that same week. Separately, Forbes reported a Bloomberg-style cadence of announcements from March 2-4, concluding with hands-on opportunities, suggesting the iPhone 17e could arrive early in that period rather than waiting for the final day.