Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17E in May 2026, when it comes to information from Apple’s supply chain in China according to a tipster with a strong track record. Licker, known as fixed focus Digital, claimed that the iPhone 17E testing is taking place close to the production phase and can be released in late May next year. While the exact date is still wrapped, this initial tip has created interest, especially since it takes Apple’s recent push to the mid-range smartphone market. The iPhone 16E, its predecessor, was launched in February this year and proved to be quite successful, which offers a major level of performance at a relatively affordable price. The May 1 will mark a slight innings in the release timeline, but it also gives Apple an edge to compete with other brands with mid-range phones.

The iPhone 16E brought many modern features in a simple package. It came up with a 6.1-inch OLED display, the same powerful A18 chip was found in the more expensive model of Apple, and a single 48-megapixel rear camera. It even included face ID, a USB-C port and action button. Globally priced at $ 599 and Rs 59,900 in India, it stood out as an alternative to a solid value within the iPhone 16 series. If the Apple follows a similar strategy for the iPhone 17E, we can see it as well as Apple’s next-round chipset and AI-based features, which are becoming more common in the iPhone lineup.

Fixed focus Digital was also the first to correctly suggest that Apple was working on the iPhone 16e last year, at one time when most people admitted that the company would just continue its iPhone SE line. The same source believes that the iPhone 17E is being designed under a fresh codename, and the possibility is more that it is leading to production soon. This makes the leak quite reliable. It also supports earlier reports that Apple plans to make the “E” series a regular part of its line-up, possibly launching it in the first half to maintain consumer interest between the major release of September.

Interestingly, Apple’s move to introduce the middle-cycle of the “E” version has done good work for the brand so far. Instead of launching new colors for existing models, like previous years, Apple now gives users something new to do something new. This strategy can also help in bringing clarity in the lower-end iPhone launch cycle, something that was often missing with the iPhone SE, which did not follow an predicted release pattern.