You might want to hold off on upgrading your iPhone right now, as the Apple fan base is convinced that a new release could be just around the corner thanks to one major hint.
While you could argue that the smartphone market is more competitive right now than it's been in a long time, it's hard to deny that the iPhone still reigns supreme with many people opting for Apple's flagship device.
It's not surprising either, as despite some rather unpopular features present in the latest versions of the software, the newest iPhones have arguably the best on the market — especially the iPhone 17 which hits the sweet spot for price against performance.
If you're looking for something a little more budget conscious though you might want to wait a little bit longer, as people have discovered major hints that a new version of Apple's cheaper 'e' lineup could be close to release.
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As reported by Macworld, while many people's eyes might be searching for glimpses of Apple's long-rumored foldable device, one Chinese leaker on social media by the name of Smart Pikachu has revealed that the iPhone 17e is 'about' to enter mass production.
This lines up with last year's timeline for the release of the iPhone 16e, as it too went into mass production almost exactly a year ago, and was later unveiled and released the following month.
Therefore, it's not exactly out of the question that we could see the reveal and launch of an updated version by the end of February, and the leaker has added that Apple aims for it "to compete with lower-priced flagship phones."
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Previous reports have suggested that Apple have planned for the cheaper 'e' phones to release in a yearly schedule, contrasting the more spread out launches of the previous SE phones, so the 17e could see the pattern fall into motion for the first time.
Additionally, the leaker has revealed some intriguing specifications that we could see arrive with the iPhone 17e, as it'll allegedly feature a 6.1-inch display with a Dynamic Island, which is a notable upgrade from the notched screen present in the 16e.
Additionally, it's not expected that it'll feature the much-loved 120Hz ProMotion that recently got added to non-Pro devices for the first time with the iPhone 17, alongside a 'downclocked' version of the A19 processor present in the standard 17.
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One other major upgrade over its predecessor though is the addition of MagSafe support, which was arguably the biggest omission from the 16e and something that fans will be delighted to see finally make its way over to the budget model.