The iPhone 17e has been exposed. Can it reverse the misfortune of the iPhone 16e, which was popular overseas but cold-shouldered in China?
According to the Digital Gossip Station, the iPhone 17e may be equipped with the same screen as the iPhone 16 and support the Dynamic Island feature. The rear camera will still be a single 48-megapixel camera, and it will be powered by the A19 processor.
Image source: Digital Gossip Station on Weibo
Its configuration is likely to be similar to that of the iPhone 16e - having one less CPU core than the standard version and two less than the Pro version, maintaining a clear "hierarchy" among the products. However, compared to the iPhone 16e, the iPhone 17e finally abandons the notch design and no longer uses the Dynamic Island as a feature to distinguish product grades.
Xiaolei believes that this is because Apple tasted the benefits from the "market experiment" of the iPhone 16e, so it "generously" extended the Dynamic Island feature to attract more users.
The e-series of iPhone is the "Lite version"
Before the release of the iPhone 16e, most people thought that this single-camera, notch-screen phone would be named the iPhone SE4. Some even believed that it would use the body module of the iPhone XR and be equipped with the same LCD screen.
No one expected that the new phone would be finally named the iPhone 16e and feature a newly designed body. Even when searching for "SE4" on Baidu Baike, it is associated with the iPhone 16e - because in the public's perception, the SE series is Apple's cost-effective phone series.
Image source: Baidu Baike
The full name of the SE series is Special Edition. Its biggest feature is "old wine in new bottles": the first generation used the body of the iPhone 5s with the same A9 chip as the iPhone 6s, and the third generation used the body of the iPhone 8 with the same A15 Bionic chip as the iPhone 13.
Since using the old body module can significantly reduce costs, the SE series has always been regarded as the representative of the "cheapest iPhone" in consumers' minds. Therefore, when the configuration of the iPhone 16e was first reported, it was mistakenly thought to be the iPhone SE4, but the fact is obviously not the case.
The positioning of the e-series is different from that of the SE series. As Xiaolei mentioned when the iPhone 16e was released, the e-series is equivalent to the Lite version, which reflects Apple's "precise cost-cutting": while reducing the configuration of the chip, screen, camera, etc., it increases the battery capacity, ensuring that the e-series does not outperform other models, retains a good basic user experience, and continues the positioning of the "cheapest iPhone".
However, in Xiaolei's opinion, the iPhone 16e was Apple's attempt to explore the mid-range market. Similar to the previously launched Plus version, it tried to attract users with a large-screen phone with standard configuration. However, judging from the fact that the Plus version was removed from the iPhone 17 series, this market experiment clearly failed.
Therefore, if the e-series fails to meet Apple's revenue expectations, it may be replaced by other product lines at any time. Currently, the launch of the e-series is not only to fill the cost-effective gap in the product line but also to become the first choice for users of old iPhone models to upgrade.
The e-series actually has an important task - to retain users of old iPhone models, which is also one of the key reasons for its launch. The number of "loyal users" of Apple is much larger than expected. For example, the iPhone XR, released in 2018, is still being discussed by many users in the Coolapk community.
Image source: Coolapk
These users of old models may love the iOS system or be limited by their financial conditions and unable to upgrade their phones. Although they are often ignored, their number is quite large. Apple itself has also realized this. Therefore, on the Apple official website, the comparison models for the iPhone 16e are not the 15 series or the 14 series, but a group of earlier models (see the figure below).
Image source: Apple official website
The oldest one among them is the iPhone 11, which was released on September 11, 2019, almost 6 years ago. For these users, the so-called "inferior configuration" of the iPhone 16e is exactly what they want to upgrade.
Why is the iPhone 16e popular overseas but cold in the Chinese market?
Apple's precise cost-cutting has indeed enabled the iPhone 16e to achieve its expected sales. The latest report from the market research firm CIRP shows that the iPhone 16e accounted for 11% of the iPhone sales in the United States in June 2025. It should be noted that the market share of the SE3, with a similar market positioning, was only 5% during the same period. Its global sales have also exceeded 7.15 million units. Such a significant increase is sufficient to show that the strategy of the e-series is feasible.
Xiaolei also collected the user experiences of foreign netizens on Reddit about the iPhone 16e and found that most users chose this phone because of its large battery capacity, lightweight body, and they don't have high requirements for the camera. Some users even said that even though many reviewers criticized the iPhone 16e for lacking MagSafe and having average configuration, it didn't affect the actual users' choice. The sales data also proves that the iPhone 16e is a popular product.
Image source: Reddit
At the same time, some users who bought the iPhone 16e previously used old models like the iPhone 12, which also confirms the above view: this phone is indeed a "gift" from Apple to its "loyal users". However, the sales of the iPhone 16e in China failed to meet Apple's expectations, only reaching 171,000 units, less than 3% of the global sales. Why is there such a big sales gap between the domestic and overseas markets for the same model? Xiaolei believes that there are mainly the following reasons:
There are many optional models at the same price range;
Domestic Android models at the same price range perform better;
Domestic manufacturers are gradually adapting to the Apple ecosystem;
Apple does not support AI functions for now;
Now, after the 10-billion subsidy, the 128GB version of the iPhone 16e still costs 3,798 yuan after using all the coupons. The price falls right in the standard version range of domestic Android flagship series - this is the most competitive price range in the domestic market, and there are relatively more optional models.
Today, Xiaolei has summarized the standard versions of the flagship series of OPPO, vivo, and Xiaomi and made a simple parameter comparison with the iPhone 16e. It mainly covers four aspects: imaging, screen, battery life, and memory, to help you understand from a hardware perspective why the iPhone 16e doesn't sell well in China at this price range.
Image source: Produced by Lei Technology
From the parameters, there is an obvious hardware gap between the iPhone 16e and domestic models at the same price range in these four dimensions. Especially in terms of imaging configuration, the models of the three major domestic manufacturers basically support optical zoom and macro functions. It can be said that in the current domestic mobile phone market, models at this price range must meet most of the users' imaging needs. The extreme single-camera design of the iPhone 16e is destined to be inferior in all parameter comparisons.
At the same time, a 120Hz screen, large-capacity battery, fast charging, and a storage configuration starting from 256GB are all things that Apple cannot currently provide. In terms of price, Xiaolei also selected the best price in the 10-billion subsidy for reference and found that the iPhone 16e is the most expensive one, which is a bit like "using a shotgun as a cannon".
Image source: Pinduoduo
What should worry Apple the most is that domestic Android phones are gradually replacing the iPhone. In the second half of 2024, domestic mobile phones set off a wave. As netizens put it, it is "forcefully integrating with Apple", that is, forcibly compatible with the Apple ecosystem.
Since domestic phones started to support Live Photo, domestic manufacturers have gradually penetrated into the Apple ecosystem. When the vivo X200S was released, it claimed to be the "best alternative to the iPhone". This phone can directly receive messages and even calls from the iPhone, support one-touch file sharing, connect to the Apple Watch and AirPods, and display the battery level directly on the phone.
The update of HyperOS 2.0 enables Xiaomi phones to quickly transfer files and mirror the screen with Macs. Even AirDrop can be replicated by Xiaomi through its interconnection service app, and the transfer efficiency is even higher. The recent update even allows Macs to directly use the screen of Xiaomi phones.
Image source: Xiaomi update log
Similarly, ColorOS 15 also starts to support the one-touch file sharing function of the iPhone. It can be said that domestic manufacturers are "openly" competing for the iPhone's position in the Apple ecosystem. In Xiaolei's opinion, this is a very smart move. Previously, when Apple was building its ecosystem, it highly integrated its tablets, laptops, desktops, headphones, and other smart devices with the iPhone, making users who own these devices have to choose the iPhone. However, it is obviously unrealistic to replace all these devices.
Image source: ColorOS official website
Therefore, the strategy adopted by domestic manufacturers is to replace the iPhone's "controller" position in the ecosystem through hardware superiority and software adaptation, and make more concessions in price, which also enables many iPhone users to switch phones seamlessly. This is an important reason for the low sales of the iPhone 16e in China.
In addition, the delay in the implementation of Apple AI in China makes it difficult for Apple to play its last card. Originally, as a cost-effective model, the iPhone 16e should have become the cheapest entry point for Apple AI, but the postponement of the plan makes it impossible to achieve this goal.
Moreover, the AI experience of domestic phones has developed rapidly. The improvement of functions such as one-touch screen recognition, AI photo album, and AI assistant has made users develop an irreplaceable usage habit of their phones. The iPhone 16e, with its inferior hardware and software, naturally becomes a "sacrifice" in the market competition.
Can the iPhone 17e turn the situation around in the Chinese market?
So, what about the iPhone 17e? Xiaolei is pessimistic about its sales in China.
According to reports, the standard version of the iPhone 17 supports a 120Hz high refresh rate screen. As a "lower-level" model, the iPhone 17e needs to follow the product hierarchy and will most likely still be equipped with a 60Hz screen. The processor and imaging configuration will also be "cut down".
The iPhone 17e is like a shared Pinduoduo link - being cut down everywhere. Although the price has been reduced and it has become the cheapest iPhone currently, facing the "soft and hard combined" tactics of domestic phones, even Apple, as powerful as it is, will find it difficult to capture the mid-range market.
However, if Apple AI can be truly implemented in China, it may attract some users to buy the iPhone 17e as an entry point to experience the Apple AI ecosystem. But by then, the AI functions of domestic phones may have been fully covered in all product lines. Facing these unfavorable factors, will Apple change its strategy? How can the iPhone e-series gain a foothold in the Chinese market?
This article is from "Lei Technology" and is published