Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17e and a new low-end iPad in the first half of next year.

On September 28th, according to the latest news from well - known journalist Mark Gurman, the first batch of Mac laptops equipped with the M5 chip and a new generation of monitors are about to enter the mass - production stage.

Apple's new generation of MacBook Pro (codenamed J714, J716), MacBook Air (codenamed J813, J815), and two new Mac monitors (codenamed J427, J527) are close to mass production. These products are planned to be launched between the end of this year and the first quarter of next year.

In addition, new products that Apple will launch in the first half of next year include the iPhone 17e, a new low - end iPad, and an updated iPad Air.

According to previous media reports, the iPhone 17e is the successor to the newly launched iPhone 16e this year. It is equipped with the same A19 chip as the iPhone 17, has a similar appearance design to the iPhone 16e, and may further strengthen its cost - effective positioning. The starting price is expected to remain at 4,499 yuan.

The low - end iPad is expected to be launched in March or April 2026. The appearance of the new model will not change much. It will be equipped with a faster chip, possibly the A18 chip, to continue to improve cost - effectiveness.

The long - rumored smart home hub, Apple Home Hub, is expected to be announced in March next year.

In recent years, Apple has adjusted its pricing strategy and launched more affordable products, also considering aspects such as expanding market share, coping with market competition, and meeting the diverse needs of consumers.

The growth of the global high - end smartphone market has gradually slowed down. Although Apple occupies a certain share in the high - end market, it faces fierce competition and limited growth space. IDC data shows that in the high - end mobile phone market above 6,000 yuan in China in the first quarter of 2025, the share of the iPhone has dropped from 70% to 58%. Android cost - effective models launched by brands such as Xiaomi, OPPO, and vivo have attracted a large number of consumers and captured a significant market share.

In February this year, the iPhone 16e was released with a starting price of 4,499 yuan. According to the global best - selling list of smartphones in the second quarter of 2025, the iPhone 16e ranked sixth. The phone performed excellently in overseas markets, especially in Japan and Europe. As of the end of June 2025, after five months on the market, the cumulative global sales of the iPhone 16e reached 7.15 million units, even exceeding the sales performance of the iPhone 16 Plus during the same period.

At 1 a.m. on September 10th, at Apple's 2025 autumn new product launch event, products such as the iPhone 17, iPhone Air, and iPhone 17 Pro were all unveiled. Among them, the iPhone Air became the thinnest phone ever launched by Apple, with a starting price of 7,999 yuan. At this launch event, Apple also launched the Apple Watch Series 11, Watch Ultra 3, and AirPods Pro 3.

Compared with the iPhone 16 series, the prices of the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro Max are the same as the previous generation, while the iPhone 17 Air and 17 Pro have a premium of $50 compared to the previous generation.

Pre - sales of the iPhone 17 series officially started at 8 p.m. on September 12th. Users showed high enthusiasm for snapping up, and many users went to Apple stores. When opening the Apple official website, it showed that it could not be accessed. On the JD platform, the number of people who pre - ordered the standard version exceeded 3.7 million. Users had to wait to enter the selection process. Currently, many models of the iPhone 17 series were "sold out instantly".

According to JD data, within just one minute after the pre - sales started, the sales volume of the iPhone 17 series exceeded the whole - day sales of last year, once again breaking the sales record. Among them, the sales volume of the 256GB version of the iPhone 17 far exceeded that of the previous generation year - on - year, becoming the most popular model.

Benefiting from the unexpectedly high market demand for the iPhone 17 series, Apple's stock price has rebounded. Analysts at Wedbush pointed out in a research report that the global demand for the iPhone 17 series is 10% - 15% higher than that of the iPhone 16 last year, which is driving Apple into a new growth cycle.

This article is from the WeChat official account "Jiemian News", author: Shen Xiaoge. It is published by 36Kr with authorization.