Can a hardware tweak possibly make Apple’s budget iPhone feel less “budget”? Perhaps the answer for the iPhone 17e can be yes – and the solution lies with MagSafe.
When the iPhone 16e came out in February 2025, it showed off its powerful 6.1‑inch OLED screen, A18 chip, and compatibility with Apple Intelligence, but one feature that was noticeably left out of the equation is the lack of MagSafe. It settled for the traditional Qi-based wireless charging top speed of 7.5W compared to the 20W-25W that the company’s magnetic charging solution provided. MagSafe is an innovative charging solution that was first seen on the iPhone 12. It utilizes the exact alignment of a ring of magnets that positions the device or accessories perfectly to prevent losses that occur when the coils are not perfectly aligned, thus delivering higher charging speeds. It also offers compatibility with the extensive range of accessories that the Qi-based solutions fail to provide.
Including MagSafe in the iPhone 17e will mean more than faster performance. One of the biggest drawbacks of adding high-speed MagSafe wireless charging to the entry-level model is the engineering complexity. This is because it requires precise placement of the magnetic array in relation to the internal charger coil. Moreover, their cooling systems will also have to be able to dissipate additional heat introduced by increased wattage without damaging the batteries. This would be even more difficult in an entry-level model compared to the company’s existing high-end offerings.
The second major improvement in the iPhone 17e will come from Apple’s C1X modem, which will replace the C1 from the previous iPhone 16e in its first generation. The C1X in the iPhone Air has already shown double the performance of its previous version in the iPhone Air, owing to its improved carrier aggregation features and uplink MIMO technology. The C1 only supported three-carrier aggregation with a sub-6 GHz band of 160 MHz, but the C1X is rumored to be comparable to mid-range Qualcomm modems that will support four-carrier aggregation, likely at much faster uplink speeds. This is particularly important in advanced 5G standalone networks found in Saudi Arabia, China, or specific areas in the US, which provide triple-digit Mbps performance gains to median users.
The performance results from the 16e demonstrated that it could beat the leading modems in specific low band cell range conditions, particularly for the 10th percentile users, although it lagged behind in more advanced carrier aggregation and mmWave deployments. The enhanced feature set provided by the C1X will enable the 17e to better compete in leading edge networks while maintaining the strong low band reception that benefits the countryside.
The remaining portion of the 17e’s hardware should stay budget-friendly. There are expectations that it will come back with the same 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display introduced in the 14/16e, accompanied by a 60Hz refresh rate and a maximum brightness of 1,200 nits. The camera hardware is expected to come back with the same single 48MP sensor present on the 16e, but possibly paired with an upgraded 18MP front camera, compared to the current 12MP sensor, which is the one used by the iPhone 17 lineup. The storage should come in trims starting from 128GB, but other capacities offered should be the 256GB and the 512GB versions, and the construction should consist of the aluminum and glass combination for a reduction in both dimensions and price.
The goal for the new iPad is a spring 2026 launch, with rumored timing set at either April or May. As for price, that’s a big unknown, although the 16e began at $599, but the impact of the legal woes at BOE on the display supply chain, combined with the role of both Samsung and LG, may raise the cost. Nonetheless, the inclusion of MagSafe and the C1X modem marks a significant improvement to the budget line of iPad products, closing the experience gap that has historically set the ‘e’ line apart from the rest.
