Apple reportedly plans to introduce a low-cost iPhone 18e next spring alongside iPhone 18 and iPhone Air 2. Here are the details on what to expect from iPhone 18e, per a new leak.
iPhone 18e will feature A20 chip and possible front camera upgrade, but remain very similar to iPhone 17e per leaker
When Apple introduced new iPhones last month, only three models launched: iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, plus iPhone Duo.
Rumors indicate three more new iPhones are coming in early 2027: iPhone 18e, iPhone 18, and iPhone Air 2.
There’s been plenty of reporting on iPhone Air 2 changes, and some on the base iPhone 18, but surprisingly little on the entry-model iPhone 18e.
But today, a new post from Weibo leaker Digital Chat Station outlines what to expect from iPhone 18e early next year. He says it will feature:
- 60Hz display, meaning no ProMotion still
- A20 chip, which doesn’t yet exist in non-Pro form
- 6.12-inch OLED like its predecessor
- 48MP single rear camera
- Front camera “may be upgraded to 24MP”
Based on these specs, it sounds like iPhone 18e is focused largely on performance improvements.
The A20 chip will be interesting to evaluate, since we haven’t yet seen a non-Pro variant of the latest 2nm technology. Mention of a front camera upgrade is particularly surprising, but my guess is that if it does emerge, it will actually be an 18MP sensor like what’s in other models today.
Other than these two changes, every spec mentioned remains unchanged from iPhone 17e. One detail not addressed is whether the notch will be replaced by a Dynamic Island.
Considering the skyrocketing prices of memory and storage, and Apple’s aims to keep iPhone 18e a budget-friendly model, perhaps the new model will offer fewer upgrades than usual to keep costs down.
What do you think of Apple’s reported plans for iPhone 18e? Let us know in the comments.
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