So much for the Dynamic Island upgrade. A fresh leak claims Apple’s next budget iPhone won’t get the pill-shaped cutout everyone expected. Instead, the iPhone 17e could recycle the same display from the iPhone 14, notch included.
BOE is reportedly handling most of the panel production, with Samsung and LG filling in the gaps.
Same Screen, Slimmer Bezels
The current iPhone 16e already uses that 6.1-inch Retina OLED running at 60Hz. Nothing new there. Rumors had pointed toward Apple finally bringing Dynamic Island down to the cheaper model, borrowing the screen from the iPhone 16. This latest report says otherwise.
Apple apparently plans to trim the bezels to make the phone look less dated. Fair enough. But keeping the notch in 2025 feels like a strange move when even mid-range Android phones ditched that design years ago.
The reasoning makes sense from a cost perspective. Dynamic Island requires repositioning the Face ID sensors and front camera into a smaller space. That engineering work adds expense – expense that would push the E-series away from its budget positioning.
What Else Is Changing
The display stays LTPS, which helps with battery life. Screen specs remain at Super Retina XDR resolution.
Under the hood, expect the Apple A19 chip – same silicon as the standard iPhone 17. The front camera reportedly jumps to 18MP with Center Stage support. Analyst Jeff Pu also mentions an Apple N1 wireless chip for better power efficiency and faster file transfers between devices.
Hard to Get Excited
If this pans out, the iPhone 17e sounds like an iPhone 16e with minor spec bumps. Thinner bezels and a new processor, sure. But that notch hanging around makes the whole package feel like Apple’s just running out the clock on old inventory.
