Fresh leaks outline iPhone 17e, iPad 12 upgrades ahead of possible February reveal | Technology News
4 min readFeb 6, 2026 03:21 PM IST
Fresh leaks have provided a clearer picture of what Apple could be planning for its next affordable iPhone model and iPad models. Two fresh reports have indicated that the next iPhone 17e and iPad 12 devices are already being planned, sporting familiar designs, incremental upgrades, and potentially launching as soon as next week.
According to Japanese blog Mac Otakara, the iPhone 17e will follow in the footsteps of the iPhone 16e, which Apple introduced earlier this year after discontinuing the iPhone SE. The current iPhone 16e marked a big shift for Apple’s budget lineup, bringing a larger OLED display, modern design, and Apple Intelligence support at a lower price point.
The upcoming iPhone 17e, however, is expected to focus more on internal improvements than outward changes. The report claims the phone will retain the same overall design as its predecessor, including the notch at the top of the display. Earlier rumours had hinted at a Dynamic Island making its way to the model, but Mac Otakara says that will not happen.
Instead, Apple is reportedly concentrating on performance and connectivity. The iPhone 17e is expected to have a new A19 chip, which will provide a faster speed compared to the A18 chip used in the 16e version. The second potential change is related to the use of the second-generation C1X modem developed by Apple, credited with faster 5G and LTE speeds, along with lower power consumption.
The phone may also gain Apple’s N1 wireless chip, handling Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Thread connections. On other recent devices, this chip has enabled newer standards such as Wi-Fi 7 and improved the reliability of features like AirDrop and Personal Hotspot.
According to another report by Macwelt, iPhone 17e may finally support MagSafe too. This is a huge improvement over the iPhone 16e, which does not support this feature. With MagSafe, users could get faster wireless charging and attach accessories like wallets and stands.
Despite these changes, the device is still expected to ship with a single rear camera, keeping it firmly in the entry-level category.
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The same Mac Otakara report also touches on Apple’s next standard iPad. The iPad 12 is expected to look almost identical to the iPad 11, but with one important upgrade under the hood. The tablet can be driven by the A18 chip, which would enable the tablet to run the Apple Intelligence features for the first time.
This would probably result in an increase in the RAM from 6GB to 8GB, which is present in the latest version. Apart from that, no significant changes have been mentioned.
As for the timing, Apple may announce iPhone 17e through a press release on February 19, which is just after a year since iPhone 16e was launched. Although Apple products have not been launched on Thursdays before, this might just be the right day for Apple, considering the pattern of the previous releases.
Pricing is still unknown, but if the company decides to adhere to the same strategy as last year, the iPhone 17e could yet again straddle the line of technology and affordability.
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