It has only been five months since the release of Apple's latest smartphone, but rumours suggest that a brand new iPhone could arrive any day now. Industry analysts predict that the California tech giant will launch the iPhone 17e within the next few weeks. This is expected to be a successor to last year's more budget–friendly iPhone 16e. And tech fans don't have long to wait, with one Apple expert predicting that the iPhone 17e will be launched 'imminently'.

Don't expect this upgrade to be nothing more than a facelift for the iPhone 16e – as Apple is rumoured to have packed in some top–quality new hardware. The iPhone 17e is expected to have the same super–fast A19 chip as the flagship iPhone 17 and long–awaited features like MagSafe wireless charging. Most importantly, Apple is predicted to keep the pricing at the same level it was for last year's iPhone 16e. That means the iPhone 17e could cost £599 for a 128GB variant, £699 for 256GB, and £899 for the most expensive 512GB option.

According to Bloomberg's Apple analyst Mark Gurman , the iPhone 17e will have a simple appeal; customers will get more features than an iPhone 16e for the same cost. While budget smartphones don't often see major upgrades, this could suggest Apple is planning more than a few new colours for its wallet–friendly option . Besides the rumoured A19 chip, it has also been suggested that the new phone will get Apple's latest C1X cellular chip and the N1 wireless chip. The most exciting potential upgrade for many fans might be the inclusion of MagSafe charging.

The current iPhone 16e only supports Qi wireless charging at 7.5W, but the new iPhone 17e might be compatible with Apple's latest MagSafe accessories. That could offer speeds up to 25W, enabling much faster wireless charging for the budget smartphone. As always, Apple is remaining tight–lipped about the details of the potential new phone, so other details are hard to confirm. Industry leaks are currently divided over whether the iPhone 17e will have some design changes or whether it will look just the same as its predecessor. Some reports have suggested that the phone might be getting the same Dynamic Island as the iPhone 17, while the Japanese site Mackotakara claims Apple will stick with a notch instead.

Without any hints from Apple itself, tech fans will need to wait until the official release to learn more. However, Apple isn't expected to keep its fans waiting for much longer. Mr Gurman says that the launch will be coming 'imminently' but doesn't provide any additional details. The first time Apple launched an 'e' product was in February last year with the iPhone 16e. Since Apple typically sticks to the same launch pattern, this suggests that the latest update is probably coming in the next few weeks. Earlier this month, MacWorld reported that the iPhone 17e would be released on Thursday, February 19.

However, this does not seem likely as Apple has never released a new iPhone on a Thursday. The company typically places its launches on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday to give time for pre–orders to open on Friday. Likewise, Google is widely expected to launch its budget Pixel 10a on February 18, making it unlikely that Apple would reveal a rival phone the day after. Last year, the iPhone 16e was announced via a press release on a Wednesday afternoon. This makes the most likely dates Monday 23 February to Wednesday 25 February – with Wednesday making the most likely date. The Daily Mail has contacted Apple for comment.