Gurman: iPhone 17e is Imminent

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported this morning that Apple will kick off a big 2026 with the iPhone 17e, which he says is due imminently. Leaving aside the fact that Apple already kicked of 2026 with its long overdue AirTag 2 release in January, there are some interesting tidbits in the Gurman report, and not just about the iPhone 17e.

The iPhone 17e, Gurman says, will replace the iPhone 16e from one year ago and provide several important upgrades, including Apple’s A19 chip, the latest Apple cellular and networking chips, and MagSafe charging. Surprisingly, given the memory cost issues, it will retain the same $599 starting price as its predecessor. Gurman also notes that Apple will “aggressively target” emerging economies and enterprises with the iPhone 17e. (He doesn’t say anything about the iPhone 17e sporting the Dynamic Island, though other rumors suggest that.)

Apple will also soon ship updated base iPad and iPad Air models with newer chips, but no notable design changes. The base iPad will get an A18 chip, so it will be compatible with Apple Intelligence, unlike its predecessor. And the iPad Air will of course get an M4 chip. Gurman also notes that an updated iPad Mini will get an OLED display, but the timing is unclear.

On the Mac front, Apple will soon release new MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models with M5 processors by early March. But the bigger news, perhaps, is a new A series-based base MacBook due in the first half of 2026. This will feature display that’s smaller than 13-inches, Gurman says, and will serve the same audience as the base iPad and iPhone 17e while targeting those who might otherwise buy an inexpensive Windows laptop or Chromebook. But he has nothing to say about its expecting starting price.

Apple also has Mac Studio desktop and Studio Display updates coming in the first half of 2026. And a Mac mini refresh “is on the roadmap for this year.”

The second half of 2026 should be interesting, too, with Apple’s first foldable iPhone expected in September alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the long-awaited OLED-based MacBook Pros, which will also be the first with multitouch support.

On the software front, Apple is winding down iOS 26.3 (and other ‘26.3 software release) development and will soon turn to iOS 26.4, which will include the Apple Intelligence features for Siri that Apple promised in 2024. The first developer beta is expected the week of February 23, Gurman says. After that, Apple will turn to iOS 27, which he says will focus on improving performance, eliminating bugs, removing old code, and fine-tuning the interface. And no, Apple has no plans to abandon Liquid Glass. “The company still loves it,” Gurman says.