Presales for the new entry-level iPhone start on Wednesday, with a wide release set for March 11
2-MIN READ2-MINCoco Fengin GuangdongPublished: 7:00pm, 3 Mar 2026The iPhone 17e, the entry-level addition to Apple’s latest iPhone 17 series, faces an uphill battle in China’s highly competitive smartphone market, according to analysts, as presales for the new handset start on Wednesday.The new budget-priced iPhone “lacks competitiveness”, said IDC China research manager Guo Tianxiang, who pointed out that the handset “still uses outdated moulds, with the chip being the only major upgrade”.
“The shortcomings in imaging and display persist, making its overall performance inferior to the slightly pricier iPhone 17 and Air models, as well as domestic flagship devices in the same price range,” Guo said.
Prices for the iPhone 17e start at 4,499 yuan (US$653), making its 256-gigabyte version eligible for the national subsidy scheme for gadgets capped at 6,000 yuan.
The iPhone 17e features only one rear camera and a 6.1-inch display, while the two Chinese smartphones have at least three lenses on the back and larger screens.
