iPhone 17e Could Click Better Selfies With Improved TrueDepth Camera

Apple’s next affordable iPhone, the iPhone 17e, could offer serious camera improvements. According to a new report, the iPhone 16e’s successor will use the same 18MP TrueDepth camera as the iPhone 17 family, featuring support for Center Stage that automatically aligns the camera according to the person’s face and movements.

The intel comes from analyst Jeff Pu, who has a good track record of sharing important information on Apple. According to Pu, the new camera on the iPhone 17e will use a square sensor, allowing users to take vertical and horizontal selfies without moving the phone. This functionality is called Center Stage.

Apart from an improved selfie camera, the iPhone 17e will also likely come with an upgraded rear camera. Previous reports hint at the same main sensor as the iPhone 17. However, any change in the number of camera sensors on the next affordable iPhone is unlikely.

Leaks have also hinted that the iPhone 17e will house the A19 chip, which also powers the iPhone 17. It would continue to have the same design as the iPhone 16e, but a few reports suggest a slimmer profile.

Corroborating the previously leaked launch window, Pu has said the iPhone 17e will arrive sometime in the middle of the first quarter of 2026, which points to a tentative time frame of February.

This launch timeline also falls in line with the alleged change in Apple’s iPhone launch cycle. According to multiple reports, including one from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the company will split the launches, aiming at widening the buffer between the standard and Pro models. While the regular iPhone 18 could be launched in the first half alongside the iPhone 17e, the Air and Pro models may arrive at Apple’s fall event in September.

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