Apple's big March launches live — all the latest news from iPhone 17e to M4 iPad Air
Apple's big week has kicked off
Will you be buying the iPhone 17e?
So will you be buying the iPhone 17e? Based on the pricing (see post below) and upgrades that include an A19 chip and proper MagSafe wireless charging speeds, it looks like a solid bet if you don't want to splurge on the full iPhone 17.
But let us know in the poll below what you're planning to do...
Those iPhone 17e prices
Let's just confirm those international iPhone 17e prices — as you can see in the table below, they're the same as the iPhone 16e, only this time the base storage starts at 256GB.
That's a pretty tempting deal and compares favorably to the iPhone 17 (which is also in the table below). The main differences between the two are cameras — the iPhone 17 has an 18MP Center Stage front-facing camera, which the 17e lacks, and also two rear cameras rather than one (the 17e is missing an ultra-wide lens).
The 17e also doesn't have the iPhone 17's 120Hz ProMotion display. Personally, I miss the ultra-wide camera the most, but is that worth $200 / £200? I can see why many will plump for the simpler 17e instead.
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | US | UK | Aus |
iPhone 17e (256GB) | $599 | £599 | AU$999 |
iPhone 17e (512GB) | $799 | £799 | AU$1,399 |
iPhone 17 (256GB) | $799 | £799 | AU$1,399 |
iPhone 17 (512GB) | $999 | £999 | AU$1,799 |
Will we get a new base iPad?
Apple has announced the new M4 iPad Air, but there's been no news about a refresh of the base iPad yet. So is it still coming?
The 11th-gen iPad was announced almost exactly a year ago, and the rumors confidently predicted that a new version was coming this week with an A18 chip. That would mean Apple's base iPad could finally support Apple Intelligence, among other benefits.
I still feel like a 12th-gen iPad is likely this week — and we do still have two days to go until Apple's official March 4 event, so there's still plenty of time for it to be announced. But with several new MacBooks also expected, it'll likely be a member of the supporting cast...
A new 'Soft Pink' color for the iPhone 17e
The iPhone 16e strangely only came in two colors (Black or White), which seemed a bit mean considering the iPhone 17 has five colors (Lavender, Sage, Mist Blue, White, and Black).
Well, as you can see above, the iPhone 17e does at least now come in slightly brighter Soft Pink. But will it be the new Cosmic Orange? Well, maybe not quite that ubiquitous, but I'm sure it'll get some fans who want a dash of color.
The iPhone 17e looks like decent value
On paper, the iPhone 17e is looking like a very solid bet for upgraders. The base storage now starts at 256GB, which is good considering the phone's price hasn't changed.
Other bonuses include the full MagSafe support and A19 chip (the same as the iPhone 17). The lack of Dynamic Island (with the iPhone 17e retaining the old notch) might disappoint some, as will the 60Hz screen.
But overall, I think it could be popular choice at its starting price of $599 / £599 / AU$999 (256GB), with the 512GB version costing $799 / £799 / AU$1,399.
What's new in the M4 iPad Air?
The obvious answer to that question is, of course, the new M4 chip. According to Apple, that makes the new tablet “up to 30 percent faster than iPad Air with M3".
But there are a few other additions besides the new chip. Connectivity is the main story, with Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, Thread and Apple's N1 wireless networking chip all packed into the mid-range tablet.
If you go for the cellular version of the tablet, you'll also get Apple's C1X modem — this apparently offers 50% faster cellular performance with 30% less energy use than on the M3 iPad Air.
Otherwise, this is a fairly basic update to the M3 versions, which we called "even better value than their predecessors" this time last year. That could well be the conclusion we reach here too as the M4 iPad Air's price hasn't changed, starting at $599 / £599 / AU$999 for the 11-inch version (Wi-Fi) or $799 / £799 / AU$1,299 for the 13-inch model (Wi-Fi).
- Read the full story: Apple just announced a new iPad Air with M4 — here's what's changed
The iPhone 17e is here
The iPhone 17e has landed — and as expected, it's a relatively minor upgrade with the same price tag as the iPhone 16e.
The main boost is its new A19 chip, which is the same as the one you'll find in the iPhone 17 (though the iPhone 17 Pro naturally has the more powerful A19 Pro). Apple's also upgraded the phone's wireless charging, adding its own MagSafe standard — which is a step up from the iPhone 16's Qi charging (which was limited to up to 7.5W).
The iPhone 17e's main design is unchanged, and fortunately so is the price tag — it starts at $599 / £599 / AU$999 for 256GB of storage, with pre-orders starting on March 4 (or March 5 in Australia).
Perhaps the only surprise is that the iPhone 17e still doesn't have a Dynamic Island, which it was rumored to get...
- Read the full story: Apple announces the iPhone 17e — here's what's new in the mid-range iPhone
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