5 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Mar 3, 2026 08:42 AM IST
Apple on Monday, February 2, announced the iPhone 17e, its more affordable addition to the flagship iPhone 17 lineup, and an all-new iPad Air powered by its latest M4 chip with more memory.
The iPhone 17e, like the rest of the iPhone 17 series, comes with support for satellite connectivity. When users find themselves outside of cellular networks and Wi-Fi, Apple’s satellite features can help them stay connected through several features, including Emergency SOS, Roadside Assistance, Messages, and Find My via satellite.
The 256GB and 512GB storage variants of the iPhone 17e will be available in black, white, and soft pink colourways at prices starting from Rs 64,900. Apple said that pre-orders for the iPhone 17e for customers in various countries, including India, will begin from Wednesday, March 4, and the device will go on sale March 11 onwards.
Meanwhile, the M4-powered iPad Air comes in two models, the 11-inch model is priced at Rs 64,900 and the 13-inch model is available at Rs 84,900. For eligible Apple education customers, the 11-inch iPad Air starts at Rs 59,900 and the 13-inch model at Rs 79,900. The pre-order and general availability dates are same as that of the iPhone 17e.
Apple seems to be taking a different approach to unveiling its products this year. Instead of announcing everything at a single keynote, the Cupertino-based tech giant is planning an entire week of announcements culminating with a final event on March 4. The company is expected to announce at least three more new products this week, including a new entry-level iPad, an upgraded MacBook Air, and new MacBook Pro models.
iPhone 17e
The affordable sibling of the iPhone 17 has a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR, OLED display with up to 1200 nits peak HDR brightness, protected by Ceramic Shield 2, offering 3x better scratch resistance than the previous generation and reduced glare. It comes with MagSafe wireless charging support, and will be available in black, white, and soft pink premium matte finish. The iPhone 17e is made up of lightweight aerospace-grade aluminum and is IP68-rated for splash, water, and dust resistance.
iPhone 17e is powered by Apple’s latest-generation A19 and comes with a 48MP 2-in-1 camera system, storage starting at 256GB, and MagSafe support. (Image: Apple)
On the performance front, the iPhone 17e is powered by Apple’s in-house A19 chip along with C1X, the latest-generation cellular modem designed by the company, which is said to be up to 2x faster than C1 in iPhone 16e. Its camera system comprises a 48MP Fusion main camera and 2x optical quality telephoto lens with support for 4K Dolby Vision,10x digital zoom, better low light, 12 MP TrueDepth front, Audio Mix for clearer voices, next-gen portraits with refocus, etc.
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The iPhone 17e will come with iOS 26 out-of-the-box, which means that it will have the new Liquid Glass design interface along with several Apple Intelligence features such as Cleanup, Visual Intelligence via Action button, Live Translation, Call Screening, Hold Assist, and more.
In terms of battery life, Apple claims that the iPhone 17e can charge up to 50 per cent in 30 minutes and last all day, with up to 26 hours video playback. The smartphone also supports MagSafe and Qi2 for fast wireless charging up to 15W, which is more than the 7.5W Qi wireless charging support on the iPhone 16e.
iPad Air with M4
The all-new iPad Air with M4 chip is available in two sizes: 11-inch and 13-inch Both variants are powered by a 8-core CPU and a 9-core GPU, along with a 16-core Neural Engine, delivering improved performance for tasks like editing and gaming.
The iPad Air with M4 chip is designed for faster editing in apps like Final Cut Pro. (Image: Apple)
According to Apple, the iPad Air with M4 is up to 30 per cent faster than its M3 predecessor, with higher memory bandwidth, and 50 per cent more unified system memory than the previous generation. The performance upgrade is designed to carry out everyday tasks that use on-device AI, Apple said.
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It runs on iPadOS 26 with Liquid Glass interface, offering new capabilities such as a new menu bar that lets users access the commands available in an app with a simple swipe down from the top of the display, or by moving their cursor to the top. Users can manage, access, and organise files with a supercharged Files app that features an updated List view and new folder customisation options. It also gives users greater control over their audio input, the ability to capture high-quality recordings with local capture, and Background Tasks.
