Apple officially launched the iPhone 17e, with a starting price of 4,499 yuan. The leap-forward upgrade in storage configuration of this new machine has become the focus of market attention.The most sincere change is that the starting storage capacity of iPhone 17e has been directly increased to 256GB, which is exactly the same as the standard version of iPhone 17. In the context of the current skyrocketing prices of memory chips and rumors that domestic mobile phone prices will rise collectively, Apple's method of increasing volume without increasing prices is particularly rare.
With the official debut of iPhone 17e, the previous generation iPhone 16e has also completed its mission. It has been officially removed from Apple’s official website and is no longer available as a model for sale.
As of now, Apple’s official website still retains two mobile phones with a starting capacity of 128GB for sale.They are iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, which are priced at 5,399 yuan and 5,999 yuan respectively.
Excluding these two older models, the existing iPhone 17 series and iPhone Air have all started at 256GB. This means that large-capacity storage has become standard in Apple’s new machine lines, and users no longer need to feel stretched for entry-level storage space.
It is foreseeable that Apple is accelerating the elimination of small-capacity models. The iPhone 18 series to be released in the future will most likely continue the 256GB starting strategy, and the traditional 128GB version of the iPhone will gradually withdraw from the stage of history.
For consumers, this collective jump in storage specifications is undoubtedly good news. It marks a further improvement in the basic experience of smartphones, and also reflects that in the era of AI and high-definition imaging, users’ rigid demand for local storage space is being taken seriously by mobile phone manufacturers.
