Apple Introduces the iPhone 17e and New iPad Air. They'll Be Much More Powerful!

iPhone 17e with MagSafe, iPad Air with new power! What do they offer and at what price?

Two new Apple devices have just been officially launched – the mid-range iPhone 17e smartphone and a new version of the slim iPad Air tablet.

The new slim iPad may look unassuming, but it promises improved performance. The M3 processor from last year's iPad Air has been replaced by a new M4 processor, featuring an N1 chip supporting Wi-Fi 7 connectivity, a new C1X modem in the mobile connectivity model, and 12 GB of RAM instead of the previous 8 GB. According to Apple, the 2026 iPad Air offers 30% higher CPU performance compared to the previous generation, as well as a throughput of 120 GB/s instead of the previous 100 GB/s. The new modem is expected to increase mobile connectivity performance by 50% while consuming 30% less power.

The remaining components of the iPad Air are the same as before – its display is an LCD (or "Liquid Retina" according to Apple) with a peak brightness of 500 nits and a 60 Hz refresh rate, and it features 12 MP front and rear cameras for photos. Apple Intelligence features are also included – the ability to remove backgrounds from videos in Final Cut Pro may prove particularly useful.

iPad Air (2026)
photo: Apple

Like the iPad Air, the iPhone 17e boasts improved performance, thanks to the quad-core A19 processor and C1X modem. The main 48 MP camera and the 12 MP selfie camera are once again used for photos, but the new image processing process is expected to improve their performance for portrait shots. Like the Apple iPhone 16e, the iPhone 17e features a 6.1-inch OLED screen with a resolution of 2532 x 1170 pixels and a 60 Hz refresh rate, with a longitudinal notch for the front camera and Face ID scanner. The difference is made by Ceramic Shield 2 glass, which protects it and is said to provide three times greater scratch resistance and better glare reduction. The iPhone 17e is also the first of Apple's more affordable smartphones to support MagSafe magnetic inductive charging, with a maximum power output of 15W. This is not only more convenient but also faster – the iPhone 16e only charged wirelessly at 7.5W. Wired charging is also said to be faster, charging the battery to 50% in half an hour, and a fully charged battery is said to last for 26 hours. The iPhone 17e also features iOS 26 with Apple Intelligence, IP68 waterproofing, NFC, GPS, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, eSIM support, and satellite connectivity.

iPhone 17e
photo: Apple

The iPhone 17e and iPad Air 2026 will be available for pre-order starting March 4 and will be available in stores on March 11. The iPhone 17e is available in light pink, white, and black, while the new iPad Air comes in four colors: purple, blue, "space gray" (dark gray), and "moonlight" (light brown). The prices for each variant are as follows: