Repair site iFixit today took apart the iPhone 17e, which is the new low-cost iPhone that Apple launched last Wednesday. The ‌iPhone 17e‌ is almost identical to the iPhone 16e in design, but it does include a MagSafe back panel that supports ‌MagSafe‌ and faster Qi charging than the iPhone 16e.


When disassembling the ‌iPhone 17e‌, iFixit found that the ‌MagSafe‌ panel for the device is the same size as the panel for the 16e, and the two are interchangeable. You can take a back panel from an ‌iPhone 17e‌ and put it on an iPhone 16e, adding ‌MagSafe‌ to an iPhone 16e.

That could be good news for iPhone users who bought an iPhone 16e and don't want to upgrade just to get ‌MagSafe‌. iPhone 16e customers may be able to get their hands on an ‌iPhone 17e‌ back panel to make a ‌MagSafe‌ swap, which iFixit says is a big win for repairability. There was a downside with the ‌MagSafe‌ swap because the iPhone 16e doesn't have the built-in software that recognizes ‌MagSafe‌ accessories to provide animations, and it's not yet clear if it charges at the full 15W.

"Cross-compatibility matters," said iFixit. "It makes repairs easier, parts easier to source, and upgrades cheaper."

Apple made day one manuals available for the ‌iPhone 17e‌, so iFixit knew the front and back panels both come off. The battery can be swapped without having to go through the display, though there's still adhesive to deal with. The ‌iPhone 17e‌ continues to use adhesive for the battery that can be removed with an electrical pulse, which makes battery replacements simpler.


Aside from the ‌MagSafe‌ update, the other notable change in the ‌iPhone 17e‌ is the A19 System on Chip that replaces the A18. Apple also swapped out the C1 modem for the new, faster C1X modem, and there's more starting internal storage at 256 GB.

iFixit found that like the ‌MagSafe‌ module, almost all components inside the ‌iPhone 17e‌ and iPhone 16e were interchangeable. It's possible to take an iPhone 16e logic board and put it into an ‌iPhone 17e‌ chassis, with almost no issues registering parts. The TrueDepth camera for Face ID didn't work when swapped from iPhone to iPhone.

While iFixit was happy with the dual entry design and the battery adhesive that releases electrically, the site found the USB-C port was too buried behind components, which will make DIY repairs daunting for people. Apple fixed the USB-C accessibility issue in its main flagship models, but has not made the port easier to get to in the "e" models.

Despite these issues, iFixit awarded points for the parts interchangeability because there's more salvage value and more refurbishment potential. iFixit gave the ‌iPhone 17e‌ a provisional repairability score of 7 out of 10. That's the same score the iPhone 16e got last year, and the same score the iPhone 17 earned.
This article, "iFixit Tears Down the iPhone 17e, Discovers MagSafe Upgrade Path for iPhone 16e Owners" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple's iPhone 19e could come with an LTPO OLED display that would bring 120Hz ProMotion technology to its most affordable iPhone for the first time, based on a new report out of Asia.


According to ZDNet Korea, the fourth-generation model in Apple's entry-level e-series – expected to arrive in early 2028 – could adopt a low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) panel, making the display technically capable of dynamically adjusting its refresh rate between 1Hz and 120Hz. It's the same underlying panel technology used across the current iPhone 17 lineup and the iPhone Air.

The recently launched iPhone 17e uses a 60Hz low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) TFT panel, and the report suggests next year's iPhone 18e will use the same technology. That's despite the fact that you can find 120Hz screens on competing Android phones at similar price points.

The shift in 2028 is said to depend in part on Apple's development of a next-generation "LTPO+" display technology, which incorporates oxide semiconductors in both switching and drive transistors, and is said to use a lot less battery power.

Apple reportedly plans to reserve LTPO+ for its higher-end models in 2028, including new versions of the iPhone Air and its upcoming foldable iPhone, which would free up standard LTPO panels for the rest of the lineup. But if the new technology isn't ready in time, it could delay the trickle-down of LPTO panels to the 19e, so nothing's for certain yet.

Apple first adopted LPTO+ (also known as LPTO3) in the Apple Watch Series 10 in 2024, with panels supplied by LG Display. This likely gave Apple the confidence to scale the technology to iPhone-sized displays, and the company has a track record of testing new display technologies in the Apple Watch before bringing them to the iPhone.

A previous report suggested Apple was considering adopting the new display architecture for at least one model in its 2027 iPhone lineup, but the ZDNet Korea report suggests Apple has moved away from the idea because the technology is not quite ready for mass production.
This article, "iPhone 19e Could Feature 120Hz ProMotion Display" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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