By offering higher storage at the same price point, Apple is positioning the 17e as a stronger value option [File] | Photo Credit: Apple Apple on Monday launched iPhone 17e, its more affordable smartphone model that starts at a price of $599 with 256 gigabytes of storage, as it looks to defend its share in a fiercely competitive global handset market. The move comes as memory chip prices climb amid a global shortage, suggesting Apple is willing to absorb some component cost pressure to make its lowest-priced model more compelling. By offering higher storage at the same price point, Apple is positioning the 17e as a stronger value option as it looks to attract new users and defend market share against rivals facing tighter supply constraints. Some analysts view the higher storage at the same starting price as effectively a price cut, since customers previously had to pay an upcharge to access the higher capacity. Published – March 03, 2026 08:31 am IST Share this: Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Click to share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email More Click to print (Opens in new window) Print Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon Click to share on Nextdoor (Opens in new window) Nextdoor Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky Like this:Like Loading... Post navigation Netanyahu says U.S. and Israel’s war against Iran will not be an endless one Uttar Pradesh receives over 84% of all out-of-State MPLADS money