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Huh? They haven’t released a remotely small phone in years.

There was a 4 year gap between the iPhone SE1 and iPhone SE2, it’s been less than 4 years since the SE3.

It’s not clear if they decided to move just add E models to their lineup, or given up on SE models entirely.

It’s very clear that the “e” is a yearly model (that’s why it has a number) and has replaced the SE line.

We don’t have the iPhone 17e, so for now there’s no way to tell if they will do this every year or what.

Similarly people have called the 16e as a replacement for the SE line, but that’s a cost assessment not one based of form factor. It could be most people bought the SE because it was cheap, but without two different form factors at identical prices there’s no way to tell.

It’s a replacement in the sense that they discontinued the SE when they introduced the 16e. I agree that it’s not a very close replacement in practical terms, but that’s also why the designation changed.

Regarding the 17e, the supply chain rumor mill keeps mentioning it, so it definitely seems to be a thing.

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