Apple Inc. rolled out the iPhone 17e, the latest version of its lower-end smartphone, and a faster version of the iPad Air, kicking off a wave of new products. The updated phone, which arrives one year after the iPhone 16e, includes a faster processor, new in-house wireless chips and MagSafe magnetic charging. The device, which is still priced at $599, comes in pink, black and white options. It also has more durable glass on the front, matching the iPhone 17.The overall look of the 17e — and 6.1-inch screen ...

Core Viewpoint - Evercore ISI reaffirmed its Outperform rating and $330 price target on Apple following the company's latest product launches, which include the iPhone 17e and a refreshed iPad Air [1]. Product Launch Details - Apple introduced the iPhone 17e and iPad Air with starting prices unchanged at $599, while the base iPhone 17e model now includes 256GB of storage, an increase from the previous 128GB in the iPhone 16e [1]. - Both products maintain largely unchanged form factors but feature upgrades to Apple's in-house components, particularly in memory and storage, aimed at supporting anticipated Apple Intelligence enhancements later this year [2]. Technical Specifications - The iPhone 17e is equipped with the upgraded A19 chip, replacing the A18, while the refreshed iPad Air features the M4 chip, upgraded from the M3 [3]. - Both devices incorporate Apple's new C1X cellular modem, and the iPad Air also includes the N1 wireless networking chip, enabling Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 [3]. Strategic Insights - The shift towards greater integration of Apple's proprietary silicon, including the C1X and N1 chips, is expected to help offset rising memory costs across NAND and DRAM while also delivering battery life improvements [4]. - Apple is strategically refreshing its product lineup ahead of broader AI and Siri enhancements expected later in the year, with the launches characterized as incremental hardware updates focused on memory and storage improvements rather than a major redesign cycle [5].