Apple unveils lower cost iPhone 17e, raises prices on MacBooks

2026-03-04 23:31:09

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Apple is expanding its product lineup with a lower-priced iPhone.

The California-based tech giant on Monday introduced the iPhone 17e, a more affordable addition to its iPhone 17 family, starting at $599. The device is available in black, white and soft pink.

The iPhone 17e starts with 256GB of storage, doubling the base capacity of the previous generation at the same starting price.

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A view of the new Apple iPhone 17e, which starts at $599. (Apple Inc.)

The device runs on Apple’s newest A19 chip and features the company’s new C1X modem, which Apple says improves battery life. Apple says the new 48MP Fusion camera also “has the capabilities of two advanced cameras in one.”

The announcement comes as the iPhone 17 performed strongly in the fiscal first quarter of 2026, with sales jumping nearly 25%. CEO Tim Cook described the results as “staggering” in an interview with FOX Business.

Apple pulled in $143.8 billion in revenue in its fiscal first quarter, up 16% from the prior year. Cook said it was a record sales quarter for North America and in China, where it has lost market share to local competitors in recent years.

At the same time, Apple is raising prices on several MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models unveiled Tuesday featuring the company’s latest M5 chips. The price hikes come amid a global memory chip shortage dubbed “RAMageddon,” led by the rise in demand for artificial intelligence.

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An image of a MacBook Air with the M5 chip. (Apple Inc.)

The 13-inch MacBook Air now starts at $1,099, up from $999, while the 15-inch version begins at $1,299, up from $1,199. Apple is doubling base storage to 512GB on both models, according to Bloomberg.

Prices are also increasing across the MacBook Pro lineup. The 14-inch model with the M5 Pro chip now costs $2,199, up from $1,999, and the 16-inch version is rising to $2,699, up from $2,499.

The 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M5 Max chip starts at $3,599 while the 16-inch version begins at $3,899 – both up $400. The standard M5 MacBook Pro also saw a price hike, rising to $1,699, Bloomberg reported.

Apple also unveiled the MacBook Neo on Wednesday, calling it its most affordable laptop ever. The 13-inch device starts at $599 – or $499 for education customers.

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Apple employees help customers at the Fifth Avenue Apple Store on new product launch day on Sept. 19, 2025, in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Apple’s Mac division recorded revenue of $8.39 billion in sales during the first fiscal quarter, down nearly 7% from the same period a year earlier, and missing analysts’ estimate of $9 billion.

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FOX Business’ Susan Li contributed to this report.

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