Rumors about iPhone 17e production suggest Apple's budget-friendly iPhone might be a regular part of its product cycle moving forward.

Questions around Apple's somewhat sporadic launch of the iPhone SE were revisited this year, when it launched the iPhone 16e, the fourth generation of Apple's more affordable model, this past February. The previous three iPhone SEs launched in March 2016, 2020, and 2022 respectively, so that roughly lines up with this year's product cycle.

Here's the wrinkle: Because this year's device was called the iPhone 16e (instead of the iPhone SE 4), Apple followers are speculating on whether the "e" model will now sync up with the regular batch of iPhones released annually.

And according to a credible leaker, reported by 9To5Mac, this looks to be the case. The source shared on the Chinese social media app Weibo that the iPhone 17e is underway. "There will still be 17e next year, and it is almost in the trial production stage​​​," the source wrote (translated to English via Google Translate).

So, per the leak, Apple is working on an iPhone 17e, and it's in Foxconn's small-scale production phase, which occurs before mass production, as 9To5Mac explained. At the very least, this means Apple is planning a consecutive iPhone "e" model launch, and it could mean the company will continue to release a new budget model annually.

Typically, Apple leaves models from previous generations on the market, and their prices naturally drop. So, a new iPhone 17e doesn't necessarily mean Apple will do away with older models. It could also mean that Apple is experimenting with different iPhone offerings to see what resonates with consumers, like it did with the iPhone mini (RIP).