Leaker reveals iPhone 18e specs: 2nm A20 chip, 60Hz screen and 48MP rear camera

What the leak claims

The tipster Digital Chat Station has posted specifications for the iPhone 18e on Weibo, and 9to5Mac reported the details on 27 October 2026. The phone is the entry-level successor to the iPhone 17e, which Apple launched in March 2026. According to the leak, the new model keeps most of its predecessor's hardware, with changes concentrated in the processor and the front camera. Apple introduced the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, plus the foldable iPhone Duo, in September, and the iPhone 18e is expected in spring 2027 alongside the iPhone 18 and iPhone Air 2. The information comes from a leak rather than an official Apple announcement.

Processor and memory

The leak describes an A20 chip built on a 2nm process for the iPhone 18e. That would replace the 3nm A19 in the iPhone 17e, and the A20 has so far appeared only in Pro models. The leak frames the processor as the main change, with the front camera as a secondary one. The tipster has not said how the new chip will perform or how much it will affect battery life on a single charge. An earlier rumor from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also pointed to the A20 for this phone, along with 9GB of RAM. The leaker gave no information on memory or storage options.

Display and cameras

The iPhone 18e is said to keep a 6.12-inch LTPS OLED screen with a 60Hz refresh rate, which means the 120Hz ProMotion display of the Pro models will not arrive on this phone. The rear camera is described as a single 48MP sensor, the same resolution as the main camera on the iPhone 17e. The front camera is the only change flagged, with a possible move to 24MP from the 12MP selfie camera on the predecessor. The leak does not say whether that upgrade will reach the final device. Details about optics, photo modes and image processing were not included.

Launch timing and price

The leak places the iPhone 18e in a spring 2027 launch window, the same period in which Apple is expected to present the iPhone 18 and iPhone Air 2. The timeline below places the leak among the key dates in the recent launch cycle.

Apple raised prices for large parts of its product lineup in June and September, and component costs remain high. The leak gave no hints about the iPhone 18e price.

Open questions

The leak leaves several points unresolved, including performance gains from the A20, battery life, memory and storage configurations, and the price. The tipster did not confirm whether the front camera change will be included in the final model. Whether the notch will be replaced by a Dynamic Island is also not addressed. The leak describes a phone with most of the iPhone 17e's specifications carried over. Until a launch in spring 2027, the specifications remain unofficial.