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Buy Now or Wait? Experts Weigh In on Apple’s Budget Newcomer

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Apple's iPhone 18 Pro Max

Apple’s newly launched iPhone 17e offers an affordable entry into the latest iPhone lineup at $599, packing the A19 chip and a modern Dynamic Island design, but buyers wondering whether to snap it up or hold out for the more advanced iPhone 18 Pro face a lengthy wait until at least September 2026 — and potentially longer for base models — as Apple shifts its release strategy.

The iPhone 17e went on sale March 11, 2026, just days after its March 2 announcement, positioning it as the most budget-friendly current iPhone with 256GB or 512GB storage options in black, white or soft pink. It features a 6.1-inch OLED display with 60Hz refresh rate, a single 48MP rear camera, 12MP TrueDepth front camera, and Apple’s efficient A19 processor paired with a new C1X cellular modem for improved connectivity.

iPhone 17e
iPhone 17e

Priced significantly below flagship models, the 17e targets cost-conscious consumers seeking solid everyday performance without Pro-level extras like multiple telephoto lenses or 120Hz ProMotion displays. Pre-orders opened March 4, with availability in more than 70 countries including the U.S., South Korea, Japan and Australia.

Yet for power users eyeing the iPhone 18 Pro, patience may be required. Rumors point to the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max launching in September 2026 alongside a potential foldable iPhone, while standard iPhone 18 and budget 18e models could slip to spring 2027 due to manufacturing priorities and Apple’s evolving lineup strategy.

Analysts say the staggered approach prioritizes premium devices first, reflecting strong demand for Pro models and new form factors like the rumored foldable. This shift means anyone waiting specifically for an “iPhone 18 Pro” could see it within six months, but base-level upgrades might take a full year or more.

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**iPhone 17e Strengths and Limitations**

Reviewers praise the 17e for delivering flagship-level speed in a compact, affordable package. The A19 chip provides snappy performance for daily tasks, gaming and Apple Intelligence features, while the Dynamic Island replaces the older notch for a more immersive experience. Battery life is described as reliable for all-day use, and the matte-finish colors give it a premium feel despite the budget positioning.

Camera performance suits casual photographers with a capable 48MP main sensor, though it lacks the multi-lens versatility of Pro models. The 60Hz display feels smooth for most users but falls short of the buttery 120Hz experience on higher-end iPhones. Storage starts at 256GB, addressing past complaints about entry-level capacity.

At $599, the 17e undercuts many Android competitors while maintaining Apple’s ecosystem advantages, including long-term software support expected for five to seven years. Trade-in programs and carrier deals can lower the effective cost further, sometimes to under $400 with qualifying plans.

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Critics note the single rear camera and lack of advanced zoom or ProRes video limit creative users. Those upgrading from older models like the iPhone 14 or 15 will notice meaningful gains in speed and modern features, but iPhone 16 owners may find the leap smaller.

**What to Expect from iPhone 18 Pro**

Early leaks suggest the iPhone 18 Pro will build incrementally on the 17 Pro design, retaining a similar camera plateau while introducing meaningful internal upgrades. Rumored highlights include a 2nm A20 Pro chip for better efficiency and performance, significantly larger batteries potentially exceeding 5,000mAh, and a variable aperture on at least one rear camera for improved depth control and low-light photography.

Design changes may be subtle: a smaller Dynamic Island or under-display Face ID elements, unified rear glass coloring, and possibly new color options like deep red. The Pro models are expected to keep 120Hz ProMotion displays, triple 48MP camera systems with enhanced telephoto capabilities, and premium materials.

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A major wildcard is Apple’s first foldable iPhone, rumored to launch alongside the 18 Pro models in fall 2026 at a price potentially over $2,000. This could reshape the premium segment but won’t directly compete with the budget 17e.

Waiting for the 18 Pro means accessing cutting-edge silicon, superior cameras and potentially groundbreaking battery life, but at a starting price likely near $1,099 or higher. Early adopters may also encounter typical first-generation quirks if under-display tech debuts.

**Buy Now or Hold Out? Key Factors**

Decision-making depends heavily on individual needs and timeline.

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Buy the iPhone 17e if:
– You need a phone immediately or within the next few months.
– Budget is a primary concern and $599 fits comfortably.
– You value reliability, ecosystem integration and don’t require pro-level photography or gaming performance.
– You’re upgrading from an older device (iPhone 13 or earlier) where the A19 chip and modern design deliver noticeable improvements.

Analysts generally recommend purchasing the 17e now rather than waiting, especially since the next budget-friendly model (iPhone 18e) may not arrive until 2027. Current deals, including trade-ins up to several hundred dollars, make it an attractive value proposition.

Consider waiting for the iPhone 18 Pro if:
– You want the absolute latest processor, camera innovations and battery technology.
– You’re willing to spend $1,000+ and can delay purchase until at least September 2026.
– Advanced features like variable aperture photography or potential foldable designs excite you.
– Your current phone remains functional and you prefer to skip incremental updates.

The wait could stretch 6 to 18 months depending on the exact model desired, during which the 17e will receive full software updates and maintain strong resale value. Many experts advise against waiting more than a year for rumored improvements that may prove evolutionary rather than revolutionary.

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**Market Context and Broader Trends**

Apple’s decision to stagger 2026 releases reflects supply chain realities and a focus on premium segments amid slowing smartphone growth. The company continues dominating the high-end market, with Pro models driving much of its profit.

Competitors like Samsung and Google offer compelling alternatives in the mid-range with foldables or advanced AI features at various price points, but Apple’s seamless integration with Mac, iPad and services keeps many loyal.

For users in South Korea or other markets with strong carrier subsidies, the effective cost of the 17e can drop dramatically, making it even harder to justify waiting.

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Ultimately, the iPhone 17e represents a sweet spot for most buyers seeking capable performance without flagship pricing. The iPhone 18 Pro promises meaningful upgrades but at the cost of time and higher expense.

Those on the fence should evaluate their current device’s condition, budget and must-have features. For many, buying the readily available 17e delivers immediate satisfaction with minimal compromise, while dedicated enthusiasts may find the wait for 18 Pro worthwhile.

As always with Apple products, long-term software support means either choice will remain relevant for years. Check current trade-in values and carrier promotions, as they can tip the scales significantly.

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Is Twitter Down Now? X (Formerly Twitter) Experiences Intermittent Outages

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X, Formerly Twitter, Offers Valuable Insights Into Self-Reported Chronic Pain Using Machine Learning: Study

X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, is not experiencing a widespread outage as of Thursday, March 26, 2026, though users in some regions have reported intermittent issues with loading feeds, logging in and refreshing timelines over the past week, according to real-time monitoring sites and company statements.

X, Formerly Twitter, Offers Valuable Insights Into Self-Reported Chronic Pain Using Machine Learning: Study

Downdetector.com, a popular outage tracking service, showed relatively low levels of reported problems in the last 24 hours, with spikes limited to specific times rather than a sustained global disruption. Earlier in March, notably on March 18 and March 23, X faced brief but noticeable outages that affected thousands of users worldwide, with reports peaking at tens of thousands before service quickly recovered.

The platform, owned by Elon Musk since 2022, has faced periodic technical hiccups since its rebranding. Recent incidents have included difficulties accessing the website and mobile app, failed post loading and occasional login errors. On March 18, Downdetector recorded more than 34,500 user reports at peak, primarily involving the website and app, before service largely returned within an hour. A similar pattern occurred on March 23, with reports again dropping rapidly after a short period of disruption.

X has not issued an official statement on the latest minor reports as of Thursday afternoon. The company’s developer status page and internal communications have typically attributed past outages to routine maintenance, high traffic volumes or isolated technical glitches rather than major infrastructure failures. Musk has previously blamed some disruptions on “massive cyberattacks,” though no evidence has been publicly confirmed for the March incidents.

For users encountering problems Thursday, common fixes include refreshing the app or browser, checking internet connections, clearing cache or trying the platform via a VPN if regional restrictions or routing issues are suspected. Most reports appear scattered rather than concentrated in one country or device type.

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X continues to serve hundreds of millions of users daily for real-time news, entertainment and public discourse. The platform has undergone significant changes since the 2022 acquisition, including adjustments to verification, content moderation policies and algorithm transparency. These shifts have sometimes coincided with periods of heightened technical scrutiny.

Analysts note that social media platforms of X’s scale inevitably experience occasional downtime. Major competitors like Meta’s Instagram and Facebook, as well as TikTok, have faced similar brief outages in recent years. X’s engineering team has focused on scaling infrastructure to handle growing traffic from live events, breaking news and viral trends.

Users frustrated by intermittent issues can monitor status via Downdetector, the official X @Support account or third-party sites like IsItDownRightNow. In regions with reported problems, switching between Wi-Fi and mobile data or updating the app to the latest version often resolves temporary glitches.

The platform’s resilience has improved in some areas thanks to investments in cloud infrastructure and redundancy, though critics argue that rapid feature rollouts and staff reductions following the acquisition have occasionally contributed to instability. Musk has emphasized a commitment to making X the “everything app,” with expansions into payments, video and long-form content that add complexity to backend systems.

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For businesses and creators reliant on X for real-time engagement, brief outages can disrupt campaigns and audience interaction. Most incidents in March resolved quickly enough to limit long-term impact, but frequent disruptions can erode user confidence over time.

As of Thursday evening, the majority of users reported normal access to feeds, posting and notifications. Those still experiencing problems are encouraged to report them directly through the app or website help sections to help engineers identify any localized issues.

X remains one of the primary platforms for breaking news and public conversation, particularly during major global events. Its real-time nature makes even short outages noticeable, often sparking immediate discussion on rival platforms when access is limited.

Looking ahead, the company is expected to continue refining its infrastructure to support ambitious growth plans. Users can stay informed by following official channels and outage trackers.

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While minor connectivity hiccups persist for some on March 26, X is largely operational and not considered “down” in a broad sense. The platform’s history of quick recoveries suggests any current issues will likely be short-lived.

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MercadoLibre: Buy Latin America’s Leading E-Commerce And Fintech Compounder (MELI)

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MercadoLibre: Buy Latin America's Leading E-Commerce And Fintech Compounder (MELI)

This article was written by

I am a high-conviction investor and independent analyst focused on accumulating quality compounders at a discount. My investment philosophy is rooted in the belief that sustainable wealth is built through steady, long-term compounding rather than speculative gambling. I specifically seek out companies with decades of growth runway, shareholder-friendly capital allocation (buybacks/dividends), and low dilution, all underpinned by strong secular tailwinds. My primary sector focus includes Technology, Autonomous Vehicles (AVs), Logistics, Fintech, and more. I do not view stock tickers as mere, but as partial ownership in the world’s best assets. Consequently, my methodology involves deep fundamental analysis to identify asymmetric risk opportunities, situations where the market fundamentally misunderstands a company’s moat or future prospects. A prime example of this was Google in early 2025, which traded at a teens multiple despite supercharging its core business with AI. I approach the markets with a rigorous, quantitative mindset, leveraging data-driven models to stress-test valuations against various bear and bull scenarios. My top high-conviction holdings currently include Uber, Google, and Brookfield. My goal is to compound my portfolio at an annualized rate of 15% or higher by capitalizing on market dislocations. I write on Seeking Alpha to document my due diligence with rigor and transparency. Writing publicly forces me to remain honest in my analysis and allows me to stress-test my investment theses against the feedback of a knowledgeable community. I hope my research adds tangible value to your own due diligence process.

Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of MELI either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha’s Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

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Greening is a necessary path

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Greening is a necessary path

Land developers are changing their approach to tree retention within estates.

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Gates, Twiggy-backed methane tech Rumin8 adds NZ investor

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Gates, Twiggy-backed methane tech Rumin8 adds NZ investor

A Perth startup backed by Andrew Forrest and Bill Gates, which is developing a cattle feed additive which reduces methane emissions, has added a New Zealand investor to its books as it expands to the shaky isles.

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Panel approves Dalkeith, Nedlands projects, worth $12m

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Panel approves Dalkeith, Nedlands projects, worth $12m

Two multi-million-dollar developments in the western suburbs received the green light, including a four-storey Dalkeith build that had been refused twice by an assessment panel.

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ETMarkets Smart Talk| Healthcare, infra, financials look attractive after recent market fall: Sachin Bajaj, CIO, Axis Max Life Insurance

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ETMarkets Smart Talk| Healthcare, infra, financials look attractive after recent market fall: Sachin Bajaj, CIO, Axis Max Life Insurance
Amid heightened volatility driven by geopolitical tensions and a sharp rise in crude oil prices, markets have seen a broad-based correction, opening up pockets of opportunity for long-term investors.

In this edition of ETMarkets Smart Talk, Sachin Bajaj, Chief Investment Officer at Axis Max Life Insurance, highlights that sectors such as healthcare, infrastructure, and financials are now trading at more reasonable valuations after the recent fall.

While near-term uncertainties linked to energy prices and global cues may keep markets on edge, Bajaj remains constructive on India’s structural growth story and advises investors to stay invested and focus on quality opportunities emerging from the correction. Edited Excerpts –

Q) March has been an absolute roller coaster for equity markets not just for India but across the globe. How are you reading into markets?

A) Markets have been very volatile due to the recent geopolitical events. The world is going through geopolitical events for past few years, but markets reacted sharply negatively when geopolitics is coupled with energy shocks.
The recent war has pushed crude higher and disrupted gas availability, which directly impacts input costs for many industries and compresses margins in the near-term.


While this creates sharp volatility, we view it more as a short-term macro event and not a structural breakdown. India’s growth story remains intact with domestic demand, policy reforms, and domestic flows, but in the short-term markets will likely trade nervously until energy prices stabilize.
Q) IT sector seems to be the worst hit thanks to the AI commentary but with geopolitical tensions rising other sectors have also started to see some rub-off effect. Any sector(s) that are now available at attractive levels?
A) IT sector stocks corrected due to lower relative growth and AI related risks with year-to-date underperformance of 13% versus Nifty50.
However, post the recent geopolitical developments, the correction has broadened beyond IT as the spike in crude and gas supply disruptions are beginning to affect several sectors through higher input costs and margin pressure.

India, being a large oil importer, typically sees market volatility when crude moves above $80-90 per barrel. If oil prices sustain at these levels, then it will impact inflation, CAD, fiscal situation, and corporate earnings.

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So far, FY26 saw single digit earnings growth and FY27 is expected to have mid to high teens growth in earnings. However, elevated commodity prices, gas shortage could impact corporate margins leading to some earnings cut for FY27 versus earlier expectations.

With the recent fall, many stocks and sectors have started to look reasonable from a valuation perspective. We see opportunities emerge in Healthcare, Pharma, select consumer discretionary, Infrastructure, Financials and select Autos.

Q) What could be the good, bad and ugly for Indian markets in the near term?
A) These scenarios depend on how this war unfolds and its impact on global crude prices, supply disruption of gas and other commodities.

A swift resolution and ceasefire would benefit our markets and economy as it would mean lower commodity prices and lesser macro-economic impact. Conversely, sustained oil prices remain above $100 per barrel and ongoing disruption in global energy supply could put pressure on corporate margins and earnings.

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In case this conflict prolongs, we could see sustained outflows from FPIs, pressure on corporate earnings especially for energy intensive sectors and companies and may also impact domestic flows which could intensify market volatility.

Q) FPIs have been net sellers in 2025, and the story continues in 2026 may be for a different reason now. The story seems to be changing around the FDI route as India opens up channels for Chinese investment to land into several industries. What are your views?
A) The FPI and FDI have divergent narratives. FPIs have been net sellers in the past due to various factors – capital rotation towards AI themes, relatively higher valuation for Indian markets, earnings slowdown and most recently on account of higher oil prices and geopolitical developments.

On the FDI, we expect FDI to improve in the coming year due to strong macroeconomic fundamentals, policy reforms and strong domestic demand. The recent India-US trade deal also lifts a key overhang, boosting prospects for FDI inflows.

Q) Rupee seems to be hitting fresh lows every week – where do you see the currency headed and how will it impact Indian markets/economy?
A) As a large oil-importing country, any change in global oil prices impact the currency. The recent rupee weakness is largely on account of the current global backdrop of higher crude prices, FPI outflows and a stronger dollar.

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In the near-term, INR could be volatile with weakness bias if crude remains elevated. From markets and economy perspective, a weaker rupee helps export oriented sectors such as IT, Pharma and Gems and Jewelry etc while it has negative impact for many sectors as it raises imported inflation and increases input costs for the broader economy.

Q) Will Crude @ $100/bbl and above hurt Indian markets and macros? We have been making an investment pitch to the world about our macro stability which could be challenged in the near future. What are your views?

A) Global oil prices have moved up from $65-70 per barrel range to around $ 100 per barrel. A crude above $100 per barrel is clearly a macro headwind for India given our heavy import dependence. A sharp rise in oil if sustains could impact inflation, current account deficit, and growth.

That said, India’s macroeconomic framework is now markedly stronger than during past oil shocks, with ample forex reserves (11 months of import cover), ongoing fiscal consolidation, and resilient domestic demand.

While high crude prices may spark short-term market volatility and briefly strain the macro narrative, they are unlikely to impact India’s long-term investment appeal.

Q) Your advice to investors of things which one must avoid doing in the current environment? We have already seen drop in SIP flows by over 3% on a MoM basis.
A) India’s long-term growth story remains firmly intact. Policy reforms, accelerating credit growth, government initiatives such as GST rate cuts, Income tax cuts, interest rate cuts likely to boost consumption in the coming year.

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After two years of single digit growth, corporate earnings growth is set to rebound in FY27. Investors should avoid selling in fear amid short-term volatility from oil shocks and stay invested in quality assets to capture the upside over the long-term.

(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views, and opinions given by experts are their own. These do not represent the views of the Economic Times)

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Australian shares slip as markets mull Iran situation

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Australian shares slip as markets mull Iran situation

Australia’s share market has handed back its early gains with interest as investors weigh clashing statements from the US and Iran on a potential path to de-escalation.

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Top 5 mutual funds which are better than fixed deposits in 1 year. Check details

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The Economic Times

Five debt mutual funds, primarily from the credit risk category, have delivered higher returns than traditional fixed deposits over the past year. However, these funds come with higher risk. Investors should assess risk appetite carefully before considering such short-term alternatives to conventional bank deposits.

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Perth to host two FIBA Asia WC men's qualifiers

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Perth to host two FIBA Asia WC men's qualifiers

Sport and recreation minister Rita Saffioti says Perth securing two FIBA Asian World Cup qualifiers in July is a boost for basketball in WA.

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Germany’s Henkel in $1.4 billion deal to acquire hair care brand Olaplex

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Germany’s Henkel in $1.4 billion deal to acquire hair care brand Olaplex

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