March smartphone launches: Xiaomi 17 series, Nothing Phone 4a, iPhone 17e and more

Here’s the lightly corrected version 👇

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February was a big month for smartphone launches where we saw the wraps coming off a number of devices including Samsung's flagship S26 lineup, iQOO 15R, Vivo V70 lineup and more devices. However, the month of March is promising to be an even bigger one with the launch of iPhone 17e, Xiaomi 17 series (India), Nothing Phone 4a series and a few devices from Motorola and Realme.

March smartphone launches: What to expect?

1. iPhone 17e:

The official launch date for iPhone 17e is not yet announced but Apple's big week of launches is set to kick off from today and the budget iPhone is likely to be among the showstoppers here. Unlike its more premium siblings, the iPhone 17e is unlikely to get a dedicated launch event and could be unveiled via a press release from the company today or in the coming days.

iPhone 17e could feature the same design language as its predecessor with a single camera setup and a 6.1 inch OLED display. However, the key upgrades could be in the form of Dynamic Island, Apple's C1X modem and an upgraded 18MP selfie camera. The phone has been tipped to come at the same $599 or ₹59,900 price point as its predecessor.

2. Xiaomi 17 series:

Xiaomi ended February with a barrage of launches including its Xiaomi 17 lineup. The phones are now set to arrive in India along with the Xiaomi Pad 8 and likely the Watch 5 as well, on 11 March. The pricing of the devices is still under wraps but Xiaomi has already revealed the specs during the global unveiling.

Xiaomi 17 Ultra comes with a 6.9 inch OLED panel while the Xiaomi 17 comes with a 6.3 inch OLED panel. Both phones run on HyperOS 3.0 based on Android 16 and come powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor.

3. Nothing Phone 4a series:

Nothing Phone 4a lineup is all set to arrive on 5 March along with a new budget series of headphones. The new devices will come with a new Glyph bar for notifications and calls while the classic Nothing transparent case for the back panel continues. The Phone 4a is expected to run on Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 processor while the 4a Pro could run on the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 SoC.

4. Motorola Edge 70 Fusion:

Motorola Edge 70 Fusion is all set to arrive in India on 6 March. The phone will come with a Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 processor, 7,000mAh battery and support for 68W of wired fast charging. The phone could come with a 6.8 inch OLED panel with 144Hz refresh rate and 5,200 nits of peak brightness.

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Changelog

“Vivo V70 linep” → Vivo V70 lineup

Section header fixed: February smartphone launches → March smartphone launches

“showstopper” → showstoppers

“C1x” → C1X

Removed unnecessary “the” in: run on the HyperOS → run on HyperOS

“budget series headphones” → budget series of headphones

“glyph bar” → Glyph bar (product styling consistency)

No structural or tonal changes made.