The Latest iPhone 17e Benchmark Leak Is Full Of Red Flags, So Don’t Be Fooled

Feb 15, 2026 at 10:07am EST
A fake iPhone 17e benchmark is doing the rounds

The iPhone 17e announcement is just around the corner, with the possibility that Apple unveils its first smartphone of the year on February 19, making the date unchanged from when the iPhone 16e went official. During this period, you may encounter various benchmark leaks, like the latest one that appeared on Geekbench 6. There is also substantial evidence that the scores have been forged. If you want to jump into the details immediately, we have summarized the key indicators below.

The biggest red flag is that the iPhone 17e is equipped with an A19 sporting an 8-core CPU running at a lower clock speed

If the first piece of evidence wasn’t prominent enough, the fake iPhone 17e is carrying the unique identifier iPhone99,11, while the iPhone 16e features the designation iPhone 17,5. If anything, the iPhone 17e should have the identifier iPhone18,5. Secondly, we have previously reported that the low-cost model will ship with a downgraded A19, but even if that’s the case, the only change would be the chipset sporting one less GPU core, like the binned A18 found in the iPhone 16e. As for the other red flags, you can find them in the list below.

Related Story iPhone 17e Teardown Shows How Apple Made It An Effortless Process To Add MagSafe Charging To The iPhone 16e In A Few Minutes

Keep in mind that Apple does a phenomenal job in keeping benchmark leaks secure until after a product’s official launch has concluded. The only time we have had Geekbench 6 results arrive before is when the Cupertino firm makes a major ‘boo boo,’ like when a Russian YouTuber got his hands on an unreleased M5 iPad Pro. For now, we’ll recommend readers wait until after the iPhone 17e has officially been announced, and shortly after, actual Geekbench 6 results will follow.

About the author: Omar Sohail is a reporter and analyst for Wccftech's mobile section, specializing in the technology and business of the mobile industry. His expertise lies in the intricate hardware supply chain, covering developments in semiconductor manufacturing, chip lithography, and camera sensor technology.

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