Apple kicked off its product launch week this morning by unveiling the iPhone 17e and iPad Air M4. Whereas we initially anticipated the corporate’s newest entry-level smartphone to pack comparatively minor upgrades, it truly brings greater than half a dozen enhancements. These embrace a stronger, extra vibrant design, an enhanced digicam, MagSafe help, quicker chips, and extra. On the similar $599 value level as its predecessor, the iPhone 17e lastly looks like a well-rounded mid-ranger we are able to confidently advocate to budget-conscious consumers.
Significant upgrades
Arguably, the iPhone 16e’s largest flaw was providing too little for a comparatively excessive entry-level value. The iPhone 17e cures the state of affairs by sustaining the identical beginning value and providing a number of aesthetic and purposeful enhancements. For starters, the bottom mannequin now comes with 256GB of storage fairly than 128GB—basically slashing the value by $100.
Extra notably, the iPhone 17e lastly adopts MagSafe and Qi2 help, letting you connect suitable chargers and equipment magnetically. A few of the helpful add-on choices embrace wallets, kickstands, energy banks, and tripods. It’s slightly slower than the iPhone 17 (15W vs 25W), however that gained’t matter for the best way most individuals will use it—both in a single day or at a desk.
The cellphone now additionally is available in a comfortable pink end, a refreshing variant for individuals who need extra than simply black or white. The iPhone 17 nonetheless affords extra choices, however the brand new colour offers the 17e a novel persona with a colour that isn’t accessible anyplace else.
MagSafe is a pleasant improve that makes the iphone 17e really feel trendy.
Apple
Different nice-to-have upgrades embrace help for next-generation portrait photographs, enabling you to regulate the main focus. It additionally positive aspects the iPhone 17’s Ceramic Protect 2 entrance, which is 3x extra scratch-resistant than its predecessor. That’s to not point out Apple’s C1X modem, which might double mobile speeds beneath sure circumstances.
For reference, the $699 iPhone 16 comes with solely 128GB of storage, inferior Ceramic Protect, shorter battery life, slower efficiency, and different compromises. As such, for those who don’t need to spend $799 on an iPhone 17, you’re higher off sacrificing the iPhone 16’s ultra-wide digicam and Dynamic Island and choosing a $599 iPhone 17e.
The newest chip and OS options
Many purchasers, particularly switchers, assume that entry-level iPhones carry out poorly and are susceptible to lag like so many Android telephones. That’s removed from the reality; the iPhone 17e packs Apple’s newest A19 chip, just like that included within the flagship iPhone 17. Whereas the “e” version’s chipset accommodates one much less GPU core (4 as an alternative of 5), it’ll nonetheless carry out on a regular basis duties reliably. Energy customers might discover a efficiency hit when enjoying intensive cellular video games or modifying giant photographs and movies, however nowhere close to as laggy as equally priced Android telephones.
Provided that the iPhone 17e packs 2025’s A19 processor, you’ll be able to count on the cellphone to equally obtain software program updates for years to return. Whereas Apple doesn’t publicly decide to a selected variety of annual updates, it affords a minimum of 5 years of OS variations and sometimes extra. This additionally implies that it helps the total suite of iOS 26 perks, together with the most recent Apple Intelligence instruments, iMessage additions, superior name screening, devoted Video games app, and the fan-favorite Liquid Glass UI, and will probably be able to run the brand new Siri when it arrives later this 12 months.
By choosing an iPhone 17e, you’re neither getting a sluggish cellphone nor lacking out on any main OS options.
The iPhone 17e will get the identical updates because the iPhone 17—seemingly by 2032.
Foundry
The iPhone 17 isn’t the apparent selection anymore
Maybe probably the most noticeable distinction between the iPhone 17 and 17e is the notch as an alternative of the Dynamic Island. That additionally means the 17e has a barely much less succesful selfie digicam with out Heart Stage. You continue to get Face ID authentication, nonetheless, together with portrait selfies and so forth. By way of display screen expertise, you gained’t get the ProMotion 120Hz refresh price or always-on show help.
The iPhone 17 is a implausible cellphone, however the iPhone 17e isn’t to date behind.
Hannah Cowton-Barnes / Foundry
As with the 16e, you additionally miss out on an ultra-wide lens for 0.5x photographs and macro pictures on the iPhone 17e. The cheaper cellphone additionally skips the Digital camera Management button, which, truthfully, I haven’t used for the reason that final time I wrote about it. The primary rear digicam on each telephones is comparable, supporting 48MP picture output and 4K video. Whilst you gained’t get to shoot Motion and Cinematic mode footage, common video recording will probably be crisp sufficient for immortalizing on a regular basis moments and posting to social media platforms.
It goes with out saying that by paying $200 much less for the iPhone 17e, you’re dropping some iPhone 17 exclusives—however are they actually value it? For somebody on a funds, they’re unlikely to be dealbreakers, because the perks largely complement the essential iPhone 17e expertise. Frankly, whereas I recognize having many of those on my iPhone, I don’t consider they’re definitely worth the $200 upcharge for those who’re on a good funds.
With extra storage, a quicker chip, and MagSafe for a similar $599, the iPhone 17e is a pretty possibility for funds consumers, and I wouldn’t hesitate recommending one to anybody—particularly in the event that they like pink.
