Apple unveiled the iPhone 17e on Monday morning, reaffirming its dedication to producing more budget-friendly devices. Although speculation regarding a redesign did not materialize, the company appears to have taken customer feedback into account, as the new iPhone 17e introduces numerous enhancements over its predecessor, such as MagSafe support, twice the storage at a lower price, upgraded processors, and more.
This device, which will be available for pre-order starting Wednesday, March 4 in more than 70 countries, is just one of several new products Apple is anticipated to showcase this week, alongside a special event in New York, London, and Shanghai. In addition to the iPhone 17e, the company also revealed a new iPad Air equipped with the M4 chip on Monday.
“The iPhone 17e merges powerful performance and features our users cherish at a remarkable value, making it an attractive choice for customers wishing to upgrade to the iPhone 17 family,” commented Kaiann Drance, Apple’s VP of Worldwide iPhone Product Marketing. “We understand that our customers desire a product that endures, and the iPhone 17e provides just that. With the A19 chip for outstanding performance, enhanced entry-level storage, a more intelligent camera system, and improved durability, the iPhone 17e is crafted to remain fast, secure, and valuable for years to come.” Let’s examine what Apple’s latest smartphone has to offer.
iPhone 17e features an inside-out upgrade
Continuing the legacy of the iPhone 16e, the iPhone 17e is powered by the same processor found in the iPhone 17 series: the A19 chip. It boasts a 6-core CPU with two performance and four efficiency cores, while Apple has removed one GPU core from this processor, allowing it to have four rather than five. Nevertheless, the chip integrates Neural Accelerators into each core and includes a 16-core Neural Engine. Apple states that the iPhone 17e is up to twice as fast as the iPhone 11, targeting users of older models.
The iPhone 17e is equipped with the C1X 5G modem, which is already twice as fast as the C1 model launched with the iPhone 16e. Matching the 5G speeds of the iPhone Air, this device will also support the new privacy feature introduced with iOS 26.3, enabling users to conceal their location from carriers.
Another significant upgrade available with this iPhone is that it now includes 256GB of storage instead of 128GB. This not only enhances the cohesiveness of the complete lineup but also ensures that customers receive more storage at the same price point. This is particularly noteworthy as Apple previously charged $100 more for the iPhone 17 base model compared to the iPhone 16, partly due to its increased storage.
Further information about the iPhone 17e
In addition to Black and Silver color options, the new iPhone 17e introduces a Pink variant, providing an additional choice to the lineup for the first time. Apple also addressed the most annoying aspect of the previous generation by incorporating MagSafe capabilities in the iPhone 17e. This enhancement unlocks an entire range of MagSafe-compatible accessories for this phone, as well as faster wireless charging speeds. The iPhone can be charged wirelessly at up to 15W and can also be rapidly charged via cable, reaching 50% from 0% in just 30 minutes.
Another crucial upgrade for this device is the newly integrated Ceramic Shield 2 technology, just launched with the iPhone 17 series. Apple has increased the iPhone’s resistance to drops and made it three times more scratch-resistant than the previous model. An enhanced anti-reflection layer further reduces glare and improves the OLED display’s quality on this device.
It’s also noteworthy that Apple retains the same iPhone 14-like design on the iPhone 17e, meaning no Dynamic Island feature. This new model also does not include the variable refresh rate available in all iPhone 17 models. Lastly, this device continues to lack Camera Control, a camera feature present in the rest of the lineup.