The best iPhone 17e pre-orders and plans in Australia for March 2026

Apple has had a big week full of product launches, and while the new MacBook Neo stole the show, the iPhone 17e was the first domino to fall on March 3.

The budget-friendly sibling of the very popular and highly-acclaimed iPhone 17 lineup has retained the AU$999 starting price of the iPhone 16e, while also getting some meaningful upgrades.

Apple has followed the lead of the base iPhone 17 by bumping the 17e’s storage to 256GB from the 16e’s starting option of 128GB, and upgrading to the A19 processor. The iPhone 17e now also has MagSafe support, making it compatible with magnetic accessories like cases, mounts, stands, wallets and chargers. Wireless charging speed has also improved to 15W as a result, compared to the iPhone 16e’s 7.5W.

The iPhone 17e, however, retains the notch at the top of the display and the camera array from the 16e, giving you just a single 48MP rear shooter and 12MP front-facing lens. It also doesn’t have the ProMotion display from the flagship range, meaning the 17e has the same 60Hz refresh rate as its predecessor.

With the price staying put from the iPhone 16e, pre-ordering the 17e as an outright purchase (and paired with one of our best SIM-only plans) represents the best value over a long-term period, although some customers may find pre-ordering through a telco to pay monthly instalments a more attractive option.

Vodafone and Optus are offering pre-orders for Apple’s new budget handset, and I’ve perused all the offers from both telcos to find the best plans for different users.

Apart from the telco plans above, retailers like Amazon, JB Hi-Fi and The Good Guys are offering pre-orders for the iPhone 17e, but there are no discounts at this time. As mentioned earlier, however, pairing the phone with one of our best SIM-only plans can save you more money in the long run.

You can find all the retailer offers available below.

• Apple AU: Trade in an eligible iPhone SE (2nd generation) or higher for credit towards an iPhone 17e, worth from AU$80 to A$540
• Amazon AU: All three colours in both 256GB and 512GB available at the world’s biggest retailer
• JB Hi-Fi: Trade in any iPhone 11, 12, 13 and 14 range handset for a bonus gift card worth AU$150 to AU$615 to apply to your iPhone 17e purchase
• The Good Guys: Purchase the 256GB models in all three colours