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Apple iPhone 17e: Two-Minute Review
The Apple iPhone 17e isn’t a total reinvention of Apple’s budget iPhone — rather, it’s a refinement of the formula introduced by the Apple iPhone 16e. That phone did the heavy lifting by modernizing the design and retiring the Home button that defined the Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation); the 17e simply makes the package more compelling.
The camera setup remains simple, with just a single 48-megapixel rear lens, but Apple has improved what it can do. Portrait shots now benefit from smarter depth detection, letting you add the blur effect after taking the photo, and image processing still delivers the natural colors and reliability people expect from an iPhone.
There are compromises, though. You won’t get the multiple cameras, high-refresh-rate display, or always-on screen found on pricier iPhones like the Apple iPhone 17 or Apple iPhone 17 Pro. If an ultra-wide camera matters to you, the iPhone 16 or iPhone 17 is a better option.
But for anyone who simply wants a modern iPhone that doesn’t break the bank, the iPhone 17e delivers exactly that. It’s an especially easy upgrade if you’re coming from an iPhone SE, an iPhone 11, or anything older.
Apple iPhone 17e: Price and availability
- $599 / £599 / AU$999 starting price
- 256GB starting storage
With double the storage, and a couple of headline new features, you might expect that the iPhone 17e would cost more than the iPhone 16e, but Apple has kept the starting price the same.
The iPhone 17e starts at $599 / £599 / AU$999 for 256GB of storage, and comes in Black, White, or Soft Pink. In the United States, it’s an eSIM-only device, while in the UK or Australia it supports eSIM but also has a physical SIM card slot. Globally, it arrives with a USB-C to USB-C cable. If you need more storage, Apple also sells the iPhone 17e with 512GB of storage.
Apple iPhone 17e: Specs
| Header Cell – Column 0 |
iPhone 17e |
|---|---|
|
Dimensions: |
146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8mm |
|
Weight: |
169g |
|
Display: |
6.1-inch OLED |
|
Resolution: |
2532 x 1170 pixels |
|
Refresh rate: |
60Hz |
|
Chipset: |
A19 |
|
Software |
iOS 26 |
|
Rear cameras: |
48MP main (26mm, f/1.6) |
|
Front camera: |
12MP (f/1.9) |
|
Storage: |
256GB, 512GB |
Apple iPhone 17e: Design
- New ‘Soft Pink’ color is great
- Similar design to the iPhone 16e
- Finally, MagSafe arrives
Outwardly there’s no real difference between the iPhone 17e and the iPhone 16e – it still feels like a modern iPhone, albeit a little more sparse on the back compared to the mainline models with a single camera, but it’s largely crafted with the same premium materials we’ve come to expect.
There is a new color option with the iPhone 17e, and you now have three choices, much like we saw with the last-generation iPhone SE. Like the 16e the 17e comes in Black and White, and there’s also a Soft Pink option, which is the color of my review unit. Depending on how the light hits it, the ultra-blush nature of the color can be hard to spot, but when it hits just right it’s a lovely and, yes, soft shade of pink, and I especially like how it looks on the aluminum sides all around.
The gloss-finished Apple logo centered on the rear can be hard to spot at times, as it can blend right into the matte soft pink finish. All in all it’s a lovely color addition, and it could make the 17e a whole lot more appealing.
The other change is hidden underneath the back panel: the iPhone 17e has full MagSafe, meaning the magnetic ring works with a treasure trove of accessories, from the Apple-made FineWoven Wallet and third-party accessories from the likes of PopSockets to Octobuddys, to charging stands from Belkin and Anker. This was a key missing feature on the 16e, and it makes the iPhone 17e feel more like a truly modern iPhone.
Yes, it has a notch in the display and lacks an ultra-wide or telephoto camera, but otherwise it feels very much like a member of the iPhone 17 family. The corners are a bit sharper — the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, and iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are a bit more rounded — but when the display is off, and from the front, you wouldn’t notice much of a difference.
The iPhone 17e has the same dimensions as the 16e, with both phones measuring 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8mm, but the addition of MagSafe means the iPhone 17e weighs slightly more, at 169 grams versus the 167 grams of the 16e.
There’s a USB-C port on the bottom flanked by speakers and a microphone, the main power button on the right-hand side, and the customizable Action button, as well as volume up and volume down, on the left side. It’s essentially the button layout we’ve come to expect on the iPhone, with Camera Control being the only button missing here.
The iPhone 17e is still plenty durable, with the same IP68 resistance spec as the 16e. That means it can survive for up to 30 minutes in up to six meters of water, and the display — more on that below — is Ceramic Shield 2 like the rest of the iPhone 17 lineup, which Apple says makes it three times more scratch resistant than models without that material.
Apple iPhone 17e: Display
- 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR is great for daily use
- More scratch resistant thanks to Ceramic Shield 2
- Still has a notch
While the iPhone 17 ushered in a major glow-up for the base iPhone’s display, the Apple iPhone 17e isn’t getting the same treatment. That means there’s no always-on display here, and the refresh rate hasn’t been upgraded to a buttery-smooth 120Hz.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though. If you’re coming from an iPhone SE (3rd generation) or anything older than the iPhone 11, you’ll still get a pretty sizable display upgrade. The iPhone 17e features a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED with a 2532 x 1170 resolution at 460 pixels per inch. It towers over the 4.7-inch screen on the SE, and offers a much more immersive view than the iPhone 11, stretching much closer to the bezels.
Apple also includes some of its usual display perks here. The panel supports True Tone, which adjusts the color warmth depending on the environment you’re in, alongside Wide Color (P3) support for richer hues. It can also reach up to 1,200 nits of brightness for HDR content.
In everyday use colors look punchy, contrast is strong, and it’s excellent for watching videos, scrolling web pages, responding to emails, or hopping on FaceTime calls. If you’re not coming from a device with an always-on display or a high refresh rate, the screen here will still feel plenty modern.
Maybe the one oddball feature — or the biggest tell that this is using an older iPhone frame — is the notch. Apple first brought it back with the Apple iPhone 16e, and it returns again on the 17e instead of the Dynamic Island. It still cuts slightly into content, but not in a way that feels particularly intrusive. Inside that notch sits the 12-megapixel front-facing camera, alongside the TrueDepth sensor stack, which powers Face ID for unlocking the phone and securely authenticating purchases, or parts of iOS.
Apple iPhone 17e: Software and Apple Intelligence
- iOS 26 is on board, complete with Liquid Glass
- Standby Mode is excellent
Like the rest of the iPhone 17 lineup, the iPhone 17e is running iOS 26 out of the box — specifically iOS 26.3 — and the standout feature of this platform is Liquid Glass, which freshens up the whole experience and adds to the all-round ‘modern’ feel.
Apple even pairs the Soft Pink model with a matching wallpaper that looks excellent, with layered shapes that resemble flower petals, each one appearing like slabs of pink glass blending together. As for Liquid Glass and the layers of iOS, you’ll find that elements of an app and the interface live more cohesively. For instance, Control Center is still very actionable and fully customizable, but it will let you see what’s behind it, though translucency can vary.
Alongside the updated user interface, and now nearly seven months out from its launch, many app developers have rolled out their own take on Liquid Glass.
As on other iPhones you can customize the Action Button — within Settings select Action Button and then swipe between the options — to tailor the 17e experience a bit. You can quickly open the camera, another favorite app, or even trigger a customized workflow using Shortcuts.
iOS 26 also introduced a redesigned Phone app for a more modern look that puts Favorites at the top and Recents right below it — but don’t worry, if you don’t like this change you can switch back.
Many top control bars are now positioned at the bottom, making them easier to reach, and Messages got a serious glow-up with the ability to customize the background for any given chat, whether it’s one-on-one or a group message.
Apple Intelligence is fully supported on the iPhone 17e, meaning you can create custom emojis dubbed Genmojis, remove unwanted photobombers or objects in pictures with Clean Up, summarize notifications, and even use Visual Intelligence with screenshots to figure out what something is, or add something to your calendar by snapping a photo of a poster.
Apple’s roster of AI features is still growing, but the major AI-powered Siri is still billed as “coming soon.” I wouldn’t buy the iPhone 17e just for that promise, but when Apple is ready to ship it the feature will be supported here, thanks to the A19 chip under the hood — essentially the same processor that powers the iPhone 17, albeit with one fewer GPU core.
While you might think of MagSafe as being mainly for accessories or faster wireless charging, it also enables StandBy mode when the iPhone 17e is placed on a MagSafe dock, or plugged in and turned sideways. It works best on a wireless MagSafe stand, and essentially enables the 17e to serve as a mini smart display, with the 6.1-inch screen showing the time in any of several different styles. You can also swipe between widgets like weather or stocks, or even run a slideshow of photos. If it’s sitting on your desk or nightstand, the option to have notifications — like messages or emails — briefly appear on-screen is handy.
Apple iPhone 17e: Camera
- Still a single, 48-megapixel main camera
- Shoots at 1x or 2x zoom
- You can now apply the Portrait effect after a photo is taken
Yes, there’s a considerable price difference — and a major difference in overall design — between the iPhone 17e and the iPhone 17 Air, but the camera setup is actually quite similar. Both of these iPhones have just a single camera on the back, and it’s clear that some of the gains — specifically around Portrait Mode with just one lens — from the Air have trickled down to the 17e.
Like the Apple iPhone 16e, the iPhone 17e features a single 48MP Fusion main camera with built-in optical image stabilization. You can shoot at either 1x or 2x, with the latter proving especially useful for portraits of people or pets. It’s a little surprising at this price point to have just one lens, but that’s the approach Apple has taken here. If you want two lenses — specifically the addition of an ultra-wide — you’ll need to spend more for something like the Apple iPhone 17 or even the Apple iPhone 16. And, if you’re willing to step outside the Apple ecosystem, phones like the Google Pixel 9a or Google Pixel 10a offer dual cameras for around the same price or less.
All that aside, the 48-megapixel sensor paired with the updated image pipeline powered by the A19 chip performs really well here. The iPhone 17e captures excellent shots with great detail and realistic colors — something we’ve come to expect from modern iPhones. It’s not a night-and-day difference compared to the 16e, but if you’re coming from an older iPhone you’ll notice the improvement when shooting everything from cityscapes to skies, pets, or people.
The real improvement here, though, is next-generation Portrait Mode. When you shoot a person, or a pet, using the standard Photo mode, the camera automatically detects depth and lets you add the bokeh effect afterwards. It works really well, and similarly to the iPhone Air, the iPhone 17e is surprisingly capable for single-lens portrait shots — even when it comes down to finer details like hair separation. It’s a welcome addition for Apple’s more affordable iPhone.
The front-facing camera remains a 12-megapixel lens, and it doesn’t get the wider field of view found on the iPhone 17 or Air. That means selfies with multiple people can sometimes feel like a bit of a game of Tetris. Still, it captures solid shots for selfies and FaceTime calls — you can see some of the images I shot with the iPhone 17e in the gallery below.
It’s not the most flexible camera setup Apple offers, but for everyday shots the iPhone 17e still delivers the kind of results we’ve come to expect from an iPhone.
Camera samples
Image 1 of 8
Apple iPhone 17e: Performance
- A19 chip offers excellent performance
- Starting storage is doubled
Probably my favorite upgrade to the iPhone 17e is the chip inside, and the storage paired with it. The 17e is powered by Apple’s A19 chip, which debuted in the iPhone 17, and starting storage has doubled from 128GB to 256GB, and this phone feel like great value, especially as the starting price is unchanged from last year.
It’s a slightly different version of the A19 to that found in the iPhone 17. Inside the 17e there’s still a 3-nanometer chip made up of a six-core CPU — two performance cores and four efficiency cores, and a four-core GPU with accelerators, and a 16-core Neural Engine. Even with one fewer GPU core than the A19 in the iPhone 17, everything flies on the iPhone 17e. If you’re coming from an older smartphone, you’re going to notice a significant improvement.
With double the starting storage, you’ll also have plenty of room for apps, music, video downloads, and photos or videos captured with the 48-megapixel main camera or 12-megapixel selfie camera. In daily use, I found the 17e to be consistently responsive, and quick to deliver on whatever I asked it to do.
I was able to edit videos in iMovie, CapCut, or Edits, play games like Mini Metro, Disney Dreamlight Valley, Asphalt 9, and Real Flight Simulator, scroll through videos on TikTok or Instagram, respond to emails in Gmail or Mail, send messages, make calls, and browse the web, all without running into slowdowns. For everyday tasks it felt very similar to using the iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Air.
My qualitative experience with the iPhone 17e also closely matched the quantitative tests run by the Future team. The 17e scored 3,606 single-core and 9,292 multi-core on Geekbench 6.5, which is a decent leap over the Apple iPhone 16e, which scored 3,235 single-core and 8,056 multi-core. It’s also pretty close to the standard iPhone 17, which scored 3,701 single-core and 9,460 multi-core.
Beyond day-to-day performance, the iPhone 17e also features Apple’s latest modem, the C1X, which first appeared in the iPhone 17 Air. In my testing it worked well for cellular connectivity, and Apple says it’s up to twice as fast as the previous-generation C1 found in the 16e. I’ve been testing the iPhone 17e on AT&T’s network in the US, and I routinely saw full bars with 5G+, with download speeds averaging around 403Mbps and upload speeds averaging about 27.4Mbps up in the New Jersey area.
Apple iPhone 17e: Battery
- Excellent all-day battery life
- Improved wired charging speeds
- MagSafe is here and offers 15-watt wireless charging
With no always-on display functionality, it might come as no surprise that the iPhone 17e easily clears the bar for all-day battery life. In typical Apple fashion, we don’t know the exact battery size inside — Apple just says to expect up to 26 hours of video playback. In my testing I routinely made it through a full day, even on busier days filled with video exports, FaceTime calls, and plenty of texting while on the go. It’s fair to say that the A19 chip paired with the C1X modem offers some welcome efficiencies.
The addition of MagSafe isn’t just great for accessories and functionality within Apple’s ecosystem — remember, MagSafe first premiered with the Apple iPhone 12 lineup. It also significantly improves wireless charging speeds compared to the Apple iPhone 16e or the Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation). In fact, it finally makes wireless charging feel genuinely usable here.
Rather than being limited to 7.5W on a standard wireless charging pad, MagSafe allows the iPhone 17e to charge at up to 15W when paired with a compatible charger, although you will need to pair the MagSafe charger with at least a 20W power adapter to reach those speeds. While the phone can get a bit warm midway through a charge, it cools down soon after.
For wired charging, the iPhone 17e ships with a USB-C to USB-C cable in the box worldwide. Pair it with a 20W power adapter and you can reach up to a 50% charge in about 30 minutes. That’s a welcome addition, and considering that this is the more affordable option in the iPhone lineup, it’s nice that you don’t need a more powerful — or more expensive — charger to get those speeds.
While it doesn’t arrive with multiple rear cameras or a notch-free display with a higher refresh rate or always-on functionality, the iPhone 17e certainly checks the battery box.
Apple iPhone 17e: Should you buy?
|
Attributes |
Notes |
Rating |
|---|---|---|
|
Design |
Identical design to the iPhone 16e, with a new Soft Pink color option. |
4 / 5 |
|
Display |
A great display, even with a notch and 60Hz refresh rate. |
4 / 5 |
|
Camera |
While there’s just one lens, the 48-megapixel camera is plenty capable for 1x and 2x shots, plus you can add depth effects after the fact. |
4 / 5 |
|
Software |
iOS 26 feels plenty fresh on the iPhone 17e, and the budget iPhone can take full advantage of the software. |
4 / 5 |
|
Performance |
The A19 chip offers stellar performance, and gives us no concerns about longevity. |
4.5 / 5 |
|
Battery |
Still lasts all day, but no improvement here. |
5 / 5 |
|
Value |
Apple’s budget iPhone is better than even before, and keeps the same price |
5 / 5 |
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
Apple iPhone 17e: How I tested
I’ve been testing the Apple iPhone 17e for nearly a week to complete this review, and my unit was Apple’s new budget iPhone in Soft Pink. After unboxing the device, I set it up fresh, signed in with my Apple Account, activated an eSIM, and began downloading my most-used apps — along with several testing apps — to make myself at home.
I then customized the iOS 26 experience a bit to get an early feelf or the A19 chip inside, and continued using it throughout the week for a mix of productivity, creative, gaming, and everyday apps to see how the iPhone 17e performed. To gauge battery life, I tracked how long it lasted each day, and I tested different options recharging the phone.
To test the cameras — both the main and selfie — I took many photos of varying subjects in different lighting conditions to test the sensor and image processing.
I also compared the iPhone 17e with several other phones, including the iPhone SE (3rd generation), iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro Max, Google Pixel 10a, and Google Pixel 9a to better evaluate performance, camera quality, and overall value.
First reviewed March, 9 2026.
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/GkrqTsAQdif6b44s3eTtka-2560-80.jpg
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jacob.krol@futurenet.com (Jacob Krol)
