Buying an iPhone gets you stellar hardware with polished software and long-term support, which is why picking up even an older-generation model can feel like a smart decision. Apple ended up making an actual budget-friendly model with the iPhone 16e last year, but it didn’t come without compromises. With the newly launched iPhone 17e, it looks like Apple has attempted to fix those trade-offs, and spoiler alert, it’s a darn good attempt at that.
The iPhone 17e is powered by the current-generation A19 chip, which has a hexa-core CPU and a quad-core GPU, allowing you to run the same AAA titles that the regular iPhone 17 can handle. It also comes with a 16-core Neural Engine, which is good news for those keen to try Apple Intelligence features. A welcome upgrade is the C1X cellular modem, which Apple claims is twice as fast as the C1 chip used in the iPhone 16e. It also consumes 30 percent less energy than the Qualcomm modem found in the iPhone 16 Pro.
You do still have to make do with a single rear shooter, though Apple seems confident about the 48-megapixel Fusion camera being versatile enough to produce 2x telephoto shots. The device comes with a huge upgrade to its base storage capacity, which, at 256GB, has doubled from the previous generation. The best part? The iPhone 17e starts at the same price of $599 and comes in a new soft pink color, in case the black and white colorways were too mundane.
A cheaper iPhone that can actually be recommended now
Though not as affordable as the iPhone SE series used to be, the iPhone 17e cuts far fewer corners than even the outgoing budget-conscious model did. In our review of the iPhone 16e, we called it a decent upgrade if you’re coming from an iPhone 11 or older, but with the lack of MagSafe, it was a much harder sell to anyone with an iPhone 12 or newer. Well, the iPhone 17e brought back MagSafe, in addition to faster 15W of wireless charging with the Qi2 standard.
Other upgrades include the new Ceramic Shield 2 protection, which Apple claims offers three times better scratch resistance and reduced glare than the previous model. Despite being an OLED display and offering up to 1,200 nits of peak brightness, the iPhone 17e houses its panel with the older notch-style cutout — so you’re missing out on all the Dynamic Island features that every other iPhone in the current lineup offers. It’s also the only current-generation iPhone with a 60Hz panel, which can make things seem sluggish compared to ProMotion displays.
The upgraded processor and cellular modem should make for longer battery life. You get decently quick wired charging, with a 30-minute charge getting the battery up to 50 percent. With iOS 26 out of the box and around seven years of software support expected from Apple, the iPhone 17e seems to be the most well-rounded budget iPhone in years.
