Apple iPhone 17e review

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Introduction and specs

If the last two budget iPhone releases are anything to go by, Apple is likely turning it into a regular thing. Just a year after the iPhone 16e release, we now have a new budget iPhone - the 17e. And it's not just a refresh - we have a handful of upgrades to talk about.

This marks an interesting shift in strategy. The iPhone SE handsets (the iPhone 16e and 17e's spiritual predecessors) were spaced a few years apart. That makes the iPhone 17e the first yearly entry-level iPhone upgrade.

There's no denying that the iPhone 16e was a success, especially in the US, where midrangers are far and few between. But even in more competitive markets, like India and Japan, the iPhone 16e was well-received by users. Apple is now looking to build on that momentum with a refreshed and more capable iPhone 17e.

The new iPhone 17e is equipped with the latest Apple A19 chipset, the one running inside the current iPhone 17 generation. The graphics performance is slightly trimmed, though, with the GPU having 4 cores instead of 5.

Apple iPhone 17e specs at a glance:

• Body: 146.7x71.5x7.8mm, 169g; Glass front (Ceramic Shield 2), glass back, aluminum frame; IP68 dust-tight and water-resistant (immersible up to 6m for 30 min), Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified).
• Display: 6.10" Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, 800 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak), 1170x2532px resolution, 19.48:9 aspect ratio, 460ppi; Anti-reflective coating.
• Chipset: Apple A19 (3 nm): Hexa-core (2x4.26 GHz + 4x2.60 GHz); Apple GPU (4-core graphics).
• Memory: 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM; NVMe.
• OS/Software: iOS 26.3.
• Rear camera: 48 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 0.7µm, PDAF, OIS.
• Front camera: Wide (main): 12 MP, f/1.9, 23mm, 1/3.6", 1.0µm, PDAF; Depth: SL 3D.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, Dolby Vision HDR, OIS, stereo sound rec; Front camera: 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, Dolby Vision HDR.
• Battery: 4005mAh; Wired, 50% in 30 min, 15W wireless MagSafe/Qi2.
• Connectivity: 5G; eSIM; Wi-Fi 6; BT 5.3; NFC.
• Misc: Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer; stereo speakers; Emergency SOS, Messages, and Find My via satellite.

Additionally, Apple incorporated its upgraded C1X modem, promising improved connectivity and power efficiency. We are curious to see if it translates into measurable gains in our call tests.

Without any price hike for the base model, the iPhone 17e is now offered with twice the storage - 256GB, double the previous generation.

While wired charging hasn't changed (50% in 30 minutes), wireless charging has been upgraded. The new 17e now supports MagSafe in line with the rest of the iPhone 17 family. As a result, the max wireless charging power is double that of last year's model at 15W.

Another change this year is the upgraded Ceramic Shield 2 glass on the front, complete with an anti-reflective coating.

And with that, the hardware upgrades conclude. We have the same 4,005 mAh battery on board, the same exact design and chassis and the same 6.1-inch OLED display with 60Hz refresh rate,

Apple did promise some camera quality gains, though, thanks to the new ISP and image processing algorithms. We are about to see.

Unboxing the iPhone 17e

Like the rest of the iPhones, the iPhone 17e comes in a modest packaging containing only the quick start guide and a USB-C to USB-C cable used for charging and data transfer.

A compatible Power Delivery charger has to be obtained separately. The phone should support a maximum of 25W, so any higher-rated charger should do the trick.