How the new iPhone 17E stacks up against Apple’s pricier phones
Published: (March 2, 2026 at 03:41 PM EST)
6 min read
Source: The Verge
Source: The Verge
iPhone 17E – Apple’s New “Budget” Model
Image: Apple
Unlike its predecessor, the iPhone 17E supports MagSafe.
The iPhone 17 lineup now has a “budget” option. Announced this week, the iPhone 17E will hit stores on Wednesday, March 11, starting at $599, with pre‑orders opening on March 4. The 6.1‑inch phone joins the rest of Apple’s iPhone 17 family, which includes:
| Model | Starting price |
|---|---|
| iPhone 17E | $599 |
| iPhone Air | $999 |
| iPhone 17 | $799 |
| iPhone 17 Pro | $1,099 |
| iPhone 17 Pro Max | $1,199 |
What’s new with the iPhone 17E?
- MagSafe & Qi2 wireless charging (up to 15 W) – a first for the “E” line.
- A19 chip (the same processor found in the iPhone 17).
- Base storage doubled to 256 GB (vs. 128 GB on the iPhone 16E).
- Sharper, more durable display and continued support for Apple Intelligence.
- 48‑MP “fusion” camera with 2× telephoto capability, bringing it closer to Apple’s premium phones.
What the 17E leaves out
- 60 Hz, 6.1‑inch display – the smallest and slowest screen in the series.
- No Always‑On display or Dynamic Island.
- Peak brightness capped at 1,200 nits (dimmer than the 3,000‑nit peaks of higher‑end models).
- Camera differences – only a 12‑MP front‑facing shooter (the other models have 18‑MP).
- Charging speed – up to 50 % in 30 minutes (higher‑end models reach 50 % in ~20 minutes).
- Battery life – up to 26 hours of video playback (vs. up to 39 hours on the Pro Max).
Below is a side‑by‑side comparison of the entire iPhone 17 family.
iPhone 17 Series Specification Table
| Category | iPhone 17E | iPhone Air | iPhone 17 | iPhone 17 Pro | iPhone 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating system | iOS 26 | iOS 26 | iOS 26 | iOS 26 | iOS 26 |
| Apple Intelligence support | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Display | 6.1‑inch (2532 × 1170) OLED | 6.5‑inch (2736 × 1260) OLED | 6.3‑inch (2622 × 1206) OLED | 6.3‑inch (2622 × 1206) OLED | 6.9‑inch (2868 × 1320) OLED |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz | 120 Hz | 120 Hz | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 1,200 nits | 3,000 nits | 3,000 nits | 3,000 nits | 3,000 nits |
| Minimum brightness | N/A | 1 nit | 1 nit | 1 nit | 1 nit |
| Always‑On display | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Glass | Ceramic Shield 2 | Ceramic Shield 2 | Ceramic Shield 2 | Ceramic Shield 2 | Ceramic Shield 2 |
| Build | Aluminum frame | Ceramic Shield back, titanium frame | Aluminum frame | Ceramic Shield back, aluminum unibody | Ceramic Shield back, aluminum unibody |
| Dimensions (mm) | 146.7 × 71.5 × 7.8 | 156.2 × 74.7 × 5.6 | 149.6 × 71.5 × 7.95 | 150.0 × 71.9 × 8.75 | 163.4 × 78.0 × 8.75 |
| Weight | 5.96 oz (169 g) | 5.82 oz (165 g) | 6.24 oz (177 g) | 7.27 oz (206 g) | 8.22 oz (233 g) |
| Battery life (video) | Up to 26 h | Up to 27 h | Up to 30 h | Up to 33 h | Up to 39 h |
| Wireless charging | Yes, MagSafe / Qi2 (up to 15 W) | Yes, MagSafe / Qi2 (up to 20 W) | Yes, MagSafe / Qi2 (up to 25 W) | Yes, MagSafe / Qi2 (up to 25 W) | Yes, MagSafe / Qi2 (up to 25 W) |
| Fast charge | Yes; 50 % in 30 min | Yes; 50 % in 30 min | Yes; 50 % in 20 min | Yes; 50 % in 20 min | Yes; 50 % in 20 min |
| Processor | A19 | A19 Pro | A19 | A19 Pro | A19 Pro |
| CPU / GPU / Neural Engine | 6‑core CPU / 4‑core GPU / 16‑core NN | 6‑core CPU / 5‑core GPU / 16‑core NN | 6‑core CPU / 5‑core GPU / 16‑core NN | 6‑core CPU / 6‑core GPU / 16‑core NN | 6‑core CPU / 6‑core GPU / 16‑core NN |
| RAM | Not shared | Not shared | Not shared | Not shared | Not shared |
| Storage options | 256 GB, 512 GB | 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB | 256 GB, 512 GB | 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB | 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB |
| Ports | USB‑C (charging & data) | USB‑C (charging & data) | USB‑C (charging & data) | USB‑C (charging & data) | USB‑C (charging & data) |
| USB speeds | USB 2 | USB 2 | USB 2 | USB 3 | USB 3 |
| Rear cameras | 48 MP (f/1.6) main | 48 MP (f/1.6) main | 48 MP (f/1.6) main, 48 MP (f/2.2) ultrawide | 48 MP main, 48 MP ultrawide, 48 MP telephoto | 48 MP main, 48 MP ultrawide, 48 MP telephoto |
| Highest optical magnification | 2× | 2× | 2× | 8× | 8× |
| Macro mode | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Front camera | 12 MP | 18 MP | 18 MP | 18 MP | 18 MP |
| Video recording | Up to 4K @ 60 fps | Up to 4K @ 60 fps | Up to 4K @ 60 fps | Up to 4K @ 120 fps (ProRes, external) | Up to 4K @ 120 fps (ProRes, external) |
| Biometrics | Face ID | Face ID | Face ID | Face ID | Face ID |
| SIM support | Dual eSIM (no physical SIM) | Dual eSIM (no physical SIM) | Dual eSIM (no physical SIM) | Dual eSIM (no physical SIM) | Dual eSIM (no physical SIM) |
| Action Button | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Camera Control button | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Dynamic Island | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Wi‑Fi | Wi‑Fi 6 | Wi‑Fi 7 | Wi‑Fi 7 | Wi‑Fi 7 | Wi‑Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| Satellite SOS | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Messages via satellite | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Crash Detection | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Apple Pay | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| IP rating | IP68 | IP68 | IP68 | IP68 | IP68 |
| Starting price | $599 | $999 | $799 | $1,099 | $1,199 |
All specifications are based on Apple’s official announcements and may be subject to change.
Ability Release Information
| Feature | Release Date | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Ability | March 11th | Already available |
| Ability | March 11th | Already available |
| Ability | March 11th | Already available |
| Ability | March 11th | Already available |
Colors
| Palette | Colors |
|---|---|
| 1 | Black, pink, white |
| 2 | Sky blue, light gold, cloud white, space black |
| 3 | Lavender, sage, mist blue, white, black |
| 4 | Cosmic orange, deep blue, silver |
| 5 | Cosmic orange, deep blue, silver |