The iPhone 17E is good, but you probably shouldn’t buy it
Published: (March 9, 2026 at 09:00 AM EDT)
1 min read
Source: The Verge
Source: The Verge
Review
It’s about time.
The iPhone 17E is a better value than the 16E was when it arrived, but that should matter to basically nobody.
The main thing to know about the 17E is that the iPhone 17 exists, it costs $200 more — or maybe more significantly, an extra $9 per month on a two‑year payment plan not including whatever discount your carrier offers — and it comes with a long list of upgrades. And if it’s within your means to put down that extra money, you should.
The 17E replaces the 16E in Apple’s lineup. The 16E was the first in a new series: not an older chassis with some refreshed internals for a steep discount, like the iPhone SE was. Instead, the 16E was …