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An iPhone 17E is the followup to last year's $599 iPhone 16E.
Apple/Jeffrey Hazelwood/CNETApple on Monday unveiled its newest budget phone, the iPhone 17E. Like last year, it starts at $599 (£599, AU$999), but it comes with 256GB of base storage -- double last year's entry-level iPhone 16E. Perhaps the biggest upgrade: the iPhone 17E supports MagSafe, so you can charge wirelessly faster and attach accessories like stands, wallets and cases.
Apple's latest-generation A19 chip powers the iPhone 17E, which is the same one found in the baseline iPhone 17. But there's a small caveat: the iPhone 17E has a quad-core GPU, versus five cores on the regular iPhone 17. Apple's C1X cellular modem is also on board, which the company says is twice as fast as the C1 on the iPhone 16E.
The iPhone 17E has a 48-megapixel rear camera and, with sensor cropping, offers 2x magnification. Although the camera hardware may be similar to last year's, adding an A19 chip to the 17E could boost image quality. There's also a 12-megapixel selfie camera, but no Center Stage camera -- the feature that debuted on the iPhone Air and 17 lineup that can automatically switch between portrait and landscape orientation without having to rotate the phone.
The 6.1-inch display is protected by Ceramic Shield 2, which Apple says offers 3x the scratch resistance of the iPhone 16E and reduces glare. There's no Dynamic Island or always-on display, setting it apart from the baseline iPhone 17.
Apple has finally brought MagSafe to its budget iPhone.
Apple/Jeffrey Hazelwood/CNETThe iPhone 17E is outfitted with an aluminum frame and weighs 169 grams -- making it just 2 grams heavier than the iPhone 16E, despite the addition of MagSafe. It has an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance.
There's still no Camera Control button, but you can access Visual Intelligence from the phone's Control Panel. You'll find other Apple Intelligence features on board, including Live Translation, Call Screening and Clean Up. There is an Action button to quickly access your favorite features and apps.
The iPhone 17E's battery can last through 26 hours of video playback, according to Apple. That's helped by the A19 processor, C1X cellular modem and the "advanced power management of iOS 26," Apple notes. Because the new phone has the same battery capacity as last year's iPhone 17E and should hold up well despite its budget-friendly price, judging by how the iPhone 16E performed in CNET's battery tests.
With wired charging, the iPhone 17E can reach 50% battery in about 30 minutes, according to Apple. MagSafe boosts wireless charging from 7.5 watts on the iPhone 16E to 15 watts on the 17E.
Preorders for the iPhone 17E begin Wednesday, March 4, at 6:15 a.m. PT, and the phone goes on sale March 11. It comes in black, white and soft pink, and there's also a 512GB storage option, along with the 256GB base.
iPhone 17E specs vs. iPhone 16E,
| 6.1-inch OLED display; 2,532x1,170 pixels; 60Hz refresh rate | 6.1-inch OLED display; 2,532x1,170 pixels; 60Hz refresh rate | 6.3-inch OLED; 2,622x1,206 pixel resolution; 1-120Hz variable refresh rate |
| 460 ppi | 460 ppi | 460 ppi |
| 5.78 x 2.82 x 0.31 in. | 5.78 x 2.82 x 0.31 in. | 5.89 x 2.81 x 0.31 in |
| 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8 mm | 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8 mm | 149.6 x 71.5 x 7.95 mm |
| 169g (5.96 oz.) | 167g (5.88 oz.) | 177g (6.24 oz.) |
| iOS 26 | iOS 18 | iOS 26 |
| 48-megapixel (wide) | 48-megapixel (wide) | 48-megapixel (wide) 48-megapixel (ultrawide) |
| 12-megapixel | 12-megapixel | 18-megapixel |
| 4K | 4K | 4K |
| Apple A19 | Apple A18 | Apple A19 |
| RAM unknown + 256GB, 512GB | RAM unknown + 128GB, 256GB, 512GB | RAM N/A + 256GB, 512GB |
| None | None | None |
| 4,005 mAh | 4,005 mAh | 3,692 mAh |
| None, Face ID | None, Face ID | None, Face ID |
| USB-C | USB-C | USB-C |
| None | None | None |
| MagSafe, Qi2 charging (up to 15W), Action button, Apple C1 5G modem, Apple Intelligence, Ceramic Shield, Emergency SOS, satellite connectivity, IP68 resistance | Action button, Apple C1 5G modem, Apple Intelligence, Ceramic Shield, Emergency SOS, satellite connectivity, IP68 resistance | Apple N1 wireless networking chip (Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2x2 MIMO), Bluetooth 6, Thread. Action button. Camera Control button. Dynamic Island. Apple Intelligence. Visual Intelligence. Dual eSIM. 1 to 3,000 nits brightness display range. IP68 resistance. Colors: black, white, mist blue, sage, lavender. Fast charge up to 50% in 20 minutes using 40W adapter or higher via charging cable. Fast charge up to 50% in 30 minutes using 30W adapter or higher via MagSafe Charger. |
| $599 (128GB) | $599 (128GB) | $829 (256GB) |
iPhone 17E features
By Jon Skillings
The iPhone 17E comes with Apple's latest-generation A19 chip, a 48-megapixel two-in-one camera system, storage starting at 256GB and MagSafe charging. It also has a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display featuring Ceramic Shield 2 front cover glass, as do other models in the iPhone 17 lineup.
The iPhone 17E comes in pink, black and white
By Jon Skillings
The new iPhone 17E will come in three colors: pink, black and white. It will be priced at $599. Preorders begin Wednesday, March 4, and the phone will be available starting March 11.
The iPhone 17E is here
By Jon Skillings
While most of the mobile industry is in Barcelona at Mobile World Congress, Apple is making mobile phone news of its own, unveiling the iPhone 17E. It's the low-end model for the iPhone line, priced at $599. It features the latest-generation A19 chip built with 3-nanometer technology and a six-core CPU. It also features the C1X, the latest-generation cellular modem designed by Apple.
