The new base model iPhone 17e is now faster, but is still the budget option compared to the iPhone 17. Here's how the standard model compares with the new value option.
The iPhone 17e is Apple's latest budget-focused smartphone, taking the spot as the cheapest current-generation iPhone anyone could buy. However, while it is the cheapest, it's also just $200 cheaper than the next cheapest, the iPhone 17.
Consumers may find the iPhone 17e is enough for them, but there may be enough of a specification jump to justify buying the next model up.
Here's how the newest iPhone 17e compares against its slightly more expensive counterpart, the standard iPhone 17.
iPhone 17e vs iPhone 17 - Specifications
| Specifications | iPhone 17e | iPhone 17 |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price (launch) | $599 | $799 |
| Dimensions (inches) | 5.78 x 2.82 x 0.31 | 5.89 x 2.81 x 0.31 |
| Weight (ounces) | 5.96 | 6.24 |
| Side controls | Action Button | Action Button |
| Processor | A19 4-core GPU | A19 5-core GPU |
| Storage | 256GB, 512GB | 256GB, 512GB |
| Display type | 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR | 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR |
| Resolution | 2,532 x 1,170 at 460ppi | 2,622 x 1,206 at 460 ppi |
| True Tone | Yes | Yes |
| Biometrics | Face ID | Face ID |
| Connectivity | 5G (Sub-6GHz only), Gigabit-class LTE, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC Emergency SOS via Satellite, Roadside Assistance via Satellite, USB-C (USB 2) | 5G (Sub-6GHz and mmWave), Gigabit-class LTE, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, NFC Ultra Wideband Gen 2 Emergency SOS via Satellite, Roadside Assistance via Satellite, USB-C (USB 2) |
| Rear Cameras | 48MP Fusion | 48MP Fusion, 48MP Ultra Wide, Camera Control |
| Video | 4K 60fps, 4K 60fps HDR with Dolby Vision, 1080p 240fps Slo-Mo, Optical image stabilization | 4K 60fps4K 60fps HDR with Dolby Vision 1080p 240fps Slo-Mo Spatial Video Macro Video Sensor-shift optical image stabilization Action Mode Cinematic Mode Dual Capture up to 4K Dolby Vision at 30 fps |
| Front Camera | 12MP TrueDepth, Autofocus | 18MP Center Stage Autofocus |
| Battery Size (Video playback time) | Up to 26 hours | Up to 30 hours |
| Wireless Charging | MagSafe 15W | MagSafe 25W, Qi2 15W |
| Colors | Black, White, Soft Pink | Black, White, Lavender, Mist Blue, Sage |
iPhone 17e vs iPhone 17 - Physical Dimensions
The iPhone 17e and the iPhone 17 are quite similar in many respects. They both certainly share the same aesthetic of an aluminum casing with a glass back and front, though there are still some differences on show.
For a start, the size of the iPhone 17 is marginally bigger, with a height of 5.89 inches versus 5.78 inches for the iPhone 17e. It's also slightly narrower at 2.81 inches versus 2.82 inches for the e-model.
iPhone 17e vs iPhone 17: This is the e-series model. One camera.
Thickness-wise, they are both 0.31 inches. However, when it comes to weight, the iPhone 17 is heavier at 6.24 ounces versus 5.96 ounces for the iPhone 17e.
The size difference is relatively minimal, but there are many other things to compare between the two smartphones.
iPhone 17e vs iPhone 17 - Display
The iPhone 17e's Super Retina XDR display is largely the same as its predecessor, the iPhone 16e. It measures 6.1 inches, with an OLED panel having a resolution of 2,532 by 1,170 and a pixel density of 460 pixels per inch.
The iPhone 17, on the other hand, has a marginally larger 6.3-inch display, thanks to thinner bezels. The resolution of 2,622 by 1,206 is also a little higher, but the pixel density is still 460ppi.
iPhone 17e vs iPhone 17: The screens are almost the same size.
For brightness, the iPhone 17e manages 800 nits for typical usage, a peak of 1,200 nits for HDR content. The iPhone 17 goes to 1,000 nits for normal content, 1,600 nits at its peak for HDR, and 3,000 nits peak brightness for outdoor usage.
There's also ProMotion support on the iPhone 17, giving it adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz and an always-on display that isn't available on the iPhone 17e.
Other elements are identical, such as the True Tone display, Wide Color (P3 support, Haptic Touch, and an oleophobic coating to ward off fingerprints.
One other difference is the TrueDepth camera, as the iPhone 17 uses Dynamic Island. The iPhone 17e, while it was rumored to have the same thing, it has the dreaded notch for one more year.
iPhone 17e vs iPhone 17 - Cameras
The iPhone 17e borrows the same camera system as the iPhone 16e, with it having a single rear camera.
The 48-megapixel Fusion camera has Hybrid Focus Pixels, a 10x digital zoom, optical image stabilization, Photonic Engine and Deep Fusion computational photography, Smart HDR 5, Portrait Lighting, and Night Mode.
iPhone 17e vs iPhone 17: The dual camera setup on the iPhone 17 is an advantage.
However, Apple also bills it as pulling double-duty as a 12MP 2X Telephoto zoom with an optical-quality image. In reality, it's a crop of the 48MP sensor to a central section, which equates to a "zoom" level and a 12MP image, if not a 48MP shot itself.
Unsurprisingly, this is the same as the iPhone 17's main camera in its Dual Fusion system, complete with the fake Telephoto image. However, Apple does use sensor-shift optical image stabilization, an improvement over the version used in the iPhone 17e's camera.
It's accompanied by a second camera sensor, a 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide, which provides a 0.5x optical zoom compared to the main camera's default shot. It also adds in things like Macro photography and Spatial Photos, too.
iPhone 17
On the video side, the iPhone 17e can capture 4K footage in Dolby Vision at 60fps. There's optical image stabilization for video, a 6x digital zoom, and Slo-mo at 1080p 240fps.
For video features, there's cinematic video stabilization in 4K, continuous autofocus, QuickTake video, and a Night Mode with time-lapse. The sound side includes Audio Zoom, Spatial Audio with stereo recording, Audio Mix, and wind noise reduction.
The iPhone 17 adds to this, with a 4K 30fps Cinematic mode with Dolby Vision, a 2.8K 60fps Action Mode, 1080p 30fps Spatial Video, and Macro video.
At the front of the iPhone 17e is the 12MP TrueDepth camera with depth mapping and Face ID. It has Deep Fusion and the Photonic Engine, Portrait Mode with Portrait Lighting and Photographic Styles, Night Mode, and automatic image stabilization capabilities.
It can also handle 4K video at 60fps with Dolby Vision, 4K Cinematic Video Stabilization, and 1080p 120fps Slo-mo.
The iPhone 17 instead uses an 18MP Center Stage front camera, capable of taking 18MP shots. It's a big upgrade for the iPhone 17, since it uses a square lens that can be automatically rotated from portrait to landscape without you needing to rotate the iPhone.
The Center Stage element helps reframe your shot or video feed for FaceTime calls when other people join the scene too. It also means video has high levels of stabilization, as well as a new Dual Capture mode for getting both the shots from the front and the back cameras at the same time.
iPhone 17e vs iPhone 17 - Processing and Performance
Both the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17e are billed as having the A19 chip. While this sounds like they will work at a similar level, there will inevitably be a difference in performance, because they are not identical.
Apple does include similar CPU setups, with the use of a six-core CPU in each. That's one with two performance cores and four efficiency cores, and that should have comparative performance across the board.
The two also use a 16-core Neural Engine, which will be identical between models again.
iPhone 17e vs iPhone 17: Both have the A19, but they are not alike.
The change will be the GPU. While the iPhone 17 has a five-core GPU in its A19 chip, the iPhone 17e's A19 instead has a four-core GPU, a one-core difference.
This will have an impact on graphical performance, simply because fewer cores will be at play, but also in machine learning.
Both chips have a 16-core Neural Engine, which can be used to handle Apple Intelligence and machine learning-based tasks. But Apple is also using Neural Accelerators in each GPU core, which will further help with ML performance.
With one more GPU core, and therefore one more Neural Accelerator in play, the iPhone 17 will do better at such tasks than the iPhone 17e.
Core CPU processing benchmarks will be similar between the models to a point. When it comes to machine learning tasks or graphical performance, the iPhone 17 edges ahead.
iPhone 17e vs iPhone 17 - Connectivity
The physical connectivity is handled by USB-C on both models. They are also both alike here, due to supporting USB 2 speeds, or 480Mb/s data transfers.
For cellular, the iPhone 17e uses the Apple-designed C1X modem, which Apple designed. It can connect to 5G networks with 4x4 MIMO using sub-6GHz bands, but not mmWave.
The iPhone 17, however, can do mmWave as well as sub-6GHz 5G.
iPhone 17e vs iPhone 17: Both USB-C, both USB 2 speeds...
On the wireless networking side, both use Apple's N1 wireless chip, with Wi-Fi 7 support and Bluetooth 6 across both models. NFC is also included for those all-important Apple Pay transactions.
The iPhone 17 does pull ahead with its inclusion of a second-gen Ultra Wideband chip and Thread support, making it useful for both Find My and for smart home hardware.
Apple includes satellite features in both models, so users can use Emergency SOS via Satellite and Roadside Assistance via Satellite if they get into serious trouble in a black spot.
iPhone 17e vs iPhone 17 - Power and Battery
Despite having similar footprints, you do get more battery life for your money with the iPhone 17.
For video playback, the iPhone 17 can go for 30 hours, while the iPhone 17e manages a respectable 26 hours. When streamed, the numbers drop to 27 hours and 21 hours, respectively.
To get power back in, you can use USB-C and Qi in both models, as well as MagSafe. That MagSafe support does vary, though, as the iPhone 17e supports up to 12W via wireless charging, while the iPhone 17 manages a higher 25W.
Both have fast-charging capabilities, with each capable of getting to a 50% charge in a short space of time. However, with support for a 40W adapter versus 20W in the iPhone 17e, the iPhone 17 can get there in 20 minutes, instead of 30 minutes for the cheaper version.
iPhone 17e vs iPhone 17 - Capacity, Color, and Pricing
Apple provides the iPhone 17e in a choice of Black, White, or a new Soft Pink. Storage options start at 256GB for $599, with 512GB at $799.
The iPhone 17 is sold in a choice of Black, White, Lavender, Sage, and Mist Blue. Pricing starts from $799 for the 256GB model, with the alternative being $999 for the 512GB version.
iPhone 17e vs iPhone 17 - Capacity vs Functionality
At face value, the iPhone 17 offers quite a lot to consumers. The marginally bigger and better display and the camera are the main talking points here, especially for those who care about creating great photographs.
There's also a difference in performance here, with the A19 in the iPhone 17e being slightly worse for graphical performance. One core matters here a bit, but not by a massive amount.
That said, if you really want top performance from an iPhone, you'd be looking at an iPhone 17 Pro anyway.
iPhone 17e vs iPhone 17: The iPhone 17e is the storage play. The iPhone 17 for performance.
An interesting thing here is the pricing, as the per-capacity charge for the iPhone 17e is $200 less than the iPhone 17 equivalent.
If you're going to budget for a $799 iPhone, the iPhone 17 with 256GB of storage is the better option. Sure, you get double with the iPhone 17e, but you do lose out on those cameras, mmWave 5G support, and a bit of graphical and AI performance.
The argument that storage is important to consider is less of an issue when the base model starts with 256GB. That's quite a lot for a smartphone, especially with the rising use of cloud storage facilities.
That all said, $200 can be a lot for some users, and sometimes it's a case where the extra cost cannot realistically be paid.
The cheapest iPhone 17e is still a great deal for people on a budget, or for those wanting to take their first steps in iPhone ownership. But if you want the higher capacities, you're probably better off getting a proper iPhone 17 instead, if you can afford it.
Where to buy Apple's iPhone 17e vs iPhone 17
Preorders for Apple's iPhone 17e begin on March 4, with wireless carriers T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T expected to offer incentives right out of the gate.
You can also grab aggressive deals on the iPhone 17 at wireless carriers, with prices starting at $0 per month after bill credits.
Grab iPhone 17 deals
- AT&T Wireless: Grab an iPhone 17 for as low as $0 per month* with bill credits
- Verizon: Save up to $830* on the iPhone 17 with a new line and select Unlimited plan
- T-Mobile: Get an iPhone 17 on T-Mobile when you trade in a qualifying device on an eligible plan *Terms and conditions pertaining to each offer can be found on the specific carrier's site.
