How the new iPhone 17E stacks up against Apple’s pricier phones
The iPhone 17 lineup now has a “budget” option. Announced this week, the iPhone 17E will hit stores on Wednesday, March 11th, starting at $599, with preorders opening on March 4th. The 6.1-inch phone joins the rest of Apple’s iPhone 17 lineup, which includes the iPhone 17 ($799), the more powerful iPhone 17 Pro ($1,099), and the iPhone 17 Pro Max ($1,199), as well as the ultra-thin iPhone Air ($999).
Unlike last year’s iPhone 16E, the 17E features MagSafe and Qi2 wireless charging, along with the faster A19 chip found in the iPhone 17 and twice as much base storage (256GB vs. 128GB). It also features a sharper, more durable display, retains support for Apple Intelligence, and includes a 48-megapixel “fusion” camera that enables 2x telephoto shots, all of which bring it closer to Apple’s more premium phones.
But at $599, the 17E doesn’t include all of the bells and whistles found in the rest of Apple’s current iPhone lineup. For example, it only has a 6.1-inch 60Hz display — the smallest display of any iPhone 17 series phone — and lacks features like an always-on display and Dynamic Island, a pill-shaped cutout that shows info, like ride-share updates, at a glance. It’s also noticeably dimmer, with a peak brightness of 1,200 nits.
Camera hardware is another differentiator. While the 17E, Air, and standard iPhone 17 all share a 48-megapixel main sensor, the iPhone 17 has a dedicated ultrawide camera, which also enables macro photography for close-up shots. The 17 and Air also offer an 18-megapixel front-facing camera — the 17E only has a 12-megapixel shooter — which could translate to sharper selfies and clearer video calls. The Pro and Pro Max models expand further with more advanced camera arrays, including the addition of dedicated telephoto cameras. Plus, all except the 17E include the Camera Control button, which is designed to help people quickly launch the camera and adjust various settings.
Unsurprisingly, charging speeds and battery life also differ. The 17E supports MagSafe charging with Qi2 support, allowing for wireless charging at up to 15W, while the iPhone 17, iPhone Air, and both Pro models support faster 25W wireless charging. Apple says the 17E can charge up to 50 percent in 30 minutes, compared to about 20 minutes for the higher-end models. Battery life increases as you move up the lineup, with the 17E rated for up to 26 hours of video playback, while the iPhone Air and the larger Pro Max models last longer (up to 39 hours, in some instances).
Those are just some of the main highlights, though. If you want to get into the nitty-gritty, we’ve compiled all the specs together below, letting you see how each phone stacks up to the others.
| 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 x 1170-pixel) OLED | 6.5-inch (2736 x 1260) OLED | 6.3-inch (2622 x 1206) OLED | 6.3-inch (2622 x 1206) OLED | 6.9-inch (2868 x 1320) OLED |
| Display refresh rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | 120Hz | 120Hz | 120Hz |
| 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 display | 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 | 146.7mm x 71.5mm x 7.8mm | 156.2mm x 74.7mm x 5.64mm | 149.6mm x 71.5mm x 7.95mm | 150.0mm x 71.9mm x 8.75mm | 163.4mm x 78.0mm x 8.75mm |
| Weight | 5.96 ounces (169 grams) | 5.82 ounces (165 grams) | 6.24 ounces (177 grams) | 7.27 ounces (206 grams) | 8.22 ounces (233 grams) |
| Battery capacity | Up to 26 hours video playback | Up to 27 hours of video playback | Up to 30 hours of video playback | Up to 33 hours of video playback | Up to 39 hours of video playback |
| Wireless charging | Yes, MagSafe / Qi2 (up to 15W) | Yes, MagSafe / Qi2 (up to 20W) | Yes, MagSafe / Qi2 (up to 25W) | Yes, MagSafe / Qi2 (up to 25W) | Yes, MagSafe / Qi2 (up to 25W) |
| Fast charge-capable | Yes; up to 50 percent in 30 minutes | Yes; up to 50 percent in 30 minutes | Yes; up to 50 percent in 20 minutes | Yes; up to 50 percent in 20 minutes | Yes; up to 50 percent in 20 minutes |
| Processor | A19 | A19 Pro | A19 | A19 Pro | A19 Pro |
| Processor cores | 6-core CPU / 4-core GPU / 16-core neural engine | 6-core CPU / 5-core GPU / 16-core neural engine | 6-core CPU / 5-core GPU / 16-core neural engine | 6-core CPU / 6-core GPU / 16-core neural engine | 6-core CPU / 6-core GPU / 16-core neural engine |
| RAM | Not shared | Not shared | Not shared | Not shared | Not shared |
| Storage | 256GB, 512GB | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | 256GB, 512GB | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB |
| Ports | USB-C charging and data port | USB-C charging and data port | USB-C charging and data port | USB-C charging and data port | USB-C charging and data port |
| USB speeds | USB 2 | USB 2 | USB 2 | USB 3 | USB 3 |
| Rear cameras | 48-megapixel (f/1.6) main | 48-megapixel (f/1.6) main | 48-megapixel (f/1.6) main, 48-megapixel (f/2.2) ultrawide | 48-megapixel main, 48-megapixel ultrawide, 48-megapixel telephoto | 48-megapixel main, 48-megapixel ultrawide, 48-megapixel telephoto |
| Highest optical magnification | 2x | 2x | 2x | 8x | 8x |
| Macro mode | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Front camera | 12MP | 18MP | 18MP | 18MP | 18MP |
| Video recording | Up to 4K at 60fps | Up to 4K at 60fps | Up to 4K at 60fps | Up to 4K at 120fps (ProRes with external recording) | Up to 4K at 120fps (ProRes with external recording) |
| 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 version | 5.3 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| Satellite SOS feature | 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 |
| Availability | March 11th | Already available | Already available | Already available | Already available |
| Colors | Black, pink, white | Sky blue, light gold, cloud white, space black | Lavender, sage, mist blue, white, black | Cosmic orange, deep blue, silver | Cosmic orange, deep blue, silver |