Apple iPhone 17e hands-on: New chip, more storage memory, and yes, MagSafe

When Apple launched the first "e" model iPhone, the iPhone 16e, tech reviewers (me included) let out a collective: "WHY?"

It wasn't about battery life, or the chip powering it (both were pretty great), and no one was really phased about the device's archaic design. It was the lack of MagSafe, Apple's magnetic, wireless power charging tech that makes it easy to slap various accessories onto the phone. It seemed like such a weird omission. Ditching MagSafe probably cut some production costs for Apple, but it meant phone owners would not buy any of the accessories from Apple's rich MagSafe ecosystem.

I'm pleased to report that this year's Apple budget phone, the iPhone 17e, fixes this issue.

Same old design, with one big difference

Apple sent me an iPhone 17e unit for review, and I was happily able to use my Apple Wallet and magnetic chargers with it. Apple also sent me a Clear Case with MagSafe, and while it may not be my favorite case in terms of design, it was a relief to be able to charge the phone magnetically without removing the case.

I'm aware that people who buy a budget phone are perhaps less interested in splurging on additional accessories. But MagSafe is a simple, cool feature that also works with cheaper, third-party accessories, and it doesn't get in the way if you don't care for it. I'm glad that Apple came to its senses and included it in the new iPhone 17e.

The ability to use MagSafe chargers and accessories is just about the only physical difference between the iPhone 17e and 16e, though. The iPhone 17e looks exactly the same as its predecessor, with the only difference being the new color, Soft Pink. The unit Apple sent me was in this color, and I can tell you that it is a very nice, but indeed a very soft pink.

On the front, there's still no Dynamic Island; the Face ID sensors and the selfie camera are still hidden inside a notch on the top of the display. The dimensions have remained exactly the same (your old iPhone 16e case will work), and the weight is virtually the same (169 grams for the new model, 167 grams for the old one).

The display is still a 6.1-inch OLED that maxes out at 60Hz, and that's very apparent if you switch from a 120Hz phone; the transitions and animations aren't nearly as smooth on the iPhone 17e.

The biggest upgrades are on the inside

The biggest improvements on the iPhone 17e are inside the phone. It has a new chip, Apple's powerful A19, which can power the latest AI shenanigans. Apple's C1X modem has replaced the old C1 modem, though it's hard to tell what sort of improvements this has brought.

Perhaps most importantly, the iPhone 17e starts at 256GB, compared to the iPhone 16e's 128GB starting storage. Given that the iPhone 17e's starting price remained unchanged at $599, this is a pretty big deal. You can also configure the iPhone 17e with 512GB of storage, but that takes the price to $799.

The combination of having Apple's latest chip and a decent amount of storage means this phone will be relevant for at least four to five years. In fact, this makes it extremely similar to the $799 iPhone 17, though the A19 chip on the iPhone 17e has one less GPU core, meaning it'll be slightly worse for gaming. If you don't care about having the flashiest phone, and just needs something that gets the work done, the iPhone 17e is a very interesting choice.

What about the camera?

When I reviewed the iPhone 16e, I was pleased with battery life and how powerful it was. But having used the phone over several months, I came away disappointed with the camera. The phone has a singular, 48-megapixel rear camera with very similar specs to the one on the iPhone 16. But it just wasn't the same; it was alright in daytime, but night shots, or even shots taken in the relative dimness of my living room, just weren't good enough.

The bad news is that the iPhone 17e has the exact same camera specs as the iPhone 16e. Apple says that the new A19 chips will unlock better shots, and some new camera features are indeed here, including next-gen portraits with Focus and Depth Control. But it's hard to say what the improvements are this early on.

On first glance, the camera is a little better than before. I was able to take some decent shots in fairly dark environments. But I'll need more time to assess just how much better it is.

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