Last year marked the return of the iPhone SE spirit with the iPhone 16e. Fast forward to 2026, and Apple is doubling down on this so-called entry-level model for the 17 series. Folks, meet the new Apple iPhone 17e. And boy, Apple sure has some surprises for you.
There’s no need to talk about the aesthetics. It basically inherits the iPhone 16e/17 design language. What really gets it going is what’s packed inside the Ceramic Shield 2 front, glass back, and aerospace-grade aluminum frame. For starters, it is powered by the same chip as the regular iPhone 17: the latest-generation A19. It features a 6-core CPU, a 4-core GPU with Neural Accelerators, and a 16-core Neural Engine, plus hardware-accelerated ray tracing.
Then there’s the Cx1, Apple’s latest-generation cellular modem, which is up to 2x faster than the C1 in the iPhone 16e. It is compact like the first “e,” with a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display, but now boasts a Ceramic Shield 2 front with improved scratch resistance. As before, it is water resistant to a depth of 6 meters for up to 30 minutes.
On imaging, the new iPhone 17e has a 12 MP TrueDepth camera up front. Around the back, it rocks a 48 MP Fusion camera system capable of capturing super-high-resolution photos (24 MP and 48 MP), and it boasts next-generation portraits with Focus and Depth Control. Optical image stabilization comes standard on the main camera. Still on imaging, it supports Dolby Vision up to 4K at 60 fps and up to 2x optical zoom.
The 17e also welcomes MagSafe to the feature list. You heard that right—MagSafe on Apple’s most affordable device. This means you can take advantage of the abundance of MagSafe and MagSafe-compatible accessories—cases, wallets, wireless chargers, and more—to make the most out of your phone. Speaking of wireless charging, it supports MagSafe charging up to 15W with a 20W adapter or higher.
Another key upgrade is that, like the regular 17, storage now starts at 256 GB. And the best part? The starting price remains the same as the 16e. Holy mother… is that really Apple?
Moving on, in addition to the similar aesthetic, the dimensions are identical to its predecessor, albeit it now weighs slightly more at 170 g (6.0 oz). The battery appears to be the same, with a built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery offering up to 26 hours of video playback, and fast charging that gets you to 50 percent in around 30 minutes with a 20W adapter or higher.
Connectivity-wise, it remains pretty much the same as the previous generation. There’s 5G (sub-6 GHz) with 4×4 MIMO, Gigabit LTE, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, VoLTE, Wi-Fi calling, Express Cards with power reserve, the usual positioning services and sensors, Face ID, and dual SIM (nano-SIM and eSIM). And yes, Apple’s satellite features are here too—including Emergency SOS, Roadside Assistance, Messages, and Find My via satellite.
The new iPhone 17e is available in three colors: black, white, and a new soft pink, and in 256 GB and 512 GB storage capacities, starting at US$599. Pre-orders kick off on March 4, 2026, at 6:15 AM PT, with availability beginning March 11, 2026.
Images: Apple.