How the new iPhone 17E stacks up against Apple’s pricier phones
Unlike its predecessor, the iPhone 17E supports MagSafe. | Image: Apple
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 settin
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