Apple unveils the iPhone 17e with 3 key upgrades

It’s already been a year since Apple launched the iPhone 16e, and now the company is kicking off its March wave of product announcements by officially unveiling the brand-new iPhone 17e.

At first glance, the iPhone 17e looks a lot like its predecessor. It keeps the same overall design, complete with a single rear camera and a notch on the 6.1-inch display instead of Dynamic Island. But while the exterior may feel familiar, Apple has made some meaningful upgrades under the hood, making this a more substantial refresh.

For starters, the iPhone 17e is powered by the same A19 chip as the iPhone 17, giving it a power boost over the iPhone 16e’s A18 chip. Apple has also added MagSafe support, so it now works with the full lineup of MagSafe accessories, including cases, chargers, and wallets. Wireless charging speeds also get a boost, jumping to 15W, up from 7.5W on the iPhone 16e.

Crucially, Apple has kept pricing the same. The iPhone 17e still starts at $599 but now comes with 256GB of base storage — twice the 128GB offered on the 16e. The phone is available in three colors: white, black, and a new soft pink. Pre-orders open March 4, with the iPhone 17e officially launching on March 11.

The iPhone 17e also has a few other upgrades

It’s more durable, and its modem is faster

Apple has also made the iPhone 17e more durable than its predecessor by adding the same Ceramic Shield 2 front cover found on the iPhone 17 and 17 Pro. According to Apple, it offers up to 3x stronger scratch resistance than the 16e, along with improved anti-reflective properties to help reduce glare. The phone also has an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance.

As for the display itself, it’s the same 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR panel “with OLED technology” that we saw on the iPhone 16e. The notch is still here, and brightness tops out at 1,200 nits for HDR content. Apple has also skipped ProMotion once again, meaning the iPhone 17e sticks with a 60Hz refresh rate instead of the smoother 120Hz found on the iPhone 17 and 17 Pro.

“iPhone 17e combines powerful performance and features our users love at an exceptional value, making it a compelling option for customers looking to upgrade to the iPhone 17 family,” said Kaiann Drance, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide iPhone Product Marketing, in a press release. “With A19 for incredible performance, double the entry storage, a smarter camera system, and enhanced durability, iPhone 17e is designed to stay fast, secure, and valuable for years to come.”

The iPhone 17e also packs Apple’s C1X cellular modem, which first debuted in the iPhone Air last year. Apple says it’s up to 2x faster than the C1 modem used in the iPhone 16e, promising better overall connectivity and performance.

On the camera front, the iPhone 17e features a 48-megapixel rear Fusion camera. Apple says it now enables optical-quality 2x Telephoto, describing it as “like having two cameras in one.”

The iPhone 17e will be available for pre-order starting March 4 at $599, with a full launch on March 11. It arrives shortly after Google’s Pixel 10a, which will likely be its biggest rival in the mid-range phone market. Additionally, alongside the iPhone 17e, Apple also announced its new M4 iPad Air.