New iPhone 17e Adds MagSafe to Apple’s Budget iPhone

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Originally published at: New iPhone 17e Adds MagSafe to Apple’s Budget iPhone - TidBITS

Kicking off what is rumored to be several days of announcements, Apple has unveiled the iPhone 17e, which takes over from last year’s iPhone 16e (see “Apple Replaces iPhone SE with Larger, More Expensive iPhone 16e,” 20 February 2025) while maintaining its $599 entry-level price point. Pre-ordering opens at 6:15 AM Pacific on 4 March 2026, with availability on 11 March 2026.

iPhone 17e in pink and black

The most notable changes in the iPhone 17e are the addition of MagSafe, doubling of base-level storage, and the latest-generation A19 chip. A few other minor changes round out what is likely to be a more popular update:

  • MagSafe: Apple made several odd decisions with the iPhone 16e, particularly limiting it to 7.5-watt Qi wireless charging rather than supporting Apple’s MagSafe charging technology (see “Restoring MagSafe to the iPhone 16e (Up to a Point),” 7 April 2025). The iPhone 17e rectifies that mistake with support for 15-watt MagSafe and Qi charging, complete with MagSafe’s alignment magnets, opening it up to the ecosystem of MagSafe accessories.
  • Doubled storage: Whereas the iPhone 16e started at 128 GB and offered 256 GB and 512 GB options, the iPhone 17e doubles the first storage tier to 256 GB for $599 and drops the 512 GB price from $899 to $799. Although it’s hard to argue with more storage, some people might have preferred a $499 model that kept the 128 GB storage tier.
  • A19 chip: The iPhone 16e’s A18 chip offered a significant performance jump over the A15 Bionic in the iPhone SE it replaced. With the iPhone 17e, Apple seems to have decided that its budget phone shouldn’t compromise on performance, so it gains the new A19 chip that also powers the iPhone 17, albeit with one fewer GPU core. The real win here is upgrading from any much older iPhone.
  • C1X chip: Apple continues to emphasize its homegrown C1X cellular modem, which it says is up to twice as fast as the C1 that debuted in the iPhone 16e. It promises the same performance as the iPhone Air while using 30% less energy than the cellular modem in the iPhone 16 Pro.
  • Ceramic Shield 2: Like the other models in the iPhone 17 family, the iPhone 17e features a Ceramic Shield 2 front cover, which Apple claims offers 3x better scratch resistance and improved anti-reflection to reduce glare.
  • Additional camera capabilities: Although the front and rear cameras retain the same basic specs, Apple has updated the iPhone 16e’s “Portrait mode with Depth Control” to the iPhone 17e’s “Next-generation portraits with Focus and Depth Control.” These next-generation portraits automatically save depth information, allowing users to add background blur and adjust focus after capture.
  • Pretty in pink: The iPhone 16e came in black or white; the iPhone 17e adds a soft pink. It would still be nice if Apple offered more striking colors, but since most people are going to cover the iPhone with a case anyway, it’s not that important.

For users seeking the most affordable iPhone, the iPhone 17e represents a decent value at $599. The combination of MagSafe support, doubled storage, and faster C1X modem addresses the main limitations of the iPhone 16e, and no one will complain about the A19 chip. The MagSafe addition alone makes the iPhone 17e notably more versatile and future-proof.

However, for most people who pay attention to the details, I think the $799 iPhone 17 remains a better deal. For $200 more, you get a larger, brighter screen (6.3 versus 6.1 inches), the Camera Control for the fastest access to the camera, an Ultra Wide camera for macro and wide-angle photos, a higher resolution 18-megapixel Center Stage front camera with support for dual capture, better battery life, an Always-On display with ProMotion technology for smoother scrolling, the Dynamic Island, and more.

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The new iPhone 17e now comes with 256 GB base storage and yet the price stayed at $600. In spite of the current DRAM/flash shortage and price hikes.

The regular 17 already sold really well due to many features having being added to the baseline while sticking to a more palatable $800. But now, if you want cheaper, you can get a similarly spec’ed 17e for $200 less. The primary trade-off being the poorer rear camera setup of the 17e. OTOH if that is indeed your issue, Apple still has you covered. A refurb 16 fixes that camera issue while covering every other aspect of the 17e (I claim A19 vs. A18 has no practical relevance) and that refurb starts at $620 too. That’s at 128 GB though, so if you need/want that extra storage, you can get one of the 256 GB refurb 16 models to put you at $700. You’re still $100 below a standard 17 and yet only $100 above the camera-challenged 17e.

Almost feels to me like if you’re shopping for a regular iPhone, right now everybody gets to be happy.

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I will probably get the regular 17 to replace my 12 mini. 17e’s specifications weren’t impressive.

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I like the phone. If past behavior is a predictor, it won’t be long before my cellular carrier offers a “free” upgrade deal for a 17e. It’s very tempting, but I think I’ll stick with iOS 18 and my 13 mini a little longer.

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My wife is due an upgrade this year, I think the regular 17 hits the mark for her. My daughter is still on my hand-me-downs plan. She’s happier with an older 11 Pro with lots of storage, I replaced the battery and she picked up a new case, all good.

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