Apple's first hardware launch of 2026—not counting the second-generation AirTag it debuted at the end of January—is the next iteration of the price-friendly iPhone: the iPhone 17e. The company announced the handset via an online press release, ahead of its “Special Apple Experience” in New York City this Wednesday.

While last year's iPhone 16e was widely criticized for its questionable value—it replaced the iPhone SE models from yesteryear and jacked the price up from $429 to $599—the newer model in the series has some notable features that were missing in its predecessor, like Apple's MagSafe technology. The price remains firm at $599, despite the challenging economic environment and the industry’s memory shortage.

The iPhone 17e opens for preorder today and will be widely available on March 11.

E for Effort

Apple has stuck with the same 6.1-inch OLED display as the iPhone 16e, down to the same old-school notch design. That means you won't get the sleek look of the Dynamic Island, which also doubles as a live notifications display. Thankfully, if you're worried about durability, this iPhone has the same Ceramic Shield 2 front glass protecting the display as its pricier siblings, giving it a nice strength boost from the previous generation.

Apple did not upgrade the screen with its ProMotion refresh rate tech, as it's stuck at 60 Hz. This capability is the number of times the screen refreshes with images—the higher the better, as your display will appear smoother, with interactions feeling more fluid. It's something the company has offered in the iPhone Pro models and finally enabled in 2025 with its entire iPhone 17 range, but you'll have to upgrade for the luxury. It's a shame, as most budget Android phones offer 120 Hz as standard, even devices as cheap as $200. That also means the iPhone 17e doesn't have the option to enable an always-on display.

Arguably, the best upgrade is the addition of MagSafe (and Qi2), the magnetic ring that has been embedded in the back of mainline iPhones since the iPhone 12. Apple confusingly didn't include it with the iPhone 16e despite a healthy accessory market that would have made the iPhone 16e a little more versatile. While the 16e supported basic wireless charging, the iPhone 17e takes advantage of faster magnetic wireless charging at 15 watts (plus access to MagSafe accessories).

This iPhone is powered by the A19 chipset, which debuted on the iPhone 17, though it has one less graphics core, so graphics performance is a small step below. That's in line with what Apple did with the iPhone 16e and the iPhone 16 that came before. Apple didn't share RAM details yet, but it's likely that the iPhone 17e has 8 GB of RAM like its predecessor, whereas the rest of the iPhone 17 lineup has 12 GB. There is a bump in storage to 256 GB.

Courtesy of Apple

There's not much in the way of camera improvements (still no Camera Control button). The iPhone 17e uses the same 48-MP main camera as the iPhone 16e, which means if you want an ultrawide or zoom camera, you'll need to upgrade to the iPhone 17 or iPhone 17 Pro. If you were hoping that this iPhone would get the new square-shaped 18-MP selfie camera from the iPhone 17, you'll be disappointed; it's the same 12-MP shooter as before.

One bit of good news is that the iPhone 17e has the C1X modem from the iPhone Air. This 5G modem is twice as fast as the Apple-designed C1 that launched with the iPhone 16e, and purportedly more energy efficient than Qualcomm's modems inside the iPhone 17 series. However, it does not have the N1 networking chip, which Apple launched on the iPhone 17 models; this includes Bluetooth 6, Wi-Fi 7, and Thread networking, meaning you won't get the latest connectivity standards.

There's not much competition in the midrange smartphone market, but the iPhone 17e decidedly goes toe to toe against Google's $499 Pixel 10a, which coincidentally goes on sale March 5. There's also the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE (often on sale below $500), which offers a triple-camera system that's more versatile, not to mention a larger screen with a 120-Hz refresh rate.

It's unclear whether Apple's upgrades to the iPhone 17e will entice customers, but additions like MagSafe and the latest A19 chipset mean there's now not as much of a reason to pay an extra $100 for a brand-new $699 iPhone 16. At least it comes in a new color that's not black or white.