iPhone 17e review: Apple adds key upgrades at lower cost

Apple has updated its cheapest new smartphone with a set of practical changes that aim to make the iPhone 17e a more appealing entry point into its ecosystem without moving away from the company’s familiar design language.

The iPhone 17e is the latest member of the iPhone 17 family and the successor to last year’s first iPhone 16e. According to The Guardian, it launches as the cheapest new iPhone sold by Apple, starting at £599, €699, $599 or A$999. That pricing places it below both the iPhone 17 and the iPhone 16, making the 17e the company’s most affordable fresh model rather than an older handset kept in circulation.

iPhone 17e review: what Apple changed

The central message of the iPhone 17e review is straightforward: Apple has added a faster chip, doubled the storage and included features such as automatic portraits and MagSafe. Those are not headline-grabbing redesigns, but they are the sorts of upgrades that affect day-to-day use. More storage gives buyers more room for apps, photos and video. MagSafe broadens accessory support and wireless charging convenience. Automatic portraits add another camera-related feature to the package.

The 17e is also described as an upgraded version of Apple’s mid-range e line, which began with the iPhone 16e. That matters because the line appears to be Apple’s way of offering a lower-cost iPhone that still delivers a large slice of the company’s modern feature set. Instead of introducing a radically different device, Apple is refining the entry-level formula.

Familiar design, newer materials

Visually, the phone is said to be almost identical to the model it replaces. It keeps an older iPhone 14-like look, including the large notch at the top of the display. The screen is a 6.1in OLED panel, which keeps the device firmly in the compact-end of Apple’s current phone range.

The review also notes that the aluminium sides feel good in the hand. More importantly for durability and day-to-day usability, the screen glass has been upgraded to Ceramic Shield 2. That glass includes an anti-glare treatment, which the review says makes the screen much easier to see. In practical terms, that is one of the more useful refinements because it improves readability rather than simply changing the device’s appearance.

Why the iPhone 17e matters

The iPhone 17e is significant because it shows how Apple continues to segment its smartphone range. For buyers who want a new iPhone without paying flagship prices, the 17e is positioned as the least expensive new route into Apple’s current lineup. The formula is clear: keep the design conservative, add important features from higher up the range and hold the price below the main models.

That approach helps Apple maintain a consistent software and hardware experience across more of its product line. It also gives consumers a choice between paying more for a newer design or paying less for a device that still includes key modern conveniences such as MagSafe and a faster chip.

The Guardian’s review frames the iPhone 17e as a smartphone that prioritises essentials over novelty. It is not trying to redefine the iPhone experience. Instead, it brings more of Apple’s core features to a lower price point, which may be enough for many buyers looking for a new phone from the company without stretching to the higher-end models.

For now, the main question is how much value buyers place on that balance of price, performance and familiar design. On the facts reported so far, Apple’s cheapest new iPhone looks set to appeal to anyone who wants the basics of the modern iPhone experience with fewer compromises than before.