Apple iPhone 17e vs iPhone 16e: All the differences explained
iPhone 17e vs iPhone 16e | Image by PhoneArena
Apple just unveiled the iPhone 17e, fixing all the flaws of its predecessor and doubling the storage to 256GB.
The iPhone 17e starts at the same $600 price, but with all the upgrades, it now looks like incredible value.
And yes, it now has MagSafe too.
iPhone 17e vs iPhone 16e differences:
| iPhone 17e | iPhone 16e |
|---|---|
| 6.1-inch 60Hz OLED display | Same 6.1-inch OLED screen |
| Ceramic Shield 2, 3x better scratch resistance | Ceramic Shield 1st gen |
| Apple A19 chip, the same one as the iPhone 17 | Apple A18 chip with 8 GB of RAM, 4-core GPU |
| MagSafe support | No MagSafe support |
| 15W wireless charging | 7.5W wireless charging |
| Apple C1X chip and N1 chip for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Thread support | Apple C1 chip |
| Improved single camera with next-gen portraits | 48MP single rear camera |
| 4,005 mAh battery 26 hours video playback | 4,005 mAh battery 26 hours video playback |
| Same $600 price for 256 GB | $600 starting price for 128 GB |
| 512 GB model now cheaper at $800 | $900 price for 512 GB model |
Table of Contents:
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Design and Size
No changes
The iPhone 17e comes in black, white and a new soft pink color | Image by Apple
The iPhone 17e is practically identical to the iPhone 16e in terms of design language and dimensions. There's nothing wrong with that: the iPhone 16e was your standard iPhone that looks more premium than it costs and doesn't have anything remotely wrong with the aesthetics.
This means you get the same 6.1-inch aluminum/glass sandwich that is 7.8 mm thin and weighs just 167 grams.
|
|
| Apple iPhone 17e | Apple iPhone 16e |
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8 mm | 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8 mm (~8.3 mm with camera bump) |
| Weight | |
| 169.0 g | 167.0 g |
See the full
Apple iPhone 17e vs Apple iPhone 16e specs comparison
or compare them to other phones using our
Phone Comparison tool
The iPhone 16e was an IP68-rated device, and so is the iPhone 17e. This gives you a certain peace of mind that your phone would survive the elements, though I wouldn't recommend dunking either one in water deliberately.
In terms of colors, we now have a third, soft pink option in addition to the black and white we used to have.
The iPhone 17e comes with practically the same 6.1-inch OLED Super Retina XDR display.
There is no ProMotion here — that remains a feature reserved for the pricier iPhone 17 series.
The other notable compromise compared to the regular iPhone 17 is the relatively low peak brightness. Both the 17e and 16e can only hit 800 nits of typical brightness, compared to 1,000 nits on the iPhone 17. The screen on both definitely feels a bit dim when used outdoors on a sunny day.
|
|
|
| Apple iPhone 17e | Apple iPhone 16e |
| Size | |
|---|---|
| 6.1-inch | 6.1-inch |
| Type | |
| OLED, 60Hz | OLED, 60Hz |
See the full
Apple iPhone 17e vs Apple iPhone 16e specs comparison
or compare them to other phones using our
Phone Comparison tool
One very welcome addition, though, is Ceramic Shield 2 on the iPhone 17e (vs first gen on the 16e). Apple says this new Ceramic Shield is 3x tougher. In our use of the regular iPhone 17 models we have noticed it makes a big difference, and the phone just doesn't get scratched easily, so you can even skip the screen protector.
The notch also remains on both the 17e and 16e.
Biometrics will be handled by the Face ID module in the notch, as is tradition.
Performance and Software
Your annual upgrade, please
The iPhone 17e is equipped with Apple's latest chipset, the A19. This is the same chip as in the iPhone 17, but it has one less GPU core as the 17e has 4 GPU cores, while the 17 has five. Gamers might notice, but for most users this could easily go unnoticed.
Let's not forget that the A19 is a blazing fast chip, especially for the $600 price segment where you typically get significantly slower processors.
The iPhone 17e also comes with an improved C1X modem that further improves the efficiency of the cellular radio. The iPhone 16e was the first to offer an Apple-made modem, the C1.
|
|
|
| Apple iPhone 17e | Apple iPhone 16e |
| System chip | |
|---|---|
| Apple A19 (3 nm) | Apple A18 (3 nm) |
| Memory | |
| 8GB (LPDDR5)/256GB 8GB/512GB |
8GB (LPDDR5)/128GB (NVMe) 8GB/256GB 8GB/512GB |
| OS | |
| iOS (26.x) | iOS (18.x) |
See the full
Apple iPhone 17e vs Apple iPhone 16e specs comparison
or compare them to other phones using our
Phone Comparison tool
Camera
A single camera, but a good one
Just like the iPhone 16e, the 17e comes with a single 48 MP camera on the back.
PhoneArena Camera Score:
It's improved with a new processing pipeline and better portraits.
One weird limitation of the 16e is that portrait mode on that phone only worked with people, but not pets. That's now fixed and the iPhone 17e will capture portraits of both humans and our furry companions.
|
|
|
| Apple iPhone 17e | Apple iPhone 16e |
| Main camera | |
|---|---|
| 48 MP (Sapphire crystal lens cover, OIS, Autofocus) Aperture size: F1.6 Focal length: 26 mm Sensor size: 1/2.55" Pixel size: 0.7 μm |
48 MP (OIS, Autofocus) Aperture size: F1.6 Focal length: 26 mm |
| Front | |
| 12 MP (Time-of-Flight (ToF), Autofocus, HDR, Slow-motion videos, Autofocus) | 12 MP (Time-of-Flight (ToF), Autofocus, Autofocus) |
See the full
Apple iPhone 17e vs Apple iPhone 16e specs comparison
or compare them to other phones using our
Phone Comparison tool
And full disclosure, while I really can't live without a versatile triple camera with long zoom and lots of nice camera features, the single camera at the back of the iPhone 16e proved to be quite decent for regular everyday usage. A picture here and there, as well as the odd 4K video, would all look pretty good on the iPhone 17e.
The selfie camera is unchanged. That's a bit of a disappointment — I would have loved to see the square Center Stage sensor from the 17 here, but alas.
One limitation of the iPhone 17e (same on the 16e) is the lack of Cinematic Mode for video. To get that feature you'd need to step up to the iPhone 17.
Main camera
Front camera
Battery Life and Charging
One particularly important change
The iPhone 17e likely has the same 4,005 mAh battery as the iPhone 16e.
Apple does not disclose the battery size officially, but it does say that battery life is unchanged and measures it at 26 hours of video playback.
This being a compact phone, it's a one-day battery life thing, not more.
|
|
|
| Apple iPhone 17e | Apple iPhone 16e |
| Type | |
|---|---|
| 4005 mAh | 4005 mAh |
| Charge speed | |
| Wired: 20.0W Wireless: 15.0W |
Wired: 20.0W Wireless: 7.5W |
See the full
Apple iPhone 17e vs Apple iPhone 16e specs comparison
or compare them to other phones using our
Phone Comparison tool
In the PhoneArena battery tests, the iPhone 16e achieved a respectable 17 and a half hours in our web browsing test, as well as seven hours in our video streaming test and nearly eight hours in the 3D gaming test. We will update you with the iPhone 17e battery scores as soon as we have them.
PhoneArena Battery and Charging Test Results:
Wireless charging speeds in general are also now faster, reaching 15W, double the 16e.
Specs Comparison
|
|
|
| Apple iPhone 17e | Apple iPhone 16e |
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8 mm | 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8 mm (~8.3 mm with camera bump) |
| Weight | |
| 169.0 g | 167.0 g |
| Size | |
|---|---|
| 6.1-inch | 6.1-inch |
| Type | |
| OLED, 60Hz | OLED, 60Hz |
| System chip | |
|---|---|
| Apple A19 (3 nm) | Apple A18 (3 nm) |
| Memory | |
| 8GB (LPDDR5)/256GB 8GB/512GB |
8GB (LPDDR5)/128GB (NVMe) 8GB/256GB 8GB/512GB |
| Type | |
|---|---|
| 4005 mAh | 4005 mAh |
| Charge speed | |
| Wired: 20.0W Wireless: 15.0W |
Wired: 20.0W Wireless: 7.5W |
| Main camera | |
|---|---|
| 48 MP (Sapphire crystal lens cover, OIS, Autofocus) Aperture size: F1.6 Focal length: 26 mm Sensor size: 1/2.55" Pixel size: 0.7 μm |
48 MP (OIS, Autofocus) Aperture size: F1.6 Focal length: 26 mm |
| Front | |
| 12 MP (Time-of-Flight (ToF), Autofocus, HDR, Slow-motion videos, Autofocus) | 12 MP (Time-of-Flight (ToF), Autofocus, Autofocus) |
See the full
Apple iPhone 17e vs Apple iPhone 16e specs comparison
or compare them to other phones using our
Phone Comparison tool
Summary
The iPhone 17e is a great release but don't upgrade from your iPhone 16e | Image by PhoneArena
Overall, the iPhone 17e is more than just a small upgrade.
It's a small revolution in the mid-range segment. Apple basically sets a new standard by doubling the storage on the iPhone 17e to 256GB, while many other mid-rangers at the same price range only have half that.
The super fast A19 chip also stands out and the addition of MagSafe and the new Ceramic Shield 2 are low-key great improvements.
The lack of a secondary camera and the 60Hz screen are the two clear compromises here.
Overall, though, it seems that the iPhone 17e will make life very tough for mid-range Android phones, but such challenges can only benefit the end user as we ultimately get better phones for our money.
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