The Phone Shelf

iPhone 17e: the cheapest new iPhone, now $699

iPhone 17e on paper: the A19 chip, 256GB, one 48MP camera and up to 26 hours of video playback. Launched at $599, now $699. Compared with the iPhone 16 and iPhone 17.

Edited by Yuriy Andreyev

Published October 15, 2026

Pink iPhone 17e on a store display stand, its screen reading "iPhone 17e", with a Japanese price card beside it
Photo: Kyu3a, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) (license)

The iPhone 17e suits someone who wants a new iPhone with the same A19 chip as the iPhone 17 and 256GB of storage, and who doesn't need a second camera. At $699 it costs less than the older iPhone 16 at $799, which makes it the cheapest iPhone we cover. It is the wrong pick if you want an ultra wide camera, a 120 Hz screen or faster MagSafe charging; those are what the iPhone 17 at $899 adds.

We haven't held an iPhone 17e; this page compares Apple's published specifications and policies with the two iPhones sold next to it.

Price: launched at $599, now $699

Apple announced the iPhone 17e on March 2, 2026, and put it on sale on March 11 at $599 for 256GB. On September 9, 2026, the day it announced the iPhone 18 Pro, Apple raised the price. On October 15, 2026, Apple's store listed the 17e at $699 for 256GB and $899 for 512GB.

The rest of the lineup went up too. The iPhone 17 moved from $799 to $899, and the iPhone 16, which Apple had sold at $699, went back to $799, according to 9to5Mac. We track these changes across brands in why phones cost more in 2026.

How it differs from the iPhone 16 and iPhone 17

The useful comparison is with the two iPhones Apple sells on either side of it.

Against the iPhone 16 ($799, 128GB only):

  • Chip: A19 instead of A18.
  • Storage: 256GB against 128GB, for a lower price. Apple now sells the iPhone 16 only in 128GB.
  • Video playback: Apple rates the 17e at up to 26 hours and the iPhone 16 at up to 22 hours.
  • Cameras: the 17e has one 48MP Fusion Main camera. The iPhone 16 adds a 12MP Ultra Wide.
  • MagSafe and Qi2 charging: up to 15W on the 17e, up to 25W on the iPhone 16.
  • Shared: both have a 6.1-inch OLED screen, IP68 and eSIM only, and they weigh 169 g and 170 g.

Against the iPhone 17 ($899):

  • Same A19 chip and the same 256GB starting storage.
  • The iPhone 17 has a 6.3-inch 120 Hz screen, a second 48MP camera (Ultra Wide), up to 30 hours of video playback and MagSafe up to 25W. It weighs 177 g.

One detail about the iPhone prices: Apple's store price for the iPhone 17 and the iPhone 16 includes a $30 discount that requires activating the phone with AT&T, T-Mobile or Verizon. Bought unlocked without activation, they are $929 and $829.

Screen and battery on paper

The 17e has a 6.1-inch OLED screen. Apple lists no refresh rate and no ProMotion for it; 9to5Mac and MacRumors report 60 Hz. Apple's spec list also doesn't include the Dynamic Island, and MacRumors describes the cutout as a notch. The iPhone 17's screen runs at up to 120 Hz.

Apple doesn't publish battery capacity for iPhones. Its own figure for the 17e is up to 26 hours of video playback, against 22 hours for the iPhone 16 and 30 hours for the iPhone 17. These are Apple's numbers under Apple's test conditions, so they are useful for ranking iPhones against each other but can't be lined up against an Android phone's capacity in mAh.

Apple also doesn't state a maximum wired wattage. It says the 17e reaches up to 50% in 30 minutes with a 20W or faster adapter. Wireless charging on MagSafe or Qi2 tops out at 15W.

Cameras by specification

The 17e has a single rear camera, the 48MP Fusion Main. There is no ultra wide and no telephoto. If you take a lot of wide group shots or landscapes, that is the main hardware you give up against both the iPhone 16 and the iPhone 17.

How good the photos are is a separate question that a spec sheet can't answer, and we don't rate it here.

Updates: no fixed promise from Apple

Apple doesn't publish a fixed number of years of iOS or security updates for the 17e or any other iPhone. The 17e is supported by iOS 27.

What Apple does have is a track record. Its iOS 27 compatibility list still includes the iPhone 11 from 2019 and the second-generation iPhone SE from 2020. That history is encouraging, but it is not a written commitment, and Apple can change it. Press reports say Apple's UK filings promise at least five years of security updates from the first supply date; we couldn't verify that for this model, so we don't count on it.

Google and Samsung put a number on it, which is the main difference if you are weighing the 17e against an Android phone. Our guide to how long phones get updates lays out each brand's terms.

Carriers and eSIM

Apple's US store sells the 17e in AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon versions, plus an unlocked version, so it works on all three national carriers.

The 17e has no physical SIM slot. It is eSIM only, with support for two eSIMs. If you are moving from an older phone with a SIM card, or you use a small prepaid brand, check that your carrier can activate an eSIM before you buy.

How it compares

SpeciPhone 17eiPhone 16iPhone 17
Launch price$599$799$799
Released in USMarch 2026September 2024September 2025
Screen6.1-inch OLED 60 Hz6.1-inch OLED 60 Hz6.3-inch OLED 120 Hz
ChipA19A18A19
Storage256 / 512 GB128 GB256 / 512 GB
Batterynot publishednot publishednot published
Rear cameras48MP Fusion Main48MP Fusion Main, 12MP Ultra Wide48MP Fusion Main, 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide
Weight169 g170 g177 g
Water resistanceIP68IP68IP68
Updates promisedno fixed promiseno fixed promiseno fixed promise
US carriers (maker and carrier listings)AT&T, Verizon, T-MobileAT&T, Verizon, T-MobileAT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile
  • iPhone 16: $799 for 128GB. It adds an ultra wide camera and faster MagSafe, but has half the storage, the older A18 chip and a shorter video playback rating.
  • iPhone 17: $899 for 256GB. It adds the 120 Hz screen, the second 48MP camera and the longest video playback rating of the three. We compare it with Google's flagship in iPhone 17 vs Pixel 11.
  • Outside Apple: the Google Pixel 10a launched at $499 and now costs $599 at the Google Store. It has a second camera (13MP ultrawide) and a written seven-year update promise, to about March 2033.

For most people deciding between the three iPhones, the question is whether the ultra wide camera and the faster screen are worth the step from $699 to $899. Our iPhone buying guide covers the rest of Apple's lineup, including the Pro models.

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