- Apple has finally launched the coveted and anticipated iPhone 17e.
- Launched to align with the iPhone 17 series, the phone brings A19 SoC, up to 512GB storage, IP68 rating, and a single 48MP fusion rear camera.
- iPhone 17e remains unchanged to iPhone 16e in many ways that you can imagine though.
We had to wait for quite some time but iPhone 17e has finally launched at $599. Packed with A19 SoC, up to 512GB storage, a beefy 4,005mAh battery, and a 48MP rear Fusion Camera, the phone does bring a few upgrades – while keeping a few unchanged that we will be touching base with in the following iPhone 17e launch coverage.
Apple’s iPhone 17e specs, features, and beyond
The next-gen beauty, an iPhone 17e, brings an IP68 rating and a Ceramic Shield 2 front case, with a scratch-resistant coating that is 3x more powerful than its predecessor. The phone brings a Super Retina XDR OLED panel with Dolby Vision, up to 1200 nits peak HDR brightness, and a Face ID built in for impeccable security on the go. For context, iPhone 16e uses the same specs in terms of display tech. In fact, the overall size of the phone is identical at 7.8mm in thickness. The phone has grown a bit in weight at 169g (a 2g increase from 16e).
iPhone 17e, the latest affordable e-series iPhone from Apple, brings the Apple A19 SoC under the hood. It has a 6-core CPU plus 4-core GPU with neural accelerators, and a 16-core Neural Engine to run LLMs, Apple Intelligence, and Apple’s Visual Intelligence, faster than its previous generation. Storage options include 256GB and 512GB, replacing 128GB from its base storage. The RAM option remains unknown, though.
Apple’s iPhone 17e brings C1X modem under the hood, which is technically 2x faster, and it takes 30 percent less energy than the C1 modem found on the iPhone 16 Pro. The modem tends to bring added satellite connectivity features on-board such as Emergency SOS, Find My, Messages, and Roadside Assistance.
On the optics front, iPhone 17e features a single 48MP fusion camera with 2x telephoto zoom and optical quality. It can shoot videos at up to 4K resolution with Dolby Vision, 60 fps, and Spatial Audio. We have a 12MP front-facing camera on-board. The phone supplies power using a 4,005mAh all-day battery that takes 30 minutes to charge 50%, thanks to an undisclosed charging speed plus Qi2 and MagSafe-compliant 15W wireless charging.
Apple is building up on AI features with the iPhone 17e
Talking about the AI features – and there are many, iPhone 17e is all packed with Live Translation for Messages, Phone, FaceTime, and with AirPods. Apple AI’s Visual Intelligence is a big thing on iPhone 17e. It works on a similar principle as Samsung’s Circle to Search and Google Gemini, allowing users to see, ask questions, search, and take actions for whatever is happening on the screen.
There’s a ‘Call Screening’ feature on-board that takes care of unknown numbers and automatically screens to know the purpose of the call. Apple’s AI can now sort messages from unknown senders into dedicated folders so it doesn’t clog your conversation list.
Pricing and availability
iPhone 17e rolls out in two trims, i.e., the entry-level 256GB at $599 and the higher 512GB variant, all decked up at $799. The phone will enter pre-orders starting Wednesday (March 4), with the shipping commencing on March 11.
You can check out the offering from Apple.com or online/offline retailers in your country for benefits such as no-cost EMIs, Apple Trade In, among others, that may vary depending on where you live.
