After reviving the SE series but with a slightly different nomenclature, the iPhone 16e was surprisingly well-received around the world. Following rumours of its successor being on the cards, Apple has finally unveiled the iPhone 17e and it aims to redefine the entry-level flagship experience. It strips away the premium bells and whistles to focus on performance and pocketability with decent upgrades over its predecessor.
iPhone 17e specifications and features
Unlike what leaks and reports suggested, the iPhone 17e is not taking on Dynamic Island and is retaining the notch of its predecessor. It also features the same compact form factor with a 60 Hz 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display with a peak brightness of 1,200 nits.
However, this time around, the affordable iPhone is getting an upgraded Ceramic Shield 2 protection on top, which first debuted with the iPhone 17 series.
Under the hood, the smartphone is powered by the A19 Bionic chip, the same found in the mainline iPhone 17, albeit a slightly slower version. Thanks to this, the iPhone 17e, like its predecessor, also comes with Apple Intelligence and the latest iOS 26.3.
According to Apple, the iPhone 17e can offer video playback of up to 26 hours and a faster 20W fast charging. However, another headline addition this year is MagSafe support with 25W Qi2.2 wireless charging. The phone boasts 8 GB RAM and is available in up to 512 GB storage.
To keep the costs down and the design slim, the iPhone 17e features the same single 48 MP main camera, which offers up to 2x in-sensor lossless crop for portraits. The front also carries the 12 MP selfie camera from iPhone 16e, a 1:1 square sensor that can capture in both 16:9 and 4:3 aspect ratios when needed.
Connectivity-wise, the iPhone 17e features Apple's C1X cellular modem as well as the N1 chip for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. For those unaware, C1X is twice as fast while being 30% more power efficient. Thanks to the more modern modem, the iPhone 17e leaps to Bluetooth 6.0 and Wi-Fi 7. It retains NFC, stereo speakers and the same old USB 2.0 Type-C port.
iPhone 17e price in India and sale date
The iPhone 17e is priced at Rs 64,900 for the base 256 GB variant, while the 512 GB variant costs Rs 84,990, respectively.
The phone comes in the Black, White and Soft Pink colour options and will go up for pre-ordering starting March 4, 2026, at 7:45 PM IST. Meanwhile, general sales will start via the official Apple store on March 11, 2026.
