iPhone on a budget? The 17e delivers more than you might expect

If you were about to buy the iPhone 17 you might want to hold on. That's because Apple has just updated its entry-level option with the new iPhone 17e and it looks pretty impressive. In fact, there's very little missing on this handset, making it a trickier decision of which phone to buy.

With a 6.1-inch display, the 17e is the most compact iPhone in the range and features FaceID and a notch that holds the front 12MP camera and sensors. There's the same Ceramic Shield 2 protecting the screen as used across the entire iPhone 17 lineup. Plus, on the rear, it now features a 48MP Fusion main camera like the one on the iPhone Air and the same used as the main camera on the iPhone 17 and 17 Pro models.

Inside, the iPhone 17e now uses the A19 chip – similar to that in the iPhone 17 – giving it fast performance and access to all of Apple's Intelligence features. Storage now starts from 256GB, which is double that of the base-level 16e, and is also available with 512GB if you need more capacity.

Priced at £599 / $599 the iPhone 17e is £200 / $200 cheaper than the iPhone 17, which is a significant saving for those wanting just the basic functionality of an iPhone. While it doesn't have the second camera or the always-on 120Hz display of the 17, it provides a competitive feature set for the price.

One of the big changes over the 16e is that it now features MagSafe, so you can benefit from the magnetic wireless charging functionality and use a wide range of accessories, such as the MagSafe wallet and magnetic power banks.

Pre-orders open on 4 March, 2026 with availability in stores and delivery from 11 March 2026.