iPhone 17e vs iPhone 16e: What’s new?

Apple’s budget-friendly iPhone, the iPhone 17e, was launched just one year after its predecessor, the iPhone 16e.

With that in mind, what are the differences between the two iPhones? Did Apple do a complete overhaul with the iPhone 17e, or is the iPhone 16e still a great choice for most budget-seekers?

We’ve reviewed both the iPhone 17e and iPhone 16e, and highlighted the key differences and noteworthy similarities between them below. Keep reading to see what really separates the handsets.

Otherwise, visit our iPhone 17e vs iPhone 17 comparison to decide whether you should splurge on Apple’s standard model instead. Finally, our best mid-range phones list has all our affordable favourites from the past year.

Pricing and Availability

The iPhone 17e is Apple’s current affordable handset, with a starting price of £599/$599 for the 256GB handset.

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Although it just launched back in 2025, the iPhone 16e is no longer available to buy directly from Apple and can only be purchased through authorised resellers instead. The price will vary depending on the retailer, however you can expect to pay around £499 for its 128GB iteration.

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Design

• Both the iPhone 17e and iPhone 16e share the same general design
• iPhone 17e benefits from Ceramic Shield 2 at its front
• Neither are fitted with Apple’s Camera Control button

Put the iPhone 17e and iPhone 16e next to one another and you’d be hard-pressed to find a difference. Although the iPhone 17e comes in a Pink shade alongside Black and White, both share the same dimensions, have a back glass and sport the customisable Action Button in lieu of the ringer switch.

However, the iPhone 17e does benefit from Ceramic Shield 2 at its front, which is promised to offer three times the scratch resistance compared to Ceramic Shield which the iPhone 16e is decked out in. Otherwise, neither handset includes the Dynamic Island nor the Camera Control button found in the iPhone 17 or iPhone 16.

Winner: iPhone 17e

Screen

• Ceramic Shield 2 is the only difference between the iPhone 17e and iPhone 16e’s screens
• Both have 6.1-inch OLED panels
• Neither are fitted with ProMotion

The main difference with the iPhone 17e and iPhone 16e’s screens is that the former sports Ceramic Shield 2 for better scratch resistance. Otherwise, both are 6.1-inch OLED panels with a 60Hz refresh rate, as neither boast Apple’s ProMotion technology.

Overall, both devices have decent screens, however they certainly don’t measure up to the iPhone 17 or even the iPhone 16. In fact, even if you’re upgrading from a three or four-year old iPhone, you’re unlikely to really notice the difference here.

Winner: iPhone 17e

Camera

• Both have a single 48MP Fusion camera at their rear
• No selfie camera changes
• iPhone 17e has the next-generation portrait mode

There aren’t many changes with the iPhone 17e’s camera hardware compared to the iPhone 16e as both are fitted with just two cameras altogether: a 48MP Fusion lens at the rear and a 12MP selfie lens at the front. 

If you enjoy more versatility with your camera, and want to play around with different lenses, then neither iPhone here will likely suit your needs. Instead, you’d be better off with at least the iPhone 16 or iPhone 17, or checking out our best camera phones guide.

Having said that, both the iPhone 17e and 16e have capable and reliable cameras that produce detailed and vibrant shots. Even in darker conditions, both cameras are able to pull in enough light to capture decent shots.

The iPhone 17e also benefits from next-generation portrait shots with focus and depth control too, which the iPhone 16e missed out on. For this reason, we’ll give the win here to the iPhone 17e, however it’s still a close call.

Winner: iPhone 17e

Performance

• iPhone 17e runs on Apple’s A19 chip while the iPhone 16e sports the A18 chip
• iPhone 17e comes with 256GB by default
• iPhone 17e includes Apple’s latest C1X modem

The iPhone 17e runs on Apple’s A19 chip while the iPhone 16e, unsurprisingly, runs on the year-older A18 chip. Although both chips have one-less GPU compared to the iPhone 17 or iPhone 16, we conclude that the two handsets run brilliantly in everyday use. In fact, both the iPhone 17e and iPhone 16e took everything from intense gaming to photo editing with ease.

Dive deeper under the hood, and you’ll find that Apple uses its own modems within the two iPhones. While the iPhone 16e was the first to include the C1 modem, the iPhone 17e benefits from the newer C1X alternative. Essentially, the modems promise users faster and more reliable mobile connectivity, without using too much power. 

While the iPhone 17e promises even faster connectivity, in our review we didn’t really notice that much of a difference between it and the iPhone 16e. 

Finally, the iPhone 17e comes with 256GB storage as standard which is double that of the iPhone 16e. This is a welcome upgrade, as games and apps are larger than ever so extra storage is always beneficial.

Winner: iPhone 17e

Software

• Both have the Emergency SOS via Satellite and Crash Detection safety features
• Both feature Apple Intelligence
• Both support iOS 26

There’s very little difference between the two iPhones’ software. Both support iOS 26, and therefore sport the somewhat divisive Liquid Glass finish, and both surprisingly run the entire Apple Intelligence toolkit.

While it’s good that both the iPhone 16e and 17e support Apple Intelligence, we wouldn’t say this should be the reason you upgrade. Sure, some features like Live Translation and notification summaries are useful, but overall it doesn’t quite have the same oomph as Samsung or Google’s AI toolkits.

Otherwise, both handsets also support Emergency SOS via Satellite and Crash Detection too. These features will be a welcome addition for anyone coming from an older iPhone.

Winner: Tie

Battery Life

• We found the iPhone 17e and iPhone 16e run for a similar amount of time
• iPhone 17e supports MagSafe for faster 15W wireless charging than the 16e
• Both support 20W wired charging

The biggest difference between the iPhone 17e and iPhone 16e’s respective batteries is the inclusion of MagSafe in the former. Not only does this enable support for plenty of magnetic accessories but it offers 15W wireless charging, compared to the 7.5W on the 16e. Sure, it’s not as fast as the Xiaomi 15T Pro’s 50W, but it’s still an upgrade.

Otherwise, it’s pretty much business as usual with both iPhones here. Both support 20W wired charging speeds and both can comfortably last for a full day before needing a recharge. 

Winner: iPhone 17e

Verdict

Firstly, if you own the iPhone 16e then we’d argue there’s very little reason to upgrade to the iPhone 17e. Although Apple has made a few tweaks, overall the differences are negligible to really warrant splurging on the newer model. 

However, if you’re coming from an older iPhone and want a cheap way to upgrade to a newer iteration, then the iPhone 17e is a brilliant option. Not only will you benefit from a speedy chip, but the camera is solid and Apple Intelligence is present too. 

Having said that, if your budget is really tight, then the iPhone 16e is still a great option. Not only will you still benefit from a decent chip, Apple Intelligence support and a solid camera, but you can also pick the phone up with a hefty price drop.