iPhone 17e vs iPhone 17: What’s the difference?

Tempted by the cheaper iPhone 17e but aren’t sure how it really compares to the iPhone 17? You’ve come to the right place.

As we’ve reviewed both the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17e, we’ve compared our experiences with the two handsets below. We’ve assessed everything from their design differences to how they perform on a day-to-day basis, to help you decide which iPhone will suit you best.

Keep reading to see how the iPhone 17e compares to the iPhone 17, and which one is likely to earn a space on our best smartphones guide.

Otherwise, check out our iPhone 17e vs iPhone 16e comparison to see what’s new with Apple’s affordable model, while iPhone 17 Pro vs iPhone 17 explains whether you need to splurge on the top-end iteration instead.

Price and Availability

When it first launched back in 2025, the iPhone 17 was actually Apple’s most affordable handset, with a starting price of £799/$799 for its 256GB iteration.

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However, the more recently launched iPhone 17e has since taken the iPhone 17’s title of being Apple’s most affordable phone. With a starting price of £599/$599 for the 256GB model, you can save a hefty £200/$200 opting for the iPhone 17e.

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Design

• iPhone 17 includes the Action Button and Camera Control button, while the iPhone 17e only sports the former
• Both have an IP68 rating and Ceramic Shield 2 protection
• iPhone 17e is slightly thinner with a smaller display

Both the sport similar designs as their respective predecessors, and are fitted with flat edges and rounded corners.

Even the cheaper iPhone 17e is packed with many of the same durability features as the iPhone 17 including Ceramic Shield 2 at the front and an IP68 rating too. Now, although you may have seen many of the best Android phones boasting ratings of IP69 and even IP69K, we would argue this is more of a marketing ploy than traits that are genuinely useful. Unless, of course, you plan on pressure washing your smartphone. 

Both also sport the Action Button, which is a customisable button that has replaced the old ringer switch. However, the iPhone 17 benefits from the Camera Control button too which acts as a shortcut to the Camera app and customising the shot. 

Otherwise, the iPhone 17 is slightly thicker than the iPhone 17e although the difference is negligible, so you won’t really notice it. 

Winner: iPhone 17

Screen

• The iPhone 17 has a 6.3-inch display, although housed in the same physical footprint as its 6.1-inch predecessor 
• iPhone 17 finally includes ProMotion technology, while the iPhone 17e caps out at 60Hz
• iPhone 17e has a 6.1-inch OLED display

Put simply, we think the iPhone 17 has the best screen that we’ve seen on an entry-level iPhone. In comparison, the iPhone 17e just hasn’t quite got the oomph to match it.

Firstly, the headline feature of the iPhone 17 is that it finally includes Apple’s ProMotion technology, meaning it has an LTPO-enabled 1-120Hz display. The difference is staggering, and makes scrolling and animations feel smoother than the iPhone 17e’s 60Hz maximum. 

Not only that, but the iPhone 17 has a slightly larger 6.3-inch display compared to the iPhone 17e’s 6.1-inches. In fact, the iPhone 17 houses its screen in the same physical footprint as its predecessor, thanks to the slimmer bezels which helps make the handset look more premium than others. That’s not to say the bezels on the iPhone 17e are large or distracting, it’s just that the iPhone 17’s are slimmer.

The iPhone 17 also benefits from a higher peak brightness of 3000 nits, whereas we measured the iPhone 17e as having a maximum 750 nits instead. That’s a huge difference, and means the iPhone 17e is trickier to use when outdoors in bright sunlight.

Winner: iPhone 17

Camera

• iPhone 17 has 48MP main and 48MP ultrawide rear sensors
• iPhone 17 also boasts an 18MP square front camera for better selfies
• iPhone 17e only has one rear sensor, making it much less versatile

One of the biggest reasons to opt for the iPhone 17 is due to its camera. While it may not be quite as slick as the iPhone 17 Pro, its dual set-up is likely enough for most users. 

The standout feature of the iPhone 17 is its 48MP main lens which we found delivers a consistently sharp and colour-accurate image, however the 48MP ultrawide does an admirable job too. It won’t match the main lens in dark conditions though. 

While of course we’d like a telephoto lens here, the main camera’s 2x in-sensor zoom delivers good quality shots when you need them.

Flip the iPhone 17 over and you’ll find its 18MP selfie camera, which now sports a square sensor. This allows you to short full-res portrait and landscape shots without needing to rotate your phone. 

In comparison, the iPhone 17e isn’t quite as impressive. Not only is its front camera just 12MP and doesn’t share the same square sensor, but at its rear is just one 48MP “Fusion” lens. While you can capture detailed shots, with accurate yet vibrant colours even at night, if you’re used to playing around with different lenses then you’ll be disappointed with the iPhone 17e.

Winner: iPhone 17

Performance

• Both run on Apple’s A19 chip, although the iPhone 17e’s has a slightly downgraded GPU
• Even so, in daily use the iPhone 17e feels just like the iPhone 17
• The iPhone 17 does benefit from ProMotion which makes gaming feel smoother

Both the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17e run on Apple’s A19 chipset, although it’s worth noting that the iPhone 17e’s version has a slightly downgraded GPU. What this should mean is that gaming might not be as smooth as otherwise, however we didn’t report any differences there.

Generally, both iPhones open apps instantly, allowing you to scroll through social media and even game without any stutter. However, as the iPhone 17 sports ProMotion, gaming does have a slight edge here.

So, while we’ll give the win here to the iPhone 17, it’s worth noting that the iPhone 17e’s performance isn’t far behind.

Winner: iPhone 17

Software

• Both run on iOS 26
• Both support Apple Intelligence, although it’s a pretty underwhelming toolkit at present

There aren’t many differences between the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17e’s software, as both run on Apple’s iOS 26, have the Liquid Glass finish and support Apple Intelligence.

The Liquid Glass design is somewhat divisive, however we think it looks great as everything feels more fluid and responsive than before. Even so, you can turn its intensity down via your device settings.

Otherwise, both iPhones also support Apple Intelligence, Apple’s AI-toolkit that hasn’t really taken off. While some of its features are useful, such as Live Translation and call summaries, Siri remains dated while Image Playground falters in comparison to Google’s Nano Banana. Hopefully, Apple Intelligence will see improvements in the future, but for now it shouldn’t be the reason you choose an iPhone.

Winner: Tie

Battery

• Both are solid all-day phones
• iPhone 17 supports 40W wired and Qi2-powered MagSafe 25W wireless charging speeds
• iPhone 17e supports 25W and MagSafe 15W wireless charging

Although neither the iPhone 17 nor iPhone 17e boasts the same capacity as the likes of the OnePlus 15, both are still solid all-day handsets. We found both could last for around four hours of screen time before needing a top-up. 

Charging speeds, however, remain somewhat uninspiring here, especially when compared to the best Android phones. However, with the iPhone 17 supporting 40W wired and 25W wireless, it’s faster than the iPhone 17e’s speeds of 25W and 15W respectively.

Winner: iPhone 17

Verdict

We would recommend that, so long as your budget can swing it, you opt for the iPhone 17. Not only does it boast a brilliant screen, but its cameras are more versatile and it performs brilliantly in most tasks. 

That’s not to say the iPhone 17e isn’t a decent iPhone, it’s just harder to recommend due to its single camera and standard display. Having said that, we found that it does perform most tasks as well as the iPhone 17.