Apple Just Announced a New “affordable” IPhone.
If you’re planning on getting a new iPhone, Apple has good news: the company just announced it. Despite a major event planned for Wednesday , it decided to unveil some new products early, including its newest “affordable” phone, the iPhone 17e . While “affordable” doesn’t necessarily mean “cheap,” the “e” series offers most of the features you’d expect from an iPhone for well under $1,000.
At first glance, the new iPhone 17e looks strikingly similar to the iPhone 16e. That’s because the phones are functionally identical in design. You still get the same 6.1-inch display with 800 nits of brightness (1200 nits for HDR); the same dimensions, minus an extra 0.08 ounces; the same IP68 water and dust resistance; a single rear camera supporting 4K Dolby Vision video; and the same battery life (Apple claims 26 hours of video playback). But despite the many similarities, that doesn’t mean they’re the same iPhones. In fact, there are a number of improvements that make the iPhone 17e an interesting choice, especially considering the price.
A faster chip, and what else is new in the iPhone 17e?
The main hardware improvement here is the A19 chip: if you look at the Geekbench benchmark results for the iPhone 17 (A19) and iPhone 16e (A18), you’ll see an advantage. The iPhone 17 scored 3627 in single-core and 9249 in multi-core, with a GPU score of 37146. The 16e scored 3242 in single-core, 7976 in multi-core, and 23888 in multi-core. These are all numbers on paper, and we’ll have to see how the A19 performs in the 17e itself, but there’s a real jump here, particularly in multi-core and GPU performance. This means that even if you’re upgrading from last year’s iPhone, you should see improvements in demanding games and professional workflows, though not as significant for simpler tasks. (I don’t think anyone is commenting on how fast the Notes app opens on an A19 iPhone.)
This doesn’t mean the A19 processor alone is enough to justify upgrading from the iPhone 16e. While performance is certainly improved, that doesn’t make the A18 obsolete, nor does the A17. In fact, Apple’s press release compares the iPhone 17e’s speed to the iPhone 11 , demonstrating how capable the mid-range iPhones are even in 2026. However, hardware improvements must also be acknowledged: the A19 is a 3nm chip with a quad-core GPU equipped with “neural accelerators,” which Apple says improves gaming performance.
A faster modem
The iPhone 17e also uses Apple’s C1X modem. The company claims this hardware is twice as fast as the C1 modem in the iPhone 16e and uses 30% less power than the modem in the iPhone 16 Pro. This can help improve battery life while on the go, while maintaining speed when connected to cellular networks.
The “best” camera
While the iPhone 17e still has a single rear camera, Apple claims some improvements—namely, it now features a 48MP Fusion Camera with a 2x zoom telephoto lens and optical quality. Optical quality doesn’t necessarily mean optical, as this lens doesn’t actually zoom, but Apple seems to be claiming that the larger sensor can mimic the quality of a 2x zoom camera. While the iPhone 16e supports Portrait mode with depth-of-field control, Apple claims the 17e supports “next-generation portraits” with depth-of-field and focus control.
More durable display
One small improvement that really makes a difference is Ceramic Shield 2. This technology is used in the rest of the iPhone 17 series, and oddly enough, it’s one of my favorite features of my 17 Pro Max. Apple claims the new glass is three times more scratch-resistant, and while I can’t put my finger on the numbers, I haven’t seen a single scratch on the screen since I got the phone (knock on wood).
MagSafe charging
The iPhone 17e also supports MagSafe, something the iPhone 16e lacked. This means the new iPhone supports MagSafe accessories from Apple and third-party manufacturers, as well as Apple’s faster Qi2 wireless charging with a 15W or 20W adapter or higher.
How to buy an iPhone 17e
The iPhone 17e starts at $599 for the 256GB version—double the storage of the 16e. (This is essentially a price reduction.) You can also get a 512GB version for $799. The phone is available in black, white, and soft pink.
Apple says pre-orders for the iPhone 17e will begin on March 4, likely after a major unveiling, with it set to go on sale on March 11. Interestingly, that’s the same day Samsung launches the Galaxy S26 series .