Apple iPhone 17e vs iPhone 16e: Main differences to expect
Apple will be treating us to a well-packed 2026, as the rumors claim, and the first new phone to roll out will be the iPhone 17e. According to reputable industry insider Mark Gurman, the iPhone 17e could be launched imminently and will reportedly be on the shelves very, very soon.
However, judging from the list of expected improvements, the device would likely get launched by the usual press release. That's because it's rather slim, but on the upside, the improvements fix some of our main issues with the iPhone 16e.
iPhone 17e vs iPhone 16e expected differences:
| iPhone 17e | iPhone 16e |
|---|---|
| Apple A19 chip, the same one as the iPhone 17 | Apple A18 chip with 8 GB of RAM, 4-core GPU |
| MagSafe support | No MagSafe support |
| Apple C1X chip and N1 chip for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Thread support | Apple C1 chip |
| Same $599 price | $599 starting price |
Table of Contents:
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Design and Size
No changes
The iPhone 17e will most certainly be identical to the iPhone 16e in terms of overall design language and dimensions. There's nothing wrong with that: the iPhone 16e was your standard iPhone that looks more premium than it costs and doesn't have anything remotely wrong with the aesthetics.
This means that you should expect the same 6.1-inch aluminum/glass sandwich that is 7.8 mm thin and weighs just 167 grams. The device will most certainly measure 146.7 by 71.5 mm, which would make it the most compact modern iPhone in 2026.
| iPhonw 17e | iPhone 16e |
|---|---|
| Thickness 7.8 mm | Thickness 7.8 mm |
| Dimensions 146.7 x 71.5 | Dimensions 146.7 x 71.5 |
| Weight 167 g | Weight 167 g |
The iPhone 16e was an IP68-rated device, and the iPhone 17e will be, too. This should give you a certain peace of mind that your phone would survive the elements, though I wouldn't recommend dunking either one in water deliberately.
In terms of colors, we haven't heard about any new iPhone 17e color options, but we do hope that Apple adds a third option aside from the white and black that the iPhone 16e was available in.
Display Differences
At the moment, the rumors point out that the iPhone 17e will come with the same screen as the iPhone 16e. Think of a 6.1-inch OLED Super Retina XDR display with a 60 Hz refresh rate (so no ProMotion), as well as a fairly low-ish peak brightness of around 1,200 nits. Not bad, but not great either, yet it somehow works for Apple's affordable iPhone.
I generally had no issues with the iPhone 16e screen, so chances are the iPhone 17e would press the same buttons.
| iPhone 17e | iPhone 16e |
|---|---|
| Size 6.1" | Size 6.1" |
| Brightness 1200 nits (peak) | Brightness 1200 nits (peak) |
Biometrics will be handled by the Face ID module in the notch, as is tradition.
Performance and Software
Your annual upgrade, please
The iPhone 17e will be equipped with Apple's latest chipset, the A19, which is ticking inside the iPhone 17. It's a very fast and efficient chip that loses to the slightly more impressive A19 Pro inside the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max.
Nevertheless, that would be an upgrade when compared to the Apple A18 inside the iPhone 16e.
The iPhone 17e will also come with an improved C1X modem that will further improve the efficiency of the cellular radio. The iPhone 16e was the first to offer an Apple-made modem, the C1.
| iPhone 17e | iPhone 16e |
|---|---|
| Chip Apple A19 | Chip Apple A18 |
| Process 3nm | Process 3nm |
| RAM, Storage 8/128 8/256GB 8/512GB | RAM, Storage 8/128GB 8/256GB 8/512GB |
Camera
A single camera, but a good one
Just like the iPhone 16e, the 17e will come with a single 48 MP camera in the rear. No hardware changes are likely coming here, which means that the image quality would generally be similar to the one you get out of the iPhone 16e.
Although it's a single camera, the large sensor resolution allows the camera to offer a 2X zoom with optical quality that's achieved by cropping in on the sensor.
And full disclosure, while I really can't live without a versatile triple camera with long zoom and lots of nice camera features, the single camera at the back of the iPhone 16e proved to be quite decent for regular everyday usage. A picture here and there, as well as the odd 4K video, would all look pretty good on the iPhone 17e.
I would have loved for the front camera to have scored the square Center Stage-capable camera sensor, but it seems this won't be happening.
| iPHone 17e | iPhone 16e |
|---|---|
| Main 48 MP, f/1.6 26 mm | Main 48 MP, f/1.6 26 mm |
| Front 12MP | Front 12 MP |
Battery Life and Charging
One particularly important change
The iPhone 17e will arrive with the same 4,005 mAh battery as the iPhone 16e, and I'd expect it to last a little bit longer thanks to the more efficient chipset. In the PhoneArena battery tests, the iPhone 16e achieved a respectable 17 and a half hours in our web browsing test, as well as seven hours in our video streaming test and nearly eight hours in the 3D gaming test. Decent results, especially if you don't watch too much video on your device.
| iPhone 17e | iPhone 16e |
|---|---|
| Battery size 4,005 mAh | Battery size 4,005 mAh |
Charging speeds 20W wired 15W wireless charging MagSafe | Charging speeds 20W wired 7.5W wireless charging No Magsafe |
Specs Comparison
|
|
| Apple iPhone 17e | Apple iPhone 16e |
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8 mm (~8.3 mm with camera bump) | |
| Weight | |
| 167.0 g | |
| Size | |
|---|---|
| 6.1-inch | 6.1-inch |
| Type | |
| OLED, 60Hz | OLED, 60Hz |
| System chip | |
|---|---|
| Apple A19 (3 nm) | Apple A18 (3 nm) |
| Memory | |
| 8GB (LPDDR5)/128GB (NVMe) 8GB/256GB 8GB/512GB | 8GB (LPDDR5)/128GB (NVMe) 8GB/256GB 8GB/512GB |
| Type | |
|---|---|
| 4005 mAh | |
| Charge speed | |
| Wired: 20.0W Wireless: 7.5W |
|
| Main camera | |
|---|---|
| 48 MP (OIS, Autofocus) Aperture size: F1.6 Focal length: 26 mm | 48 MP (OIS, Autofocus) Aperture size: F1.6 Focal length: 26 mm |
| Front | |
| 12 MP (Time-of-Flight (ToF), Autofocus, Autofocus) | 12 MP (Time-of-Flight (ToF), Autofocus, Autofocus) |
See the full
Apple iPhone 17e vs Apple iPhone 16e specs comparison
or compare them to other phones using our
Phone Comparison tool
Summary
Overall, the iPhone 17e is shaping up to be what would once have been an "iPhone S" generation: a release that improves some of the most glaring cut corners of a particular device.
The compact size and the fairly affordable $599 price tag, the good display, the decent performance, and most importantly, access to the Apple ecosystem, are just a few of the reasons why the iPhone 16e found its place in the best-selling phones for 2025 worldwide.
It seems the iPhone 17e wants to reiterate that success, but important additions like the latest chipset and the MagSafe support will make it an even smarter buy in 2026. If you want the most affordable access to the Blue Bubble Club, it would be challenging to beat the value that the iPhone 17e will be offering.
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