iPhone 17e: Small Details You Might Miss
Apple introduced the iPhone 17e, with significant improvements over the iPhone 16e including the A19 chip, MagSafe, and Ceramic Shield 2 for a more resistant screen. The device also features Apple’s latest C1X 5G fast modem, 256GB of double storage, and a new Soft Pink color option alongside White and Black.
In addition to those headline changes, we’ve found four smaller details about the iPhone 17e:
- A19 chip limitation: While the A19 chip in the iPhone 17 has a 5-core GPU, the chip has a reduced 4-core GPU in the iPhone 17e. This limitation will result in slightly slower graphics performance while gaming, but most customers are unlikely to notice much of a difference in real-world use. This is not an understatement, either, as the A18 chip in the iPhone 16e also has a 4-core GPU.
- eSIM-only in most countries: The iPhone 16e was eSIM only in the US, but the iPhone 17e does not have a SIM card slot in the US, Canada, Mexico, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and other countries and regions listed next to the “Model A3575” of the iPhone 17e on the Apple mobile page.
- Same battery capacity: Like the iPhone 16e, the iPhone 17e has a 4,005 mAh battery, according to the product label on Apple’s EU website. Apple’s advertised battery ratings for the iPhone 16e and iPhone 17e are the same.
- Next generation images: With support for next-generation photos, Apple says “iPhone 17e recognizes people, dogs, and cats, and automatically preserves depth details, allowing users to turn photos into beautiful photos with background blur after capture and adjust the focus area in the Photos app.”
We are still working to confirm the amount of RAM included in the iPhone 17e, but it is likely to be 8GB, which is in line with the amount in the iPhone 16e and the regular iPhone 17. The next beta of Xcode 26.4 should confirm this information, so stay tuned.
In the US, the iPhone 17e starts at $599, as does the iPhone 16e. You can pre-order the iPhone 17e on Apple.com starting Wednesday, March 4 at 6:15 am Pacific Time, with availability starting on Wednesday, March 11.
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