The iPhone 17e updates with improved budget options that make the iPhone 17 look better

Apple’s new iPhone 17e hits stores on Wednesday, and a review of the latest $599 model has arrived. Reviewers praise the new color option, double the storage capacity, and MagSafe installation. However, what the iPhone 17e lacks it makes up for in the regular iPhone 17 for those who can afford it.

First, Brian Tong has a video review that calls the iPhone 17e a “solid improvement” for iPhone SE and iPhone 11 users, mainly because of the storage bump and the addition of MagSafe:

Meanwhile, TechRadar calls the new soft pink option “the best color combination” while describing the A19 chip as “very fast,” but the lack of an always-on display or a 120Hz refresh rate is bad for the iPhone 17e:

The Apple iPhone 17e is not a complete return of the budget Apple iPhone – rather, it is an improvement on the formula introduced by the Apple iPhone 16e. That phone has done the hard work by modernizing the design and ditching the Home button that defines the Apple iPhone SE (third generation); 17e simply makes the package more compelling.

Some of that newness comes with a new Soft Pink color option alongside Black and White, but the biggest improvement is under the hood. The iPhone 17e runs on Apple’s A19 chip and feels consistently faster in everyday use, and now starts with 256GB of storage – doubling the base capacity of its predecessor – while keeping the same starting price of $599 / £599 / AU$999.

The Verge says the iPhone 17e is “nice, but you shouldn’t buy it” because the $200 jump over the standard iPhone 17 is “worth it.”

The main thing to know about the 17E is that the iPhone 17 is there, it costs $200 more – or perhaps more importantly, $9 more per month on a two-year payment plan without any discount offered by your carrier – and it comes with a long list of improvements. And if you can afford to put that extra money away, you should.

CNET cleverly calls the iPhone 17e’s appeal “magnetic” thanks to MagSafe, while labeling the $200 affair as too light for most people.

Other features of the 17E serve as a reminder that you get what you pay for. The bezels are noticeably thicker than Apple’s premium options. There’s no Dynamic Island for system notifications and Live Actions, but there is an old-school notch at the top. The constant 60 Hz display also means there’s no always-on display, so I can’t quickly glance at the time or my notifications — something that was hard to get used to.

There’s a lot that makes the iPhone 17E feel like a worthy option at a lower price. And for most people, the compromise shouldn’t sound too obvious, especially if you’re saving a few hundred dollars.

Engadget sums up the iPhone 17e as a “thrifty option” for being an entry-level smartphone that “checks the boxes for the basics.”

With the current state of the global economy, Apple’s focus on low-cost devices like the iPhone 17e and the recently launched MacBook Neo is timely. Most people probably don’t take full advantage of the powerful devices in their pockets and laps, and they may be rethinking whether they need to spend a lot of money on the Pros and Airs of Apple’s product line. At $599, the iPhone 17e is roughly half the price of the iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone Air. It’s $200 cheaper than the base iPhone 17, too.

You can find more reviews at The Telegraph, MobileSyrup, PCMag, Tom’s Guide, and Wired.

The iPhone 17e is available for pre-order now ahead of the official release on Wednesday, March 11.

Apple has three new accessories for the iPhone 17e:

What do you think of Apple’s latest $599 iPhone so far? Let us know in the comments.