15 things you get for $200 more on the iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 17e

The least expensive smartphone in Apple’s current lineup is the new iPhone 17e, which starts at $599. The regular iPhone 17, which was announced last September, starts at $799. In this post, we tell you about all the great upgrades you get for paying an extra $200!

1. You get a modern looking phone

Right off the bat, the iPhone 17 has a nice front look with a smaller Dynamic Island compared to the (ugly) Face ID notch on the iPhone 17e, which makes it look a bit dated. Second, the side bezels on the iPhone 17 are much smaller than the 17e.

If you’ve never used an iPhone with a Dynamic Island, you should know that this little pill above the display helps you track sports scores, flight status, timers, music controls, and more.

If you’re upgrading from an older notch-based iPhone, Dynamic Island will be a subtle but important improvement. Also, it will be something new for you.

2. High refresh rate screen

One of the reasons to love the iPhone 17 is its high-resolution 120Hz ProMotion display, which, until the previous generation, was only available in the Pro and Pro Max models.

The 120Hz panel makes scrolling and viewing content very smooth and pleasing to the eyes. In comparison, the cheaper iPhone 17e is limited to only 60Hz (not even 90Hz)!

If you’ve never used a ProMotion display, trust me, it’s a huge improvement you’ll notice when you set up your new iPhone and scroll through Home Screen app icons.

3. Larger display

The iPhone 17 has a 6.3-inch display, while the iPhone 17e is much smaller at 6.1-inches.

4. Bright display

While the pixel resolution (2532-by-1170), pixel per inch (460 ppi), and standard contrast ratio are the same on display on both the iPhone 17 and 17e, the front panel is brighter.

• 1000 nits maximum brightness (typical) vs. 800 nits
• 1600 nits peak brightness (HDR) vs. 1200 nits
• 3000 nits peak brightness (outside) vs. there is no such information for the iPhone 17e

In short, if you use your phone outside regularly, the iPhone 17 will be a better fit.

5. It’s always on

Just like I don’t use a screen saver on my MacBook, I don’t use the Always-On display because I think it drains the battery unnecessarily. But I know many iPhone and Android users who like to have the clock, widgets, and Live Tasks permanently displayed on their Lock Screen, even when the phone is not in use. If you think this would be useful for you, then the iPhone 17 is for you, not the 17e.

6. More battery support

While the iPhone 17e has an impressive battery on paper, the iPhone 17 tops it by offering 4 more hours of video playback.

• iPhone 17: Up to 30 hours of video playback
• iPhone 17e: Up to 26 hours of video playback

7. Variable front camera

The iPhone 17 lineup includes a new 18MP Center Stage front camera with a square sensor, allowing you to take wide group/landscape photos or hold the phone in portrait mode. Also, this new camera sensor adds the following features that were missing from the iPhone 17e’s 12MP front camera:

• Very stable video
• A central platform for photos and video calls
• Double Shot
• Tap to rotate the image

8. Better rear cameras

The 48MP + 48MP rear cameras on the iPhone 17 give you these additional photography features, compared to the single 48MP camera on the iPhone 17e:

• Ultra-wide camera (0.5x) to include more people or space in your photos
• Better image stabilization (Sensor change image intensity vs. image intensity in 17e)
• Spatial 3D images
• Macro photography is taking very close-up pictures
• Latest Generation Photo Styles

9. Multiple video recording options

While both the iPhone 17 and 17e can record videos at resolutions up to 4K at 60 frames per second and slow-motion videos up to 1080p at 240 frames per second, paying $200 more gives you these extra features that the cheaper model doesn’t have:

• Cinematic video recording where the focus on the main subject and the background changes like it does in movies.
• Dual Capture allows recording with both front and rear cameras simultaneously and saves a single video file.
• Action mode allows you to record fast moving subjects with great smoothness and stability.
• Record Spatial videos that you can view in immersive 3D on Apple Vision Pro.
• Great video recording.
• Enhanced QuickTake video up to 4K 60fps.

10. Fast wired and wireless charging

The iPhone 17 will be a better fit for you if you tend to forget to charge your phone every night. It can reach 50% charge in 20 minutes if you use a 40W adapter or more. In comparison, the iPhone 17e can be fast-charged to 50% in 30 minutes with a 20W adapter.

Second, although the iPhone 17e now supports up to 15 watts of wireless charging (compared to 7.5 watts on the iPhone 16e), the standard iPhone 17 can charge wirelessly up to 25 watts.

11. Better wireless connectivity

The iPhone 17 supports the new Bluetooth 6 and Wi-Fi 7 specifications, while the iPhone 17e is still on the older Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6.

Second, like the smaller iPhone Air, the iPhone 17e does not support 5G mmWave, but the iPhone 17 does.

In addition, iPhone 17 has improved dual-frequency GPS accuracy for better location information.

And if you use smart home and Internet of Things (IoT) devices, the iPhone 17 supports the highly reliable Thread network technology, while the 17e does not talk about it.

One area where the iPhone 17e shines is Apple’s C1X chip, which helps keep your location private by preventing your carrier from knowing your exact location. This feature is not available on any other iPhone, except the iPhone Air.

12. Better AirTag and Find My Tracking

The iPhone 17 has Apple’s second-generation Ultra Wideband (U2) chip, while the iPhone 17e has a U1 chip. Compared to U1, the U2 chip has a three-times longer precision range, more accurate positioning, and uses less battery. In short, finding your AirTags, AirPods case, and Find My People nearby is faster, more accurate, and more efficient when using an iPhone 17 instead of an iPhone 17e.

13. Camera control button

I hated the Camera Control button at first, but after making some adjustments, I think it does a great job of quickly launching the camera and taking a quick photo. If you take a lot of photos, its addition can be useful; and you’ll find it on the iPhone 17 but not the iPhone 17e.

14. Another single GPU core

Although both the iPhone 17 and 17e share the A19 chip, the one in the more expensive model has more GPU cores (5 vs. 4).

15. More color options

The iPhone 17 comes in five finishes: Lavender, Mist Blue, Black, Whiteagain Sage. The iPhone 17e is limited to three: White, Blackand youth Soft Pink colors.

What do you think after going through the above points?

If you had to choose, would you be willing to pay $200 more for the above upgrade?

For me, the extra $200 is worth the higher refresh rate screen, extra camera, and better battery.

You can pre-order the iPhone 17e starting today (March 4, 2026), with the first delivery on March 11. The iPhone 17 is already available for 2-hour or next-day delivery in most ZIP codes.

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