iPhone 17e Hands-On: What's New and What's Not

[MacRumors]

Apple's latest low-cost iPhone launched yesterday, and we picked up the iPhone 17e to see how it compares to the iPhone 16e that came before it, and how it measures up to the iPhone 17 lineup.

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Apple didn't update the design of the iPhone 17e, so it still has the look of an iPhone 14, which is the iPhone that Apple used as a base for the iPhone 16e. There's a notch on the display with no Dynamic Island, but Apple did make a few changes to modernize the iPhone 17e.

The iPhone 16e didn't have MagSafe, which was a major hassle, but the iPhone 17e does. MagSafe has been fully embraced by both Apple and accessory makers, so it's difficult to find accessories that don't use MagSafe. Adding MagSafe opens up a whole new range of options for cases and chargers, plus it means wireless charging is now 15W instead of 7.5W.

There's still a limited color palette for the iPhone 17e, but there is a light pink model in addition to the black and white options this year. The soft pink is a subtle shade that looks nice in person, and it's not too Barbie pink or too baby pink. Ceramic Shield 2 is new for the front glass this year, meaning the iPhone 17e should be more resistant to scratches.

Like the iPhone 17, the iPhone 17e uses the A19 chip, which is the latest A-series chip, though the iPhone 17e version has one fewer GPU core. The A19 offers incredible performance for a low-cost iPhone, but you might not notice much in the way of day-to-day speed improvements coming from an iPhone 16e. If you're coming from an older iPhone like an iPhone 8, X, XR, XS, 11, or similar, the difference will be night and day.

Base storage has been upgraded to 256GB, and Apple doesn't offer a 128GB option anymore. There wasn't a change in starting price with the storage update, which is a major plus.

The iPhone 17e has many of the same compromises as the iPhone 16e. There's still a single-lens rear camera with no Telephoto or Ultra Wide lens, there's a notch on the display, and it now lacks the 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate Apple added to the rest of the iPhone 17 lineup.

If you don't mind having one camera lens to work with and won't miss ProMotion, the iPhone 17e is an excellent deal. It's priced starting at $599, which makes it $200 cheaper than the iPhone 17.

Article Link: iPhone 17e Hands-On: What's New and What's Not

 

[Corefile]

Does anybody know if the Neo is waterproof? Most iPhone chip devices are waterproof so I was assuming you can edit your scuba diving video in real-time while you're still swimming with the sharks. Anybody try this?

 

[klasma]

7:26 I prefer the notch.

 

[klasma]

Does anybody know if the Neo is waterproof? Most iPhone chip devices are waterproof so I was assuming you can edit your scuba diving video in real-time while you're still swimming with the sharks. Anybody try this?

Laptops generally aren’t waterproof, and MacBooks aren’t an exception here. Apple hasn’t published any IP ratings for them I believe. Even iPads are only IP42, far from waterproof. Also, this is the wrong thread. If you meant to ask about the 17e, it’s IP68 (dust tight and water resistant, immersible up to 6m for 30 min).

 

[now i see it]

My philosophy on getting a new iPhone is simple: use the one you’ve got until it becomes unbearable or unusable then buy another new old stock iPhone that’s 1-2 years old.

 

[Hogswarts]

Since the Neo, I'm going to say this about every new iPhone now: when can we run macOS on it?

 

[Spock]

Does anybody know if the Neo is waterproof? Most iPhone chip devices are waterproof so I was assuming you can edit your scuba diving video in real-time while you're still swimming with the sharks. Anybody try this?

This is a thread about the iPhone, did I miss something??

 

[Ma2k5]

This is a thread about the iPhone, did I miss something??

No, he is missing something….

 

[klasma]

Since the Neo, I'm going to say this about every new iPhone now: when can we run macOS on it?

As a consequence of being a locked-down system where a third party controls which software you may run on it, the answer is “never”.

 

[ab2c4]

I think it’s a great phone for the price. Nice upgrades over the 16e.

 

[M4irmidnight]

7:26 I prefer the notch.

There’s definitely a small minority of us who have come to miss it.

I personally wish apple would give us app by app settings to turn off Dynamic Island activities from showing.

Some apps are so distracting with stuff I don’t need to see 24/7 and a simple look at the lock screen live activity is all I need.

I also think it’s cleaner. Just my 2 cents.

 

[HazeAndHahmahneez]

Alright folks here’s the mini iPhone you’re looking for.

And yeah Dynamic Island should def be controllable on either a global or app-by-app basis.

 

[staypuftforums]

I'm going to hold out one more year.

In 2027, the iPhone 18e should have dynamic island and the Macbook Neo should have 12GB of RAM.

Don't know for sure if they'll upgrade the Neo yearly though. It may be every other year.

 

[staypuftforums]

7:26 I prefer the notch.

I despise the notch. Always have and always will.

 

[staypuftforums]

My philosophy on getting a new iPhone is simple: use the one you’ve got until it becomes unbearable or unusable then buy another new old stock iPhone that’s 1-2 years old.

Battery will always be trash, using that strategy.

 

[Hogswarts]

As a consequence of being a locked-down system where a third party controls which software you may run on it, the answer is “never”.

LOL. As a consequence of being a locked-down company, you have no idea.

 

[klasma]

I despise the notch. Always have and always will.

I don't like it either, but I dislike the dynamic pill even more.

 

[Mikeyt1818]

I got the 17e in soft pink today. I love that it is just small enough for one handed use in most cases. It is much faster than my SE 3rd Gen as expected. Battery life seems great so far. I have no issue with the notch. I am now setting up my Neo in Blush. I love that the soft pink and blush colors are just slightly pink in certain lighting. I really hope that for the 18e there will be better color options. But for $599 I feel that it is a very good phone. Just one man's humble opinion.

 

[HazeAndHahmahneez]

I got the 17e in soft pink today. I love that it is just small enough for one handed use in most cases. It is much faster than my SE 3rd Gen as expected. Battery life seems great so far. I have no issue with the notch. I am now setting up my Neo in Blush. I love that the soft pink and blush colors are just slightly pink in certain lighting. I really hope that for the 18e there will be better color options. But for $599 I feel that it is a very good phone. Just one man's humble opinion.

What would you choose and why: your 3rd gen SE or 13 mini (the 13 with -surprisingly- the technically bigger screen at 5.4” versus 4.7” on SE)?

Then the winner of that wouldn’t edge out the new 17e right? I’m just curious ppls preferences with the smaller size phones they’re not all the same size by a long shot it seems.

Sometimes I do wish I could use the small phones cuz it’s just easier to carry around but the trade off is just no way. Need that battery and wide body for typing….

 

[Mikeyt1818]

I had the 12 mini for a year. I went to the SE 3rd Gen because despite the smaller screen, I preferred the rounded frame as I am not a big fan of the flat frame. It just feels better in my hand. The battery life on the 12 mini was abysmal, my wife has the 13 mini and it is a little better but now she only has about 85% battery life left so she is considering the 17e as well.

For me, the 17e is the biggest phone that I can use on a daily basis. I wanted to like the iPhone Air and I bought it as soon as it came out and while it was a gorgeous phone, I did not like having to use two hands most of the time. The 17e is very fast, the battery is still at 42% after using it all day long. If you don't mind the notch and one camera (so far snapping very good pics btw), then I must recommend the 17e. But as I explained above, between the 13 mini and the SE 3, I would reluctantly go back to the SE just because of the in hand feel.

 

[orangeadrenaline]

Can we please compare the unlocked cost of iPhones? $599 for 17e and $829 (not $799) for 17.

 

[Mikeyt1818]

In terms of value I honestly believe the 17e is the better deal. A $230 premium for a slightly bigger screen which is actually a negative for some of us. Yes you get a better camera setup and dynamic island plus a few other bonuses which are probably not necessary for 80% of buyers. I did not even consider the 17. Unlocked $599 is the max I would pay for a phone. Great value for a phone that does everything that most need.

 

[cubeover]

what’s the point of having a 120hz screen when Safari is locked to 60hz max? bollox

 

[Jumpthesnark]

Does anybody know if the Neo is waterproof? Most iPhone chip devices are waterproof so I was assuming you can edit your scuba diving video in real-time while you're still swimming with the sharks. Anybody try this?

Yes, totally. Bring yours with you in the bath tub.

 

[Jeeve Stubbs]

"The iPhone 16e didn't have MagSafe, which was a major hassle"

No it wasn't. Just a minor inconvenience, and then only for those who had a MagSafe iPhone before (but why would they switch to 16e in the first place?). I have the iPhone 16e, the battery is more than enough to last a long day, and when I recharge the device while I sleep at night, whether it takes 15 minutes or 3 hours is a non-issue.