The iPhone 17e now has MagSafe, double the base storage and tougher glass. But its single camera and slow display remain unchanged. Image: Apple

Apple has announced the iPhone 17e, updating the lowest-end new model in its lineup. While it has several key updates, including a newer chip and double the base storage, Apple hasn't made any updates to the cameras, which were one of the original 16e's biggest weaknesses.

Like its predecessor, the 17e has a single 48MP Type 1/2.55 (23.5mm²) rear camera with a 26mm equiv. F1.6 lens, which also has a "2x" mode that crops in on the center quarter of the sensor. Apple has, however, updated its branding, now referring to it as a "Fusion camera system" rather than a "2-in-1 camera system."

The iPhone 17e's camera has no higher aspirations than to be "good enough." Image: Apple

The 12MP selfie camera has also been untouched; the 17e doesn't get the larger 18MP square model found on the standard iPhone 17, which lets you take horizontal and vertical crops no matter which orientation you're holding the phone at. The 17 also includes a 48MP, Type 1/2.55 (23.5mm²) ultra-wide camera, which offers the ever-popular "0.5x" mode, and its main camera uses a larger Type 1/1.56 (48mm²) sensor.

Related: Which iPhone is best for photography?

Also unchanged is the display. While the iPhone 17 prompted many "finally!"s by switching to a 120Hz model, the 17e's 6.1" OLED screen is still stuck at a 60Hz refresh rate (and still has a large notch taken out of the top to house the FaceID camera and sensors). It is, however, now protected by Apple's second-gen "Ceramic Shield" glass, which testing has shown to be quite a bit more scratch-resistant than the first-gen one found on the 16e. It can reach 1200 nits, which, while not as impressive as the brightness that some flagship phones are capable of, is still typically plenty for all but the harshest sunlight.

As for what else Apple has changed, the 17e's processor and cellular modem are a generation newer than its predecessor's, though Apple isn't making any strong claims about the A19's performance or efficiency compared to the A18; both "e" models are rated for up to 26 hours of video playback. However, the company does say the Apple-designed C1X modem is "up to 2x faster" than the C1 used by the 16e.

Lots of people complained when the 16e launched without MagSafe, and for good reason: it's wonderfully convenient, and there are a lot of accessories available for it now that it's been around for a few years. Image: Apple

Perhaps most importantly, though, is that Apple has upgraded the 16e's standard Qi wireless charging. The 17e now has the company's "MagSafe" tech. While some will appreciate that the guaranteed alignment means it can charge twice as fast (up to 15W vs. 7.5), most are likely to be more excited about gaining access to the wide accessory ecosystem surrounding it, making it easy to attach the phone to tripods, stands, and basically anything else. The 17e also has double the base storage as its predecessor, with the standard model coming with 256GB. It does, however, still max out at 512GB.

When the 16e launched last year, replacing the almost decade-old "SE" line, it was an open question as to whether we could expect Apple to update it every year, as it does with its main phones. With the SE, that wasn't the case; the company only made three models between 2016 and 2022. With this news, it appears we have an answer: yes, Apple will continue to add its latest chips and some new features to its more budget-oriented lineup.

Other budget competitors don't make you give up a high refresh-rate display or secondary camera

While the changes it's made to the 17e are important quality-of-life upgrades, I think the phone still sits in a somewhat uncomfortable place. The standard iPhone 17 has been lauded as one of the best all-around options available, and for many people, it'll be worth paying the $200 more to get its faster, larger screen and better camera system. Likewise, many other budget competitors like the Pixel 10a don't make you give up a high refresh-rate display or secondary camera option. However, if you really don't care about any of that and prefer your phones to be Apple-flavored, it's nice that you have the option to save some money and that you'll be getting a phone with fewer compromises than you would've before.

The phone has the same $599 starting MSRP as its predecessor, and is available in black, white and, now, "soft pink." It will be available for pre-order on March 4th and is set to launch on March 11th.

Image: Apple

With Apple's latest iPhone 17 series, the company's lineup has more options than before, from the iPhone Air to the iPhone 17 Pro Max (and we can't forget the budget iPhone 17e). While there are many things that set these phones apart, we're going to look at how the phones are for photography, and how they compare to each other.

How do Apple's new iPhones compare?

There are more subtle differences that we'll cover, but the biggest differences between cameras for the Air (left), iPhone 17 (middle) and iPhone 17 Pro (right) are obvious just from looking at them. Image: Apple

Comparing the cameras on the iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max is relatively simple; for most people, the main differences will be in the number of cameras each phone has. The Air has a single wide-angle camera, and the same model is found on the iPhone 17, though paired with an ultra-wide camera. The 17 Pro adds an additional telephoto camera, providing the most range and flexibility.

There are several shared components between the phones. The 17 and Air's main cameras, for example, are the same, as are the wide-angle camera on the 17 and 17 Pro. And for photography, they have the same set of features, including the Camera Control button, customizable Photographic Styles that give you more control over how your photos look and a portrait mode with adjustable computer-generated bokeh.

The iPhone 17 Pro's main camera is much larger than the one on the standard 17 and Air

Despite the commonalities, there are still benefits to going Pro. Besides the addition of a 100mm equiv. telephoto camera, the main camera also uses a much larger Type 1/1.28 (71.5mm²) sensor, compared to the Type 1/1.56 (48mm²) sensor used on the standard 17 and Air.

The additional area means it will gather more light, so it won't have to dip into the long exposure low-light mode as often, and can provide better image quality and more real bokeh in ideal lighting conditions. The Pros' main cameras also have a slightly wider focal length at 24mm, rather than 26mm.

Finally, there's the Air, which only has a single 26mm wide-angle camera. Apple includes a "2x" mode that crops in on the 12MP in the center of the sensor to provide a bit of additional reach, but if you like to shoot subjects that are far away, or like the look that ultra-wide images provide, you may want to consider other options. However, if you only use the main camera, you're not giving anything up versus the standard 17.

What about the selfie camera?

Image: Apple

For this generation, Apple introduced a brand new selfie camera which, thankfully, is included on all of its new phones. The new design is larger (though it's not clear by how much), higher-resolution and square. While it doesn't seem like the phone uses the whole sensor at once, it allows you to switch between portrait and landscape selfies without having to physically rotate your phone.

Is the Pro Max better than the Pro?

For photography, no; the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max have the same camera setup. This hasn't always been the case; the iPhone 15 Pro Max's telephoto camera had further reach than the one on the smaller model. However, this time around, you don't have to give up any photography features to get the more pocketable phone (unless you truly feel you need the 2TB storage option that's only available on the Max).

If you're interested in the Pro line, be sure to check out our deep-dive article that covers all the changes to its cameras and video features compared to the previous generation.

iPhone 17 versus iPhone 17e

The iPhone 17 (left) has more than just an extra camera compared to the 17e (right). Image: Apple

If you look at Apple's spec sheet, it'd be easy to think that the budget-oriented iPhone 17e's single camera is the same one used by the standard iPhone 17; the company calls them both "48MP Fusion Main" cameras, after all. However, the one on the 17e is substantially smaller, coming in at 23.5mm² (which you might recognize as the same size used by the more expensive phones' secondary and tertiary cameras).

The smaller sensor again means that the phone will have to work harder to capture clear photos in low light, and that images from it taken in ideal lighting conditions won't be as good as ones from the newer phones. That's especially true given that it's only optically stabilized, rather than having additional sensor stabilization like the mainline iPhones.

A few other limitations compared to the 17s and Air: the 17e doesn't have the next-generation portrait mode that lets you adjust what the main focus of the image is and what's blurred out, nor does it have the more customizable Photographic Styles. It also lacks the Camera Control button and uses the old selfie camera, meaning you'll have to turn your phone to get landscape portraits.

What about the iPhone 16?

Last year's iPhone 16 has the same main camera as the new iPhone 17, but ultra-wide shooters beware... Image: Tucker Bowe

As usual, Apple has stopped selling the previous-generation Pro phones, but is still selling the standard iPhone 16 for around $100 less than its launch price. Its main camera will be the same as the standard 17's, but its ultra-wide camera is a smaller (23.5mm²) 12MP model versus the 48MP one used by the current-gen. Like the 16e, it uses the older selfie camera.

What else should I consider?

There's a lot of things to consider when you're buying a phone beyond its photographic capabilities. For example, the iPhone 17 Pro Max has a massive battery and a giant screen, both of which could be handy on days when you're taking a ton of photos. The Pro phones also have a litany of video features, such as the ability to record ProRes Raw and Log footage.

Meanwhile, the iPhone Air is substantially thinner than the other options, which could be nice if you prefer a phone that doesn't take up a ton of pocket space. And, of course, there are countless Android options with their own sets of strengths and weaknesses. But you should now at least understand how the cameras on Apple's current-generation phones stack up to one another.

For the past several days, our team has been reporting live from CP+ 2026, the camera industry's premier trade show and consumer expo in Yokohama, Japan.

Now that the event has wrapped up, we wanted to share what it's like to experience the show floor in person. From the latest camera gear to the colorful kitsch, this video takes you on a whirlwind tour of CP+ 2026 in just a little over two minutes.