Weekly Poll: Will You Buy the Apple iPhone 17e?

The Apple iPhone 17e has arrived, and it's sparking an interesting debate among tech enthusiasts. At first glance, the new budget iPhone barely seems to upgrade anything at all. But the more you look at its spec sheet, the more you start to think "this might actually be worth it." So, what do you think – would you buy the iPhone 17e?

What's New in the iPhone 17e?

Let's start with the upgrades, which admittedly won't take long to cover. The new phone features the Apple A19 chipset, bringing a ton of performance for what is technically a mid-ranger. It also uses the improved Apple C1X modem, which is up to twice as fast as the 16e's C1.

iPhone 17e upgrades:

• Apple A19 chipset
• Ceramic Shield 2 (3x better scratch resistance)
• MagSafe wireless charging at 15W (up from 7.5W)
• Anti-reflective coating on display
• 256GB base storage (previously a $100 upgrade)

What's Staying the Same?

The display is the same 6.1" OLED panel that still runs at 60Hz and still has that chunky notch on top. The battery capacity is the same 4,005mAh, and wired charging is the same (50% in 30 minutes). However, wireless charging is now twice as fast at 15W, and this is proper MagSafe charging, so the 17e has full access to the ecosystem of magnetic chargers and mounts – with or without a case.

The Storage Upgrade That Matters

One upgrade that might seem minor but actually makes a big difference: the iPhone 17e has 256GB base storage now. Sure, you could get a 256GB 16e, but that was a $100 upgrade. All Pixel 10 phones except the Pro XL and Pro Fold start with 128GB storage. And until a week ago, the same was true of the base Galaxy S. 256GB base storage is a bigger deal than it may appear at first.

The Dilemma

It feels like the 17e brings a bare minimum of upgrades and yet at the same time the 16e looks so much worse in comparison. There is a long list of upgrades that we might have wished for the 17e (bigger sensor, second camera, 120Hz display, Dynamic Island, etc.), but as the most affordable new iPhone, this is bound to have its fans.

Reader Reactions

Not everyone is convinced. One reader pointed out that for the price of the 256GB model, you can get an iPhone 16 which is just better in everything, and for the price of the 512GB variant you can get an iPhone 17 which is significantly better. Another reader suggested it's fine, but you have to find it at a really great price. At its price, you can already find the iPhone 16 base model, which slightly worse chip and battery aside is better in every other way.

Some readers are more blunt, suggesting this is for the kids and grandma, and anyone who reads tech blogs should be answering no.

The Bottom Line

So, what do you think – would you buy the iPhone 17e? Is the combination of the A19 chip, MagSafe charging, and 256GB base storage enough to make this a compelling purchase, or does it still fall short of what you'd expect from a 2026 iPhone? The poll is open, and your opinion matters.