Following the launch of the iPhone 17 lineup and the iPhone Air, Apple discontinued the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, and reduced the price of the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus by $100.
The iPhone 17e and iPhone 16 now represent the two least expensive iPhone models available directly from Apple, with just $100 between them. To justify this price gap, the iPhone 17e misses out on features such as the Dynamic Island, an Ultra Wide camera, and several newer connectivity technologies. However, it still offers strong performance thanks to the newer A19 chip, the same main rear camera, and long battery life. Here’s everything that’s different:
| iPhone 17e (2026) | iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus (2024) |
|---|---|
| “Notch” | Dynamic Island |
| 6.1-inch display | 6.1- or 6.7-inch display |
| 800 nits max brightness (typical) | 1,000 nits max brightness (typical) |
| 1,200 nits peak brightness (HDR) | 1,600 nits peak brightness (HDR) |
| 2,000 nits peak brightness (outdoor) | |
| 1 nit minimum brightness | |
| Glass back | Color-infused glass back |
| Available in White, Black, and Soft Pink | Available in White, Black, Ultramarine, Teal, and Pink |
| Camera Control | |
| 12-megapixel Ultra Wide camera | |
| 1x or 2x optical zoom options | 0.5x, 1x, or 2x optical zoom options |
| Optical image stabilization | Sensor-shift optical image stabilization |
| Photographic Styles | Latest-generation Photographic Styles |
| Macro photography | |
| Spatial photos and videos | |
| Cinematic mode for recording videos with shallow depth of field (up to 4K Dolby Vision at 30 fps) | |
| Action mode | |
| A19 chip (N3P) | A18 chip (N3E) |
| 4.26 GHz CPU clock speed | 4.04 GHz CPU clock speed |
| 68.2 GB/s memory bandwidth | 60 GB/s memory bandwidth |
| 4-core GPU with Neural Accelerators | 4-core GPU |
| Apple C1X modem | Qualcomm Snapdragon X75 modem |
| mmWave 5G connectivity | |
| Wi‑Fi 6 connectivity | Wi-Fi 7 connectivity |
| Thread connectivity | |
| Ultra Wideband chip for Precision Finding | |
| 26-hour battery life | 22 or 27-hour battery life |
| 256GB or 512GB storage | iPhone 16: 128GB iPhone 16 Plus: 128GB or 256GB |
| Starts at $599 | Starts at $699 |
At a markedly more accessible price point, the iPhone 17e will likely be the go-to iPhone for many customers, particularly those buying on a budget. Like its predecessor, it makes relatively few compromises compared to the standard model and still delivers most of the features that matter for everyday use. In fact, the iPhone 17e now offers noticeably better performance than the iPhone 16 thanks to its newer A19 chip, as well as strong battery life aided by Apple’s efficient C1X modem.
For many customers, the absence of an Ultra Wide camera, Camera Control, additional color options, and newer connectivity technologies such as Wi-Fi 7, Thread, and Ultra Wideband may not matter. The iPhone 17e also starts with more storage and costs $100 less than the iPhone 16, making it a compelling option for buyers who primarily care about performance, battery life, and overall value.
However, the iPhone 16 still offers several advantages. Features like the Dynamic Island, a brighter display with higher peak brightness outdoors, an Ultra Wide camera with macro photography, Spatial photo and video capture, and a wider range of video features give it a significantly more capable camera system. Additional hardware such as the Ultra Wideband chip, Thread connectivity, mmWave 5G, and Wi-Fi 7 may also be important for users who want the most complete feature set.
As a result, the decision between the two models is now less straightforward. Customers who want the best overall feature set, particularly when it comes to the camera and display, should consider the iPhone 16. On the other hand, those who prioritize performance, storage, battery life, and price will likely find the iPhone 17e to be the better value.
This article, “iPhone 17e vs. iPhone 16 Buyer’s Guide: Which Low-Cost iPhone Should You Choose?” first appeared on MacRumors.com
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