The iPhone 17 and iPhone 17e have performance and physical differences, but the 2027 parallel releases of the iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e may be exactly the same speed.
The iPhone 18e and iPhone 18 might have the exact same processing hardware, with the same GPU core count.
The iPhone 18e and iPhone 18 might have the exact same processing hardware, with the same GPU core count.
In February 2025, Apple scrapped its low-cost iPhone SE line in favor of new models bearing the “e” designation, those being the iPhone 16e, and later, the iPhone 17e.
Relative to the standard iPhone 17, the iPhone 17e offers a smaller 6.1-inch display with a lower refresh rate, no Dynamic Island, no Camera Control, and only one rear camera. Still, both phones offer the A19 chip, though the iPhone 17e has one fewer GPU core.