iPhone 17e — Price and Full Specifications

Apple has launched its new phone, the iPhone 17e, as the cheapest member of the iPhone 17 family — yet it carries a powerful chip from the same generation as the flagship line, the Apple A19, with storage starting at 256GB for the first time in this budget tier, an excellent main rear camera, 4K video recording at up to 60 fps, and stereo speakers.

On the other hand, the phone keeps the old display design with thick bezels and a 60Hz-only refresh rate.

Here at Qayimli are all the iPhone 17e's specifications in detail, with its main strengths and weaknesses, so you can decide whether it deserves your money.

What stands out about the iPhone 17e

The phone uses a Super Retina XDR OLED display with the old notch design (rather than Dynamic Island), measuring 6.1 inches at 1170 × 2532 px with a high 460 ppi, protected by Ceramic Shield 2 — three times more scratch-resistant than the previous iPhone 16e — plus an anti-reflective layer and brightness up to 1200 nits.

Note that this strong protection covers the front of the display only; the back is standard glass, not the same Ceramic Shield material.

For performance, the phone runs the Apple A19, built on a 3nm process — the same chip generation as the flagship iPhone 17 line (with a four-core GPU supporting hardware ray tracing) — paired with 8GB of RAM and storage from 256GB up to 512GB, with no memory card expansion.

The phone also carries Apple's own C1X modem, roughly twice as fast as the C1 used in the previous iPhone 16e.

The rear camera is a single 48 MP lens (F/1.6) with optical stabilisation, capturing photos at 24 or 48 MP, plus a 12 MP digital zoom mode equivalent to roughly 2x optical with no noticeable detail loss.

The front camera is 12 MP (F/1.9) with the TrueDepth Face ID system.

The phone records 4K video up to 60 fps. The battery is a non-removable 4005 mAh, with 20W wired charging reaching 50% in half an hour, and 15W MagSafe wireless charging — a first for the budget "e" tier.

On durability, the phone carries an IP68 water and dust rating (submersion to 6 metres for 30 minutes), with an aluminium frame.

It also includes extra safety features such as Crash Detection and Emergency SOS via Satellite.

iPhone 17e cons

• The display still has fairly thick bezels with the old notch design, and its refresh rate is 60Hz only, with no ProMotion.
• No ultrawide camera — a single rear lens only.
• No charger in the box, as with all recent Apple phones.
• Wired charging is still relatively slow (20W) next to rivals at this price, though enough for 50% in half an hour.
• The back is standard glass, without the Ceramic Shield protection used on the front.
• It is an evolution of the iPhone 16e centred on a stronger chip, tougher screen protection, MagSafe accessory support for the first time, and storage starting at 256GB instead of 128GB.

iPhone 17e pros

• The strongest possible performance in its class from the Apple A19 — the same chip generation as the flagship iPhone 17 line.
• Light and compact (169 g), easy to use and carry one-handed.
• Premium materials with strong IP68 water resistance and excellent screen protection (Ceramic Shield 2).
• Stereo speakers for an excellent audio experience.
• Rear and front cameras that deliver a distinctive experience despite the single rear lens.
• MagSafe accessory support for the first time in the budget "e" tier, with 15W wireless charging.
• The C1X modem is twice as fast as the previous generation, with Crash Detection and satellite emergency calling.
• Storage starting at 256GB — double the previous generation's base version.

What's in the iPhone 17e box

The box includes: the phone, a USB Type-C cable, a SIM ejector tool and a user guide — with no charging brick included.

iPhone 17e price

The phone launched globally at a base price of $599 for the 256GB version.

In Egypt it costs approximately EGP 54,000 for the 256GB version, rising to about EGP 72,000 for the 512GB version.

In Saudi Arabia the price ranges between SAR 2,800 and 3,800 depending on storage, and in the UAE between AED 2,600 and 3,450.

Note that Apple product prices can shift with the local dealer and current offers, so check the actual price at your local store when buying.