GoKawiilAamir Siddiqui / Android Authority
TL;DR iFixit confirms the iPhone 17e and 16e are nearly identical, featuring a dual-entry design and electrically debonding battery adhesive.
Almost all parts are interchangeable. As a result, the iPhone 17e’s back panel can be transplanted onto an iPhone 16e, adding MagSafe accessory support for as low as $20.
Unlike Apple, Android brands often make minor design changes, like shifting camera bars, that prevent part sharing across generations and make such upgrades impossible.
Apple launched the iPhone 17e earlier this month, bringing the fight to Google’s Pixel 10a at the $499-$599 price range. While the Pixel 10a starts at a lower price, the iPhone 17e’s trump card is MagSafe compatibility, which opens it up to a wide accessory ecosystem. If you already have an iPhone 16e, you don’t have to be too jealous of this coveted upgrade. As it turns out, the iPhone 16e can be upgraded with MagSafe compatibility thanks to the iPhone 17e, and this is something Android brands can learn from.
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iFixit tore down the iPhone 17e and, unsurprisingly, found it nearly identical to the iPhone 16e, except for the MagSafe assembly.
The iPhone 17e retains the dual-entry design from the 16e, meaning you can open the device from either the front or the back, depending on what you need to repair. Apple had dropped the dual-entry design from the iPhone 17 Pro, so it wasn’t a given if the 17e would retain it. Thankfully, the 17e also retains the electrically debonding adhesive under the battery, so removing the battery is very painless.
iFixit notes that almost all parts are swappable between the iPhone 16e and the iPhone 17e — nearly everything can be transplanted across, and iOS’s Repair Assistant will calibrate the new hardware.
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