GoKawiilApple announced the iPhone 17E with some premium upgrades borrowed straight from the more expensive iPhone 17. Like the $799 model, Apple's most affordable iPhone now starts at 256GB of storage, has an A19 chip (albeit with a four-core GPU instead of five), a 48-megapixel camera and MagSafe magnetic technology -- all for the same $599 price as before. This is a sweet successor to the iPhone 16E, fixing that phone's omission of MagSafe while doubling the starting storage from 128GB.
But how do these upgrades help it stand tall against the older iPhones -- the ones with Dynamic Island, two rear cameras and support for Live Activities? If you're looking to upgrade from an iPhone 16, iPhone 15, or the iPhone 14 with a notch, but don't want to spend $799 on a new iPhone 17, here's how the midrange iPhone 17E compares to your current Apple device.
iPhone 17E vs. iPhone 16
The iPhone 17E adds a bunch of new features but they shouldn't tempt you to upgrade from an iPhone 16. Prakhar Khanna/CNET
Both iPhone 17E and iPhone 16 have a similar in-hand feel. The new phone is slightly smaller but weighs the same 170 grams. It's similarly light and comfortable to use with a single hand. The 17E is tougher than its 2024 counterpart. Apple gave it the same Ceramic Shield 2 protection as its latest iPhone 17 series. By contrast, the iPhone 16 has a less scratch-resistant and more reflective Ceramic Shield front. This means the iPhone 17E is less prone to scratches by pocket lint and is easier to view in direct light.
The iPhone 16 has a pill-shaped Dynamic Island cutout on the front to house the Face ID sensors and selfie camera. It's also responsible for surfacing system alerts and showing live updates on apps running in the background. However, you miss out on these features with the iPhone 17E, which is stuck with an iPhone 13-like notch.
Both of these Apple devices have a 6.1-inch OLED screen that supports the same resolution, contrast ratio and a 60Hz refresh rate. The iPhone 16 is brighter as it can go up to 2,000 nits outdoors (Apple doesn't state this stat for the iPhone 17E), 1,600 nits (compared with 1,200 nits on the 17E) for supported HDR content and 1,000 nits (800 nits on the 17E) typical max brightness. It can also go down to 1 nit minimum brightness, so the screen on the iPhone 16 is more comfortable for bedtime reading with lights off.
You can expect a similar content consumption experience in most scenarios but the 16 will be slightly more immersive, thanks to slimmer bezels.
The Dynamic Island on the iPhone 16 gives you more intuitive Live Activities around the display cutout. Screenshot by Jeff Carlson/James Martin/CNET
The iPhone 17E has an A19 chip (four-core GPU version), while the iPhone 16 is powered by the A18 processor. You won't notice a major difference in performance in day-to-day activities, but the new chip is paired with Apple's C1X cellular modem for improved power efficiency. Other connectivity differences include Wi-Fi 6 (vs. Wi-Fi 7 on the 16) and the lack of the second-generation Ultra Wideband chip (which enables Precise location tracking on the AirTags) on the 17E.
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