iPhone 17e retains its price but adds MagSafe and storage

The iPhone “e” model is Apple’s take on a budget smartphone. But it’s budget on Apple’s terms. Even though it’s the most affordable model that Apple sells new, it’s not low-cost compared to Android rivals. You won’t find it in our round-up of the best budget phones, for example.

The iPhone 16e was the replacement for the SE models, the last of which launched in 2022. The iPhone SE (2022) suffered from a dated design and less than stellar LCD display, making it difficult to recommend. So it was no surprise that Apple’s successor, 2025’s iPhone 16e, was given an updated look.

The iPhone 16e impressed with its performance, thanks to Apple’s A18 chip (albeit a four-core GPU variant), and solid battery life. But there’s no MagSafe compatibility and, given its £180/$180 price hike from the SE, it didn’t exactly wow in the value-for-money stakes.

Apple has clearly taken that into consideration with the iPhone 17e, which has added MagSafe to its specs list and received a performance and storage bump for the same £599/$599 price point. You’ll be able to order it from Apple from 4 March.

When will the iPhone 17e launch and where can you buy it?

The iPhone 17e was not launched alongside the other iPhone 17 models in September 2025. But Apple has announced the latest version of its most affordable new phone on 2 March.

The phone will be available to pre-order from 4 March, and out to buy on 11 March.

The announcement was made via press release on the week of a special “Apple Experience” on 4 March, to take place simultaneously in London, New York and Shanghai. Colourful, low-cost MacBooks are expected to be the key product announced, but the 17e and a new iPad Air have also been unveiled.

From the next iteration onwards, Apple is expected to launch a new, entry-level “e” model every year. It’s thought that Apple will begin a new two-tier launch strategy, with high-end models making their debut in September, and more affordable models in the spring.

Under this system, the iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max and the anticipated iPhone foldable would appear in September 2026 and the base model iPhone 18 and the 18e in spring 2027.

So, early March could well become as solid a calendar appointment for more affordable model launches as the early September iPhone launch is for high-end phones.

The iPhone 17e will be available to pre-order from Apple. Once it’s launched, it’ll be available from the usual retailers, including Currys, as well as the key network providers.

How much does the iPhone 17e cost?

When the iPhone 16e debuted in February 2025, it had a launch price of £599/$599. Apple has retained that price point for the lowest-storage model – although storage now starts at 256GB, not 128GB, as it did for the 16e. There is also a 512GB model available.

What specs and features does the iPhone 17e have?

The big news is that the 17e will be getting a huge upgrade in the form of MagSafe capabilities. This brings it in line with not only other new iPhone models, but Pixel 10 phones as well, making it a much more attractive model for the price. Still, it should be noted that it won’t be the fast 25W charging that some might expect – it’s an older, 15W-maximum form.

The 17e also features Apple’s latest-generation A19 chip – although, as expected, it’s a four-core variant – and its latest C1X cellular modem, which the brand claims is up to two times faster than the C1 in the iPhone 16e.

It’s water- and dust-resistant with an IP68 rating, has the expected aluminium build, and comes in three colour options: black, white and a pale pink.

That’s all we can say about the iPhone 17e until we review it, but to see what we thought of the rest of the iPhone 17 line-up, take a look at our reviews of the iPhone 17, the iPhone Air, the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max.