The iPhone 17e feels like a plate of warmed-up leftovers

The iPhone 17e has arrived and if I’m not underwhelmed, it’s fair to say that I’m not overwhelmed either. Whelmed might reasonably describe my response.

For months I’ve been following the rumours and, to be fair to the leakers and tipsters, most were right on the money – to the extent that there wasn’t one thing that Apple announced that was a surprise, except for the new, pale pink colourway. And even that feels a little wan.

However, there were a few disappointing omissions. One rumour had it that the brilliant Dynamic Island would be coming to the 17e, but there’s no such luck for potential buyers of the most affordable new iPhone. Instead, they’ll get a product that’s sensible, respectable – and a little bit meanly put together.

To give credit to Apple, the most requested 17e feature did arrive: MagSafe charging. The expensive Galaxy S26 range doesn’t even have that, with the Ultra costing more than double the 17e – but it’s not quite the MagSafe you might have hoped for.

According to Simon Jary, charging expert on our sibling publication Macworld, it’ll only deliver 15W charging speeds instead of the 25W of newer iPhones (that’s the Qi2.2 standard).

Similarly, there’s the matter of its performance bump to Apple’s newest chip, the A19. This is one of the headline features that Apple pointed to in its announcement. However, it’ll be a four-core variant. Apple is saving a bit of cash by using lower-tier chips in its budget-friendly phone.

Being reasonable, most 17e buyers won’t notice the difference in casual, day-to-day use. Still, it’s one of a number of second-rate or out-of-date components in what is still a pricey phone.

There are the features that Apple hasn’t updated from its predecessor. The 6.1-inch OLED screen, with its basic 60Hz refresh rate and 1200 nits peak brightness, remains largely as is, thick bezel included.

There’s only one rear camera and the selfie camera didn’t get the 24Mp upgrade that all other iPhone 17 models received, so buyers will be left out of enjoying its excellent attendant features, Center Stage and Dual Capture.

Altogether, Apple has done the opposite of showering this phone with love. It doesn’t feel inclusive – it feels like a reluctant attempt to mop up phone buyers who don’t want to pay flagship prices. I’d love to see an entry-level iPhone with just one really great feature or reason to buy, but it’s not the 17e. Apple doesn’t want you to buy this phone, and it shows.

If it’s the best specs for the price that you’re after, you’ll find much better options among the best mid-range Android phones we’ve tested. And if you want the best value iPhone around, I’d suggest looking for a refurbished iPhone 17.