APPLE has unveiled a cheap new smartphone that costs £200 LESS than the entry-level iPhone 17.
The new iPhone 17e is a budget option that packs most of the iPhone 17’s punch – and comes in a tempting new colour option.
Apple is calling it the “most affordable member of the iPhone 17 family“.
And rightly so, given that it prices in at just £599, far below the cost of last September’s £799 iPhone 17.
Apple first introduced the “e” range last year with the iPhone 16e.
It was intended as a replacement to Apple’s budget iPhone SE series, but with a bigger screen.
Now the new iPhone 17e is finally official, and is stuffed with features – as well as a high-end design.
For a start, last year’s iPhone 16e was only available in black and white.
But this year’s iPhone 17e adds a third colour to the mix: a soft pink.
The new mobile also runs on Apple’s own A19 chip, as well as the company’s in-house C1X modem for internet connectivity.
Apple says that the modem is twice as fast as the C1 in last year’s iPhone 16e.
It features a 48-megapixel Fusion Camera that’s capable of shooting 4K Dolby Vision video.
And there’s a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display that’s – notably – uses OLED screen technology.
Traditional screens use an LED backlight to illuminate the crystals in an LCD panel.
But OLED screens have pixels that illuminate themselves, removing the need for a backlight.
That means individual pixels can be turned totally off, allowing true black to be displayed.
These panels serve up better contrast, a wider range of colours, and tend to be more power efficient too.
Protecting this display is a Ceramic Shield 2 covering that Apple says is three times as scratch-resistant as the previous generation.
One big change this time around is the inclusion of MagSafe, which was missing on the iPhone 16e.
MagSafe is a system that lets you magnetically attach wireless chargers or accessories to the back of your iPhone.
Although it’s a slower 15W MagSafe (like on the iPhone 12 to iPhone 15) rather than the speedier 22W to 25W MagSafe charging seen on more recent iPhone models.
Another big improvement is the inclusion of 256GB storage as standard.
The old iPhone 16e (and iPhone 16, for that matter) came with 128GB of storage, so you’re getting double.
If you’re tempted, you’ll be able to bag the new device from March 11, with pre-orders going live on Wednesday, March 4.
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It’ll cost £599 in the UK and $599 in the US.
And you’ll be able to get an official MagSafe Silicone Case for £49/$49 in black, anchor blue, light moss, vanilla, bright guava, or soft pink.
There’s also an iPhone 17e Clear Case with MagSafe available for the same price.
