Apple’s most affordable and much-anticipated smartphone in the iPhone 17 series, the iPhone 17e, launched in India and other global markets on Monday. The device succeeds last year’s iPhone 16e and brings major hardware changes, including a new processor, updated modem and support for MagSafe charging. Let’s take a look at what the latest device has brought to the table.
iPhone 17e: Specifications and Features
The iPhone 17e features a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display with a 60Hz refresh rate and a notch design. The screen supports up to 1200 nits peak HDR brightness. Apple has added Ceramic Shield 2 protection on the front, claiming improved scratch resistance over the earlier generation. The device also carries an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance and uses an aerospace-grade aluminium frame.
Under the hood, the device is powered by Apple’s A19 chip, built on 3nm technology. Apple says the 6-core CPU delivers up to twice the performance of the iPhone 11, which aims to handle daily tasks and on-device AI features. The device also has a 4-core GPU with support for hardware-accelerated ray tracing, aimed at improving gaming performance. A 16-core Neural Engine powers Apple Intelligence features and generative models.
On the other hand, Apple has equipped the device with its new C1X cellular modem. The company claims the modem is up to two times faster than the C1 used in the previous model and consumes 30 percent less power than the modem in the iPhone 16 Pro. The iPhone 17e supports 5G and promises all-day battery life. With USB-C fast charging, it can reach 50 percent charge in about 30 minutes. Wireless charging is supported through MagSafe and Qi2 at up to 15W.
For photography, the iPhone 17e includes a single 48MP Fusion rear camera. It supports 2x optical-quality zoom by cropping from the high-resolution sensor. Users can shoot at 24MP by default or capture full 48MP images. The phone records 4K Dolby Vision video at up to 60 frames per second and supports Spatial Audio recording. New image processing enables portrait adjustments after capture and improved HDR output.
The device supports satellite-based features such as Emergency SOS, Messages via satellite, Roadside Assistance and location sharing through Find My when outside network coverage. It also includes Crash Detection.
The iPhone 17e ships with iOS 26, which introduces new interface changes and Apple Intelligence tools. Features include Live Translation across apps, call screening for unknown numbers and message filtering from unknown senders.
iPhone 17e: Price in India, Colour Options and Sale Offers
The iPhone 17e will be available in India at a starting price of Rs. 64,900. It comes in two storage options: 256GB and 512GB. The smartphone is available in three colour options: Black, white and soft pink. Apple is also offering silicone and clear cases with MagSafe support, along with trade-in and subscription benefits for eligible buyers.
