Apple today announced iPhone 17e, a powerful and more affordable addition to the iPhone 17 line-up. At the heart of iPhone 17e is the latest-generation A19, which delivers exceptional performance for everything users do. iPhone 17e also features C1X, the latest-generation cellular modem designed by Apple, which is up to 2x faster than C1 in iPhone 16e.
The 48MP Fusion camera captures stunning photos, including next-generation portraits, and 4K Dolby Vision video. It also enables an optical-quality 2x Telephoto — like having two cameras in one. The 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display features Ceramic Shield 2, offering 3x better scratch resistance than the previous generation and reduced glare.
With MagSafe, users can enjoy fast wireless charging and access to a vast ecosystem of accessories like chargers and cases. And when iPhone 17e users are outside of cellular and Wi-Fi coverage, Apple's groundbreaking satellite features — including Emergency SOS and Find My via satellite — help them stay connected when it matters most.
Available in three elegant colours with a premium matte finish — black, white, and a beautiful new soft pink — iPhone 17e will be available for pre-order beginning Thursday, 5 March, with availability starting Wednesday, 11 March. iPhone 17e will start at 256GB of storage for RRP NZ$1,199 inc. GST — 2x the entry storage from the previous generation at the same starting price, and 4x more than iPhone 12 — giving users more space for high-resolution photos, 4K videos, apps, games, and more.
Pricing and Availability
iPhone 17e will be available in black, white, and soft pink in 256GB and 512GB storage capacities, starting at RRP NZ$1,199 inc. GST.
About the iPhone 17e
A Beautiful Design with Enhanced Durability
iPhone holds its value longer than other smartphones, and iPhone 17e is built to last. It features a strong yet lightweight aerospace-grade aluminium design, and is splash, water, and dust resistant with an IP68 rating. The Ceramic Shield 2 front cover — featured across the iPhone 17 family — is tougher than any smartphone glass, and an Apple-designed coating provides 3x better scratch resistance than the previous generation as well as improved anti-reflection to reduce glare.
The Super Retina XDR display with OLED technology delivers a fantastic viewing experience whether a user is streaming videos in Dolby Vision or playing games, and with up to 1200 nits peak HDR brightness, it is easy to view content on brighter days. Face ID provides a seamless and secure way to unlock iPhone 17e, authenticate purchases, sign in to apps, and more. With the Action button, users can access their favourite features — like the flashlight, visual intelligence, and more — with just a press.
Powerful Performance and Exceptional Efficiency
iPhone 17e features the latest-generation A19 built with advanced 3-nanometer technology, delivering powerful performance. The faster, more efficient 6-core CPU — up to 2x faster than iPhone 11 — handles everything from simple tasks like scrolling through photos to advanced Apple Intelligence capabilities like Clean Up. The 4-core GPU with Neural Accelerators unlocks console-level gaming on the go, supporting demanding AAA titles and hardware-accelerated ray tracing for more realistic lighting and reflections. The upgraded 16-core Neural Engine is optimised for large generative models and, combined with Neural Accelerators built into each GPU, enables Apple Intelligence and other AI models to run faster than on the previous generation.
iPhone 17e also features C1X, the latest-generation cellular modem designed by Apple. C1X is up to 2x faster than C1 in iPhone 16e and matches the speed of iPhone Air. C1X uses 30 per cent less energy than the modem in iPhone 16 Pro, contributing to the exceptional all-day battery life.
Excellent Battery Life, Fast Charging, and MagSafe
iPhone 17e delivers exceptional all-day battery life, enabled by the efficiencies of Apple silicon, including the C1X cellular modem, and the advanced power management of iOS 26. With fast wired charging using USB-C, iPhone 17e can charge up to 50 per cent in around 30 minutes. iPhone 17e also supports MagSafe and Qi2 for fast wireless charging up to 15W compared to 7.5W Qi wireless charging on iPhone 16e. MagSafe chargers, stands, cases, wallets, camera accessories, and more snap easily to the back of iPhone 17e, providing seamless alignment with a wide ecosystem of accessories.
An Advanced Camera System to Capture Everyday Moments
iPhone 17e takes gorgeous photos with excellent detail, including in low light with Night mode. The 48MP Fusion camera enables an optical-quality 2x Telephoto, giving users two cameras in one so they can get closer to the subject and easily frame their shot. Users can shoot sharp photos at up to 48MP resolution, or capture in the 24MP default for incredible image quality at a file size perfect for storing and sharing.
Portrait mode improves thanks to an advanced image pipeline, delivering remarkably natural depth and smooth bokeh that gracefully blurs the background while keeping subjects sharp. The advanced pipeline also enables next-generation portraits, so iPhone 17e recognises people, dogs, and cats, and automatically saves depth information, allowing users to turn photos into beautiful portraits with background blur after capture and to adjust the focus point in the Photos app.
iPhone 17e takes stunning videos with the ability to record in 4K with Dolby Vision up to 60 fps. iPhone 17e also records video in Spatial Audio for immersive listening with AirPods or Apple Vision Pro, and enables more ways to edit video sound with Audio Mix. With wind noise reduction, powerful machine learning algorithms automatically reduce unwanted noise for better audio quality.