Alongside the shiny new M4-powered iPad Air, Apple also unveiled the iPhone 17e. It brings a fair few upgrades over last year’s 16e.
Under the bonnet, the 17e packs the A19 chip. It is slightly pared back with a 4-core GPU, but it is joined by the new C1X modem for better signal when you are out and about. There is good news on the storage front too, as the base model now starts at a much more usable 256GB, though it looks like we are stuck with 8GB of RAM for another year.
Design-wise, it is a bit of a mixed bag. It is still rocking the 6.1-inch OLED screen with a 60Hz refresh rate. Despite all those rumours about the Dynamic Island finally making its way down to the budget tier, the notch is still very much alive and well for the Face ID system and selfie camera. At least the glass is a bit tougher now thanks to the new Ceramic Shield 2 protection.
Around the back, you will find a single 48MP camera which supports OIS and 4K Dolby Vision video. Apple is promising better portrait shots this time around thanks to some clever new image processing pipelines, while the 12MP selfie cam handles things up front.
One of the biggest wins is that MagSafe has finally arrived on the affordable model, so you can snap on all those magnetic accessories. It supports 15W wireless charging and should top up a bit quicker via a cable than the previous version did.
Rounding things off, the phone comes with Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, and the usual IP68 water resistance. You also get satellite connectivity and eSIM support as standard.
Pricing and Availability
In Malaysia, the iPhone 17e is priced starting at RM2,999 for the 256GB storage model. Pre-orders begin on 4 March 2026, and it will be officially available for purchase starting 11 March.