15 things you get for $200 more on iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 17e
The most affordable smartphone in Apple’s current lineup is the new iPhone 17e, which starts at $599. The regular iPhone 17, announced last September, starts at $799. In this post, we tell you about all the wonderful upgrades you get by paying an extra $200!
1. You get a modern-looking phone
Right off the bat, iPhone 17 has a nicer front look with a smaller Dynamic Island compared to the (ugly) Face ID notch on iPhone 17e, which makes it look dated. Secondly, the side bezels on the iPhone 17 are much thinner than on the 17e.
If you have never used an iPhone with Dynamic Island, you should know that this little pill at the top of the display helps you keep track of sports scores, flight status, timers, music controls, and more.
If you’re upgrading from an older notch-based iPhone, Dynamic Island will be a subtle yet significant improvement. Plus, it will be something new for you.
2. A higher refresh rate screen
One of the reasons to love the iPhone 17 is its higher 120Hz ProMotion display, which, until the previous generation, was only available on Pro and Pro Max models.
A 120Hz panel makes scrolling and viewing content super smooth and is pleasing to the eyes. In comparison, the cheaper iPhone 17e is limited to just 60Hz (not even 90Hz)!
If you’ve never used a ProMotion display, trust me, it’s a massive upgrade that you’ll notice the moment you set up your new iPhone and scroll through the Home Screen app icons.
3. Slightly bigger display
iPhone 17 has a 6.3-inch display, while iPhone 17e is a tad smaller at 6.1-inch.
4. Brighter display
While the pixel resolution (2532-by-1170), pixel per inch (460 ppi), and typical contrast ratio are the same for displays on both the iPhone 17 and 17e, the panel on the former is brighter.
- 1000 nits max brightness (typical) vs. 800 nits
- 1600 nits peak brightness (HDR) vs. 1200 nits
- 3000 nits peak brightness (outdoor) vs. no such info for iPhone 17e
In short, if you use your phone outdoors often, the iPhone 17 will be a better fit.
5. Always-On display
Just like I don’t use a screen saver on my MacBook, I don’t use Always-On display because I think it unnecessarily drains the battery. But I know many iPhone and Android users who love having the clock, widgets, and Live Activities permanently displayed on their Lock Screen, even when the phone is not in use. If you think this would be helpful to you, then iPhone 17 is for you, not the 17e.
6. More battery backup
While the iPhone 17e has an impressive battery on paper, the iPhone 17 edges it by offering 4 extra hours of video playback.
- iPhone 17: Up to 30 hours of video playback
- iPhone 17e: Up to 26 hours of video playback
7. A revolutionary front camera
The iPhone 17 lineup features a new 18MP Center Stage front camera with a square sensor, allowing you to take wide group/landscape photos even when holding the phone in portrait orientation. Plus, this new camera sensor adds the following features that are missing on iPhone 17e’s 12MP front camera:
- Ultra-stabilized video
- Center Stage for photos and video calls
- Dual Capture
- Tap to rotate photo
8. Better back cameras
The dual 48MP + 48MP back cameras on iPhone 17 give you these additional photography features, compared to a single 48MP camera on iPhone 17e:
- An ultra-wide (0.5x) camera to include more people or scenery in your photos
- Better image stabilization (Sensor-shift optical image stabilization vs. Optical image stabilization on 17e)
- Spatial 3D photos
- Macro photography to take super close-up shots
- Latest-generation Photographic Styles
9. More video recording options
While both the iPhone 17 and 17e can record videos in up to 4K resolution at 60 frames per second and slow-motion videos in up to 1080p at 240 frames per second, paying $200 more gives you these additional tricks that are missing from the cheaper model:
- Cinematic video recording where the focus on the main and background subjects changes as it does in movies.
- Dual Capture allows recording with both the front and back cameras simultaneously and saves a single video file.
- Action mode lets you record fast-moving subjects with greater smoothness and stabilization.
- Record Spatial videos that you can watch in immersive 3D on Apple Vision Pro.
- Macro video recording.
- Improved QuickTake video at up to 4K 60fps.
10. Faster wired and wireless charging
The iPhone 17 will be better suited to you if you often forget to charge your phone every night. It can reach 50% charge in 20 minutes when you use a 40W or higher adapter. In comparison, the iPhone 17e can fast-charge to 50% in 30 minutes with a 20W adapter.
Secondly, even though the iPhone 17e now supports up to 15 watts of wireless charging (compared to 7.5 watts on the iPhone 16e), the regular iPhone 17 can fast-charge wirelessly at up to 25 watts.
11. Better wireless connectivity
iPhone 17 supports the newer Bluetooth 6 and Wi-Fi 7 specifications, while iPhone 17e is still on older Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi‑Fi 6.
Secondly, just like the thin iPhone Air, iPhone 17e does not support 5G mmWave, but iPhone 17 does.
On top of that, iPhone 17 has improved-precision dual-frequency GPS for a better overall location experience.
And if you use smart home and Internet of Things (IoT) devices, iPhone 17 supports the more reliable Thread networking technology, while 17e makes no mention of it.
One area where iPhone 17e shines is Apple’s C1X chip, which helps keep your location more private by preventing your cell carrier from knowing your exact whereabouts. This feature is not available on any other iPhone, except the iPhone Air.
12. Better AirTag and Find My tracking
iPhone 17 has Apple’s second-generation Ultra Wideband (U2) chip, while the iPhone 17e has the U1 chip. Compared to U1, the U2 chip has up to three times longer precision range, more precise spatial detection, and uses less battery. In short, finding your AirTags, AirPods case, and nearby Find My people is faster, more accurate, and works from farther away when using an iPhone 17 instead of iPhone 17e.
13. Camera Control button
I initially hated the Camera Control button, but after making some changes, I think it does a great job of launching the camera instantly and taking a quick photo. If you shoot lots of pictures, its addition can be handy; and you’ll find it on iPhone 17 but not iPhone 17e.
14. One additional GPU core
While both the iPhone 17 and 17e share the A19 chip, the one in the more expensive model has an extra GPU core (5 vs. 4).
15. More color options
iPhone 17 comes in five finishes: Lavender, Mist Blue, Black, White, and Sage. iPhone 17e is limited to three: White, Black, and the new Soft Pink colors.
What do you think after going through the above points?
If you had to choose, would you be willing to pay $200 more for the above upgrades?
For me, the $200 extra is worth a better high-refresh-rate screen, an extra camera, and a better battery.
You can pre-order the iPhone 17e starting today (March 4, 2026), with the first deliveries on March 11. iPhone 17 is already available with 2-hour or next-day delivery in many ZIP codes.
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