iPhone 17e vs. iPhone 16 Buyer’s Guide: Which Low-Cost iPhone Should You Choose?

The iPhone 17e just joined the iPhone lineup. Apple continues to sell the iPhone 16 as an alternative low-cost option, and while the two devices share many core features, there are still more than 25 differences between them to be aware of.

Following the launch of the iPhone 17 lineup and the iPhone Air, Apple discontinued the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, and reduced the price of the ‌iPhone 16‌ and ‌iPhone 16‌ Plus by $100.

The ‌iPhone 17e‌ and ‌iPhone 16‌ now represent the two least expensive iPhone models available directly from Apple, with just $100 between them. To justify this price gap, the ‌iPhone 17e‌ misses out on features such as the Dynamic Island, an Ultra Wide camera, and several newer connectivity technologies. However, it still offers strong performance thanks to the newer A19 chip, the same main rear camera, and long battery life. Here’s everything that’s different:

‌iPhone 17e‌ (2026)	‌iPhone 16‌ and ‌iPhone 16‌ Plus (2024)
“Notch”	‌Dynamic Island‌
6.1-inch display	6.1- or 6.7-inch display
800 nits max brightness (typical)	1,000 nits max brightness (typical)
1,200 nits peak brightness (HDR)	1,600 nits peak brightness (HDR)
	2,000 nits peak brightness (outdoor)
	1 nit minimum brightness
Glass back	Color-infused glass back
Available in White, Black, and Soft Pink	Available in White, Black, Ultramarine, Teal, and Pink
	Camera Control
	12-megapixel Ultra Wide camera
1x or 2x optical zoom options	0.5x, 1x, or 2x optical zoom options
Optical image stabilization	Sensor-shift optical image stabilization
Photographic Styles	Latest-generation Photographic Styles
	Macro photography
	Spatial photos and videos
	Cinematic mode for recording videos with shallow depth of field (up to 4K Dolby Vision at 30 fps)
	Action mode
A19 chip (N3P)	A18 chip (N3E)
4.26 GHz CPU clock speed	4.04 GHz CPU clock speed
68.2 GB/s memory bandwidth	60 GB/s memory bandwidth
4-core GPU with Neural Accelerators	4-core GPU
Apple C1X modem	Qualcomm Snapdragon X75 modem
	mmWave 5G connectivity
Wi‑Fi 6 connectivity	Wi-Fi 7 connectivity
	Thread connectivity
	Ultra Wideband chip for Precision Finding
26-hour battery life	22 or 27-hour battery life
256GB or 512GB storage	iPhone 16: 128GB iPhone 16 Plus: 128GB or 256GB
Starts at $599	Starts at $699

At a markedly more accessible price point, the ‌iPhone 17e‌ will likely be the go-to iPhone for many customers, particularly those buying on a budget. Like its predecessor, it makes relatively few compromises compared to the standard model and still delivers most of the features that matter for everyday use. In fact, the ‌iPhone 17e‌ now offers noticeably better performance than the ‌iPhone 16‌ thanks to its newer A19 chip, as well as strong battery life aided by Apple’s efficient C1X modem.

For many customers, the absence of an Ultra Wide camera, Camera Control, additional color options, and newer connectivity technologies such as Wi-Fi 7, Thread, and Ultra Wideband may not matter. The ‌iPhone 17e‌ also starts with more storage and costs $100 less than the ‌iPhone 16‌, making it a compelling option for buyers who primarily care about performance, battery life, and overall value.

However, the ‌iPhone 16‌ still offers several advantages. Features like the ‌Dynamic Island‌, a brighter display with higher peak brightness outdoors, an Ultra Wide camera with macro photography, Spatial photo and video capture, and a wider range of video features give it a significantly more capable camera system. Additional hardware such as the Ultra Wideband chip, Thread connectivity, mmWave 5G, and Wi-Fi 7 may also be important for users who want the most complete feature set.

As a result, the decision between the two models is now less straightforward. Customers who want the best overall feature set, particularly when it comes to the camera and display, should consider the ‌iPhone 16‌. On the other hand, those who prioritize performance, storage, battery life, and price will likely find the ‌iPhone 17e‌ to be the better value.

Related Roundups: iPhone 16, iPhone 17e