The iPhone 17e is part of the series of devices recently launched by Apple in early March. The company maintained the starting price of $600 , but this model boasts a more powerful processor and double the minimum storage capacity compared to the previous generation.
Initial reviews suggest that the iPhone 17e addresses many shortcomings of its predecessor, making it a worthwhile option on the market. However, weaknesses surrounding the screen and camera may still cause many to hesitate.
Design flaws
The iPhone 17e's appearance is almost unchanged compared to the iPhone 16e, featuring an aluminum frame and a frosted glass back to minimize fingerprints. Due to the addition of MagSafe magnets, the iPhone 17e is about 2g heavier than its predecessor, but the feel in the hand is not significantly different. The device also has an IP68 water and dust resistance rating.
If you pay attention, you'll notice that Apple doesn't allow comparisons between the iPhone 17e and the iPhone 16e. The comparison feature on the website only supports the iPhone 11, iPhone 12, and the second and third generation iPhone SE. These are the groups of people the company is focusing on persuading to upgrade.
The iPhone 17e's screen retains the 6.1-inch size, an OLED panel with a 60Hz refresh rate. Writing on CNET , author Abrar Al-Heeti argues that the biggest drawback regarding the display isn't the smoothness, but rather the lack of always-on display support.
"The 60Hz refresh rate is lower than the 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate on other Apple smartphones, but the difference is almost negligible except when gaming. Personally, I find the biggest drawback to be the lack of an always-on display, a feature I frequently use for quickly checking the time and notifications. It takes time to get used to this shortcoming," Al-Heeti commented.
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This year's iPhone 17e comes in a pink color option. Photo: Engadget . |
Apple offers three color options for the iPhone 17e: black, white, and a new light pink. The front of the device is protected by a Ceramic Shield 2 coating. The company claims this material offers three times the scratch resistance of the previous generation.
It's worth noting that the screen only has a maximum brightness of 1,200 nits in HDR mode, lower than the standard iPhone 17 (1,600 nits). Of course, the screen quality is still good enough for everyday use.
"The iPhone 17e's 6.1-inch OLED display is sharp and vibrant, nearly on par with the standard iPhone 17. Good brightness and contrast make text clear and easy to read, and app icons are brightly colored," said CNN editor Mike Andronico.
According to Allison Johnson of The Verge , the most disappointing aspect of the iPhone 17e's design is that it still uses the old notch instead of Dynamic Island.
"Live Activities and Dynamic Island are some of Apple's best software ideas recently, but their half-hearted (or non-existent) implementation on the iPhone 17e is disappointing," Johnson shared.
The iPhone 17e also lacks a dedicated Camera Control button for taking photos. However, it does have an Action button for quickly activating certain functions.
"The fastest smartphone in its price range"
The biggest improvement on the iPhone 17e comes from the A19 processor, which offers nearly the same computing and graphics processing power as the standard iPhone 17. Based on Apple's specifications, the A19 chip in the iPhone 17e has 4 GPU cores instead of 5. The device uses Apple's own C1X network modem, which doubles 5G network connection speeds compared to the older C1 modem.
According to Engadget 's testing, the performance difference between the A19 and A18 is negligible. With AI tools like Cleanup, the iPhone 17e's object removal speed is split second faster than the iPhone 16e.
When using the Image Playground feature, the iPhone 17e sometimes performs faster and sometimes slower. Overall, more testing is needed to accurately assess the performance difference between the A19 and A18 chips.
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The iPhone 17e features a familiar design. Photo: The Verge . |
CNN writer Mike Andronico was impressed with the gaming performance of the iPhone 17e, particularly how smoothly Resident Evil 2 Remake ran even with the highest graphics settings.
In Gizmodo 's performance test, the device scored 3,271 points in single-core performance, 115% faster than the Google Pixel 10a. In the multi-core test, it scored 8,404 points, demonstrating a superior speed of 282% compared to the Pixel 10, and even slightly outperforming the Galaxy S25 FE.
"It's safe to say the iPhone 17e is the fastest smartphone you can buy for under $600 , even outperforming some more expensive competitors," Andronico emphasized.
The iPhone 17e's battery life is also impressive, offering 16 hours and 18 minutes of continuous 4K video playback, only a few hours less than the iPhone 17 (19 hours and 10 minutes) and more than the iPhone Air (13 hours and 29 minutes). For comparison, the Google Pixel 10a achieved 16 hours and 34 minutes, and the Pixel 10 Pro 13 hours.
In terms of wireless connectivity, the device only supports Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3, a slight step backward compared to Wi-Fi 7 on the standard iPhone 17.
The camera is just adequate.
The camera system on the iPhone 17e hasn't changed much from its predecessor; the back still features a 48MP Fusion lens, supporting 2x optical zoom using cropping technology.
The iPhone 17e's sensor size is also slightly smaller than the iPhone 17's. In theory, a larger sensor offers several advantages, including better low-light photography. However, this isn't a crucial factor for all users.
The Verge 's review indicates that the 2x zoom feature on the iPhone 17e works well, especially in portrait mode. While it can't replace a dedicated telephoto camera, Apple's inclusion of 2x zoom for the main camera "is still better than nothing."
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Photo taken with an iPhone 17e. Image: The Verge . |
The new features in the photography experience mainly come from the software algorithms. Apple has improved portrait photography capabilities with Focus and Depth Control features, allowing users to change the subject in focus after the photo has been saved to the library.
"For users upgrading from older models like the iPhone 11, 12, or SE, the addition of a next-generation portrait mode is a big step forward... This makes the camera more versatile and gives photos a more modern look," commented Cherlynn Low, editor at Engadget .
Meanwhile, CNN noted that low-light image processing remains a challenge for the iPhone 17e, with images often exhibiting noise. CNET also pointed out that the lack of an ultra-wide-angle lens significantly limits creative shooting angles in confined spaces.
In terms of video recording, the device supports 4K@60 fps resolution with Dolby Vision color standard. Note that the front camera of the iPhone 17e does not have new features such as auto-rotate or Center Stage.
"Overall, the iPhone 17e's camera system performs well. However, unless you completely disregard phone cameras, the upgrades on the iPhone 17 may be worth the money," commented Allison Johnson from The Verge .
Who is the iPhone 17e for?
One of the biggest wishes of users was fulfilled by Apple on the iPhone 17e with the MagSafe magnetic charging system. Reviews show this is a major step forward, giving users access to Apple's diverse ecosystem of accessories.
"Personally, I really enjoy attaching my iPhone 17 to the magnetic wireless charger at the end of the day. MagSafe also opens up a world of different grips, with the PopSocket interchangeable and detachable. Removing MagSafe from the iPhone 16e was silly, but I'm glad it's on the iPhone 17e," Johnson said.
MagSafe also improves the wireless charging speed of the iPhone 17e to 15W, double that of its predecessor (7.5W). The device supports wired charging with a maximum power of 20W. CNET 's testing showed that the product can charge from 8% to 61% in 30 minutes.
Another highlight of the iPhone 17e is the doubling of base storage capacity, from 128 GB to 256 GB, without changing the price.
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The front of the iPhone 17e. Photo: Engadget . |
CNN rated the iPhone 17e as one of the best smartphones you can buy for under $600 , offering most of the features that made the iPhone 17 a success. Improvements like MagSafe and the Action button could make all the difference.
Of course, there are still several trade-offs to consider, such as the single rear camera system. Users switching from the iPhone Pro or standard iPhone series may find it lacking as it doesn't have Camera Control and a 120Hz display.
"You can spend an extra $100 to buy the iPhone 16 with its superior camera system, along with features like Camera Control and Dynamic Island. If you're not too loyal to iOS, the Google Pixel 10a at $500 is also a worthwhile option."
However, if you're buying your first iPhone, buying it as a gift for someone younger, or upgrading from an older generation (such as the iPhone 11 or earlier), the iPhone 17e packs a lot of iPhone features at an attractive price of $600 ," CNN author Mike Andronico commented.
The Verge agrees that the iPhone 17e is a "necessary" device with minimal features. However, if you can afford it, spending an extra $200 on the iPhone 17 might be more reasonable, considering the screen and camera upgrades.
Source: https://znews.vn/iphone-17e-co-dang-mua-post1634020.html
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