An almost-flagship experience for much less money

The new iPhone 17e offers a great entry-point into the Apple ecosystem, but are the compromises worth it?

- Shouvik Das [e-mail]

The iPhone 17e is the sixth time that Apple has made a non-flagship smartphone in the company's 19-year phone-making journey.

Every time before, the results have been mixed, and Apple hasn't quite had an all-out bestseller in hand when it comes to the iPhone 5c, three generations of the iPhone SE, and the iPhone 16e. This year, the company is hoping for a better run, and it may just enjoy a strong run of sales—wars permitting.

Launched last month, Apple's iPhone 17e is the second of its kind, promising buyers the essentials of an iPhone minus the extra specs of the standard and the 'Pro' models. This year, Apple has addressed two major missing features from the iPhone 16e: MagSafe for wireless charging and snappy accessories, and a “proper” Portrait Mode instead of one that felt like a very obvious compromise.

Crucially, Apple has also increased the minimum storage of the iPhone 17e to 256GB—likely a move to optimize production lines. In India, this means that buyers have to pay at least ₹5,000 more for the least-expensive new iPhone. Combining credit card discounts brings its effective price down to around ₹60,000—approximately what the iPhone 16e initially cost with 128GB storage. Buyers in india, however, will likely feel a tinge of regret as Apple kept the iPhone 17e's base price unchanged in the US.

Who, though, is it really for?