iPhone 17e vs iPhone 16e: The Comparison
Apple today officially unveiled the iPhone 17e (it debuted alongside the M4 iPad Air), and while it looks identical to the outgoing 16e, the internal changes are significant. Most notably, Apple has doubled the base storage to 256GB while maintaining the $899 CAD entry price, effectively lowering the cost per gigabyte for Canadian buyers.
Because Apple kept the starting price at $899 CAD while doubling the base storage from 128GB to 256GB, you are effectively paying half as much for every gigabyte of storage on the entry-level model. For the iPhone 16e it worked out to about $7/GB (128GB) while for the iPhone 17e it’s $3.50/GB (for 256GB).
Performance and Connectivity
The iPhone 17e jumps to the A19 chip (which powers the iPhone 17 series and iPhone Air), which features a faster Neural Engine tailored for the latest Apple Intelligence tasks in iOS 26. More importantly for travellers, the new C1X modem is twice as fast as the previous generation and much more power-efficient.
The MagSafe Fix
The biggest win for the 17e is the addition of MagSafe. The iPhone 16e was criticized for only supporting basic 7.5W Qi charging; the 17e brings the full magnetic ecosystem back, allowing for 15W wireless charging and compatibility with all MagSafe accessories.
Durability and Display
While the 6.1-inch OLED screen remains limited to a 60Hz refresh rate, it now features Ceramic Shield 2. Apple claims this provides three times better scratch resistance than the glass on the iPhone 16e. A new anti-reflective coating also makes the screen significantly easier to view in direct sunlight.
The Verdict
Unless you find a massive clearance discount on the iPhone 16e, the iPhone 17e is the superior choice. With double the storage, the return of MagSafe, and a more durable screen for the exact same launch price, the 17e offers the best value we have seen in the “e” series to date.
We may see Apple authorized retailers clear out existing stock of the iPhone 16e, possibly trimming the $899 starting price down a couple of hundred bucks (places like Costco will likely put the iPhone 16e on clearance soon). That’s when it’s probably better to jump on an iPhone 16e, as this basic phone is more than enough for your parents, or a starter phone for your kid.
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I’ve read a lot of stupid comments, but this is pretty bad: “For the iPhone 16e it worked out to about $7/GB (128GB) while for the iPhone 17e it’s $3.50/GB (for 256GB).”. That math only works if RAM is the only thing you’re getting, but it’s not.