Buying a new iPhone always turns into a quest: models multiply, prices fluctuate, and the differences between them sometimes lie in details you wouldn’t guess without a spec sheet. With the launch of the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air lineup, Apple discontinued the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus and dropped the price of the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus by $100. Now it’s time to look at the models that are closer in price. iPhone 17e and iPhone 16 have become the two most affordable iPhones in Apple’s official store. But what exactly do you gain or lose for that money?
iPhone 17e vs iPhone 16: which budget iPhone to choose without regret. Image: macrumors.com
iPhone 17e vs iPhone 16 Differences — Displays
At first glance, both smartphones look similar: the same 6.1-inch diagonal, glass back panel, and familiar silhouette. But the devil, as always, is in the details. The main visual difference is that the iPhone 17e uses the classic notch, while the iPhone 16 features Dynamic Island. For those accustomed to animated notifications and interactive activity “islands,” this could be an unpleasant surprise. Dynamic Island isn’t just a pretty gimmick — it’s a convenient way to keep track of timers, navigation, and music right from the top of the screen.
The difference in screens is huge. Image: pcmag.com
In terms of brightness, the iPhone 16 display wins noticeably: 1,000 nits in typical mode versus 800 nits on the iPhone 17e. For HDR content, the gap is even larger: 1,600 nits versus 1,200 nits. And in sunlight, the iPhone 16 can deliver up to 2,000 nits of peak brightness, while the iPhone 17e doesn’t support this mode at all. The minimum brightness of 1 nit on the iPhone 16 is also useful at night when you don’t want to blind your eyes.
iPhone 16 color options. Image: phonearena.com
iPhone 17e has a more modest palette. Image: techradar.com
As for body colors, the iPhone 16 offers five options: White, Black, Ultramarine, Teal, and Pink, featuring the signature Color-infused glass back panel. The iPhone 17e has a more limited selection: White, Black, and Soft Pink. Additionally, the iPhone 16 is also available in a Plus version with a 6.7-inch display, while the iPhone 17e has no such variant.
Which Shoots Better: iPhone 17e or iPhone 16
This is where the differences become truly significant. The iPhone 16 is equipped not only with a 48 MP main camera but also a 12-megapixel Ultra Wide camera. The iPhone 17e simply doesn’t have a second lens. Because of this, the iPhone 17e lacks an entire set of capabilities.
Having a second camera makes the difference. Image: tomsguide.com
First, there’s no macro photography mode. Second, there’s no 0.5x wide-angle zoom: the iPhone 17e offers only 1x and 2x, while the iPhone 16 provides 0.5x, 1x, and 2x. Third, the iPhone 16 can shoot Spatial photos and videos, and also supports Cinematic mode with background blur effect up to 4K Dolby Vision at 30 frames per second. The iPhone 17e has none of this, nor does it have Action mode for stabilization during active movement.
Optical image stabilization also differs: the iPhone 16 uses a more advanced Sensor-shift OIS system, while the iPhone 17e makes do with standard optical stabilization. Additionally, the iPhone 16 supports the latest generation of Photographic Styles, whereas the iPhone 17e has the standard version of this feature.
And iPhone 16 also has Camera Control. Image: cultofmac.com
Another hardware bonus of the iPhone 16 is the physical Camera Control button, providing quick tactile access to the camera. The iPhone 17e doesn’t have it.
Which Performs Better: iPhone 17e or iPhone 16
This is where the iPhone 17e takes its revenge — and quite impressively. Inside the new “budget” model is the A19 chip, built on the N3P process. For comparison, the iPhone 16 runs on the A18 chip, manufactured on N3E. The difference is felt in specific numbers: the iPhone 17e’s processor clock speed is 4.26 GHz versus 4.04 GHz on the iPhone 16. Memory bandwidth has increased to 68.2 GB/s (versus 60 GB/s). The iPhone 17e’s GPU gained Neural Accelerators, which the 4-core GPU of the iPhone 16 lacks.
Simply put, in any performance-related tasks — from gaming to neural network features — the iPhone 17e will be noticeably faster. But the modem situation is even more interesting. The iPhone 17e uses Apple’s own C1X modem, while the iPhone 16 relies on the Qualcomm Snapdragon X75. Apple’s proprietary modem positively impacts energy efficiency: the iPhone 17e’s battery life is 26 hours, which is only one hour less than the iPhone 16 Plus (27 hours) and four hours more than the base iPhone 16 (22 hours).
However, the transition to the Apple modem came at a cost.
