Apple has unveiled the iPhone 17e, its most affordable model in the iPhone 17 series, featuring MagSafe support, the new A19 chip, and a 48MP Fusion camera. The device is priced at Rs 64,900 in India, with pre-orders opening on March 4 and sales starting March 11.

"Available in three elegant colours with a premium matte finish - black, white, and new soft pink - iPhone 17e will be available for pre-order beginning Wednesday, March 4, with availability starting Wednesday, March 11. iPhone 17e will start at 256GB of storage for $599-2x the entry storage from the previous generation at the same starting price, and 4x more than iPhone 12, giving users more space for high-resolution photos, 4K videos, apps, games, and more,” Apple said in a press release. 

Key upgrades: MagSafe, A19 Chip, and Double Storage

The iPhone 17e now supports MagSafe with Qi2 wireless charging up to 15W, doubling the previous 7.5W on the iPhone 16e. Fast wired charging via USB-C is also supported, delivering up to 50% charge in 30 minutes with a 20W adapter or higher.

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The A19 chip, built on 3nm architecture, offers up to 2x CPU performance compared to the iPhone 11 and improved power efficiency. The C1X modem provides faster connectivity and contributes to an all-day battery life, rated at up to 26 hours of video playback. Satellite features like Emergency SOS, Roadside Assistance, and Messages via satellite remain included, with the Find My app now supporting location sharing via satellite.

Apple has doubled base storage from 128GB to 256GB, with a 512GB variant priced at Rs 84,999.

"iPhone 17e delivers exceptional all-day battery life, enabled by the efficiencies of Apple silicon, including the C1X cellular modem, and the advanced power management of iOS 26. With fast wired charging using USB-C, iPhone 17e can charge up to 50 percent in around 30 minutes. iPhone 17e also supports MagSafe and Qi2 for fast wireless charging up to 15W compared to 7.5W Qi wireless charging on iPhone 16e. MagSafe chargers, stands, cases, wallets, camera accessories, and more snap easily to the back of iPhone 17e, providing seamless alignment with a wide ecosystem of accessories,” Apple stated in a its release. 

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Design, Display and Camera

The iPhone 17e retains the 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display with Ceramic Shield 2 for improved scratch resistance and glare reduction. The frame is aerospace-grade aluminium, with IP68 dust and water resistance. The display maintains a 60Hz refresh rate.

The new 48MP Fusion camera offers high-resolution photography and a 2x telephoto effect. Users can shoot at 48MP full resolution or 24MP for optimised file size. Portrait mode now supports next-generation depth capture for people, dogs, and cats, allowing post-shot background blur.

Video recording supports 4K Dolby Vision at 60fps, with Spatial Audio and wind noise reduction for enhanced quality.