Thursday March 12, 2026 1:00 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Apple's latest low-cost iPhone launched yesterday, and we picked up the iPhone 17e to see how it compares to the iPhone 16e that came before it, and how it measures up to the iPhone 17 lineup.
Apple didn't update the design of the iPhone 17e, so it still has the look of an iPhone 14, which is the iPhone that Apple used as a base for the iPhone 16e. There's a notch on the display with no Dynamic Island, but Apple did make a few changes to modernize the iPhone 17e.
The iPhone 16e didn't have MagSafe, which was a major hassle, but the iPhone 17e does. MagSafe has been fully embraced by both Apple and accessory makers, so it's difficult to find accessories that don't use MagSafe. Adding MagSafe opens up a whole new range of options for cases and chargers, plus it means wireless charging is now 15W instead of 7.5W.
There's still a limited color palette for the iPhone 17e, but there is a light pink model in addition to the black and white options this year. The soft pink is a subtle shade that looks nice in person, and it's not too Barbie pink or too baby pink. Ceramic Shield 2 is new for the front glass this year, meaning the iPhone 17e should be more resistant to scratches.
Like the iPhone 17, the iPhone 17e uses the A19 chip, which is the latest A-series chip, though the iPhone 17e version has one fewer GPU core. The A19 offers incredible performance for a low-cost iPhone, but you might not notice much in the way of day-to-day speed improvements coming from an iPhone 16e. If you're coming from an older iPhone like an iPhone 8, X, XR, XS, 11, or similar, the difference will be night and day.
Base storage has been upgraded to 256GB, and Apple doesn't offer a 128GB option anymore. There wasn't a change in starting price with the storage update, which is a major plus.
The iPhone 17e has many of the same compromises as the iPhone 16e. There's still a single-lens rear camera with no Telephoto or Ultra Wide lens, there's a notch on the display, and it now lacks the 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate Apple added to the rest of the iPhone 17 lineup.
If you don't mind having one camera lens to work with and won't miss ProMotion, the iPhone 17e is an excellent deal. It's priced starting at $599, which makes it $200 cheaper than the iPhone 17.
Apple Released Seven New Products Today
Wednesday March 11, 2026 7:05 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Starting today, the seven new Apple products that were announced last week are available at Apple Stores and beginning to arrive to customers. The colorful MacBook Neo and all of the other new products are on display at most Apple Store locations around the world starting today. Apple Stores have inventory of the new products for both walk-in customers and Apple Store pickup, but...
Everything New in iOS 26.4 Beta 4
Monday March 9, 2026 3:50 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Apple is continuing to test the iOS 26.4 beta, and the latest update is now available for developers and public beta testers. As testing goes on, there are fewer new features in each beta, but today’s release adds new emoji characters and a few other changes. New Emoji Apple added new emoji characters, including trombone, treasure chest, distorted face, hairy creature, fight cloud, orca,...
Apple today announced that it will celebrate the company's 50th anniversary over the coming weeks, but it has yet to reveal any specific plans. Apple was founded on April 1, 1976, so the company will turn 50 on April 1, 2026. "While Apple is known for looking forward, this milestone offers a special moment to reflect on the journey that has brought the company here, to celebrate the...
