iOS

Apple has never been shy about charging premium prices, so any iPhone that lands closer to the middle of the market tends to come with a quiet disclaimer. Something is usually missing. A feature disappears, a capability gets trimmed back, or the phone arrives with the faint suggestion that the real experience costs a few hundred dollars more. The iPhone 17e, starting at $599, does not entirely escape that dynamic. Apple still reserves its most extravagant hardware for the higher tiers. Yet this model feels less like a consolation prize than earlier “budget” iPhones.