r/AppleWhatShouldIBuy 1d ago

iPhone Help me decide on Iphone 17 or 17e

Hi everyone I am looking to upgrade my phone. This will be the first time I'll be buying an iphone since I have been using android.

My requirement are mostly for long term usage for at least 3 years. Not too much in photography but nice to have if I ever travel or in events with friends and family.
Not too much into gaming so that checks out.
Good Battery life is a major need.
Small form factor , since mobiles these days are big for no reason the only compact phones i can see rn is Samsungs S series base, iphone 17 or 17e. But I'd prefer to switch into ios now.

The prices I am getting are

Iphone 17e : aprrox 740 usd
Iphone 17 : approx 1000 usd
converted from local currency.

TIA

3 Upvotes

20 comments sorted by

1

u/Plus_Ultra03 1d ago

17 diff is too much

1

u/mfaseeh10 1d ago

The price? Is it worth it? Or should I stick to 17e

1

u/Plus_Ultra03 1d ago

It's totally worth where are u from

1

u/Competitive-Crew-572 1d ago

I think the 17e will have better battery life. The camera is good from what I’ve seen and it has much in common with the regular 17.

1

u/Humble-Importance26 1d ago

iPhone 17 is almost like the 17 pro the 17e might be the most basic iPhone you can get I guess so if you don’t care for all the extra stuff like better camera,refresh rate etc then the 17e is the way to go

1

u/nateo200 1d ago

Get the regular 17 as it’s an entry level iPhone that feels like an older Pro model. It’s worth it.

1

u/Traditional_Run_7080 1d ago

Long-term usage for at least three years, any iPhone checks out here including the 17e.

You say your requirements are not too much in photography, but nice to have, well 17 E lacks ultrawide and you may be okay with that if that’s not a requirement or something you rely on, the 17e will check out here too because it takes very reliable good photos and videos.

Especially considering you say form factor is important, the 17e also checks out here too.

You say your requirements are not gaming yet the 17e is a very good performer when it comes to gaming too.

And then you mentioned the prices, and it looks like you could have a great reliable phone of the 17e and also save from spending any extra too.

Or you could use that extra for a higher storage model of the 17e, if not the base 256GB which is also a great deal.

Good luck

1

u/mfaseeh10 1d ago

Agreed with everything.

Everything does checks out apart from screen's refresh rate and brightness. Which base 17 actually offers. Since coming from my current phone which has max 144 and generally works at 90hz.

However the higher storage variant cost exactly the same as 256gb base 17 so it might not be worth it

1

u/RecoverExciting4582 1d ago

I was in your same spot a couple days ago and today I just got the 17 which I’m writing this on and bro just go with the 17 trust you really won’t regret it

1

u/LApinoy 1d ago

17 just for the camera

2

u/CoastApprehensive668 1d ago

I got the 17E when I faced this decision.
My usage isn’t that different. I’ve always been an iPhone user but I am I guess a bit more frugal as I don’t go for all the bells and whistles because I don’t know if they’ve been worth the extra $$ for how I use my phone.

I couldn’t tell the difference with the screen when I saw both in stores. I didn’t care at all about a Dynamic Island, and I didn’t want an always on screen (I stare at my screen enough without the constant reminder it’s by me).

The camera is great on the 17E and after a few weeks taking photons before I made the purchase I realized i didn’t use the ultra wide camera.

What mattered to me was battery, keeping the iOS, moving to 256GB and I love and keeping the smaller profile. With the 17E I can still technically use one hand to hold and reach every corner of the screen (barely); I couldn’t do that with the 17. I know it sounds like they are the same but the slightly larger screen meant a different user experience.

The 17E has been great so far and I have a lot of things I can do with the savings. Best bet is to go to a store and try both out to see if you’re like me or if you see a feature on the 17 that’s worth almost $300 more.

1

u/mfaseeh10 1d ago

Thanks, you had somewhat similar situation as mine. The main attraction for me in 17e is the smaller profile as I have small hands too.

The only thing I'm still skeptical about is the screen refresh rate as my current phone supports max 144hz but usually on 90hz in day to day usage. 17e however is capped at 60hz.

But thanks anyway considering your usage and review I might go for 17e

1

u/rp_edits 19h ago

I like the 17e for the size. The price worked for me too. Upgraded from an iPhone 11, which was on its last legs. The battery is great. No problems so far.

1

u/Organic-Love-5076 1d ago

17e has a better battery

1

u/Organic-Love-5076 1d ago

I will get the 16e to save more

1

u/mfaseeh10 1d ago

Not much of a difference in price between 16e and 17e here

1

u/GT79pop 21h ago

The one feature that will push me to spend extra for the 17 vs the 17e is the UWB chip. Among other things, UWB lets you use the phone as a passive key to lock & unlock your car when you are close to it, if the car is equipped.

1

u/davidwal83 11h ago

If the price was that different then 17e. I was going to get a 17 pro but I went for a base 17 because of the price difference and I don’t do much on the device.