After its big reveal last week, the iPhone 17e is officially here, with the latest mid-range offering from Apple now available from multiple retailers. While we're still waiting to get our hands on the new phone to put it through its paces, some early benchmark tests have emerged. The data suggests that the iPhone 17e is more than capable when it comes to gaming, but there's one small caveat that separates it from its flagship sibling.
For those who don't know, the iPhone 17e packs an almost identical A19 chip to last year's iPhone 17, which means that despite a gulf of around $200 between the pair, they each offer similar levels of performance. That's the case on paper, at least, with CPU benchmark testing on Geekbench resulting in a multi-core score of around 9,241 for the iPhone 17e compared to the 17's average of 9,249. In simple terms, the latest Apple device is looking like it could be a future budget pick for our guide to the best iPhones.
However, it's worth reiterating that the iPhone 17e's A19 chip isn't identical to the original. This new version features a four-core GPU, while the iPhone 17's chip is a five-core GPU, so it's not quite as capable in terms of graphics. That doesn't make it a dud, though. Last year's iPhone 16e also had a four-core GPU, and that still managed to handle visuals in demanding games like Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail almost just as well as the iPhone 16. Essentially, you shouldn't be able to notice too much of a difference between the gaming capabilities of both phones.
Outside of performance, the iPhone 17e has plenty of other upgrades compared to last year's mid-range model. It comes with MagSafe charging, a souped-up C1X modem for faster 5G, and 256GB of storage, which is double what the 16e had to offer. Considering its $599 price point, that's pretty good value for money from Apple, and its specs make it more than competitive compared to some of the more impressive mid-range Android phones out there.
As we mentioned earlier, the iPhone 17e is now available to order. You can pick it up directly from Apple, or check out some of the deals from carriers such as Verizon and AT&T, some of which offer a discount if you're willing to trade in your old phone. As with most Apple devices, the iPhone 17e should get at least five years of software support and security updates, so you won't have to worry about upgrading again anytime soon.