Apple iPhone 12 vs Apple iPhone 17e
Apple iPhone 12 ($140) vs Apple iPhone 17e ($699) — side-by-side specs, weight, pros and cons to help you pick the right smartphone.
Spec-by-spec
| Spec | Apple iPhone 12 | Apple iPhone 17e |
| Price | $140 | $699 |
| Weight | 164g | 169g |
| Chip | A14 Bionic | A19 |
| Display | 6.1" 60Hz OLED | 6.1" Super Retina XDR OLED |
| Camera | 12MP dual | 48MP Fusion |
| Rating | IP68 | IP68 |
| Weight | 164g (Apple published) | 169g (Apple published: 5.96 oz) |
| Battery | — | up to 26h video |
| Storage | — | 256GB / 512GB |
| Released | — | 2026-03-11 |
Pros & Cons
Apple iPhone 12
- MagSafe accessories all still work
- Flat-sided design that Apple still uses
- 164g, light for a 6.1-inch phone
- Ceramic Shield front
- Battery is likely well degraded by now
- Lightning
- No Apple Intelligence
- Nearing the end of iOS support
Apple iPhone 17e
- Cheapest current iPhone
- A19 chip
- 48MP Fusion camera with 2x telephoto crop
- Up to 26 hours of video playback
- One rear camera
- Apple lists it from $699 for 256GB (launched at $599)
Apple iPhone 12 is the better value at $140. Both are part of our curated smartphone index — tap through to check current pricing.