Apple iPhone SE (1st generation) vs Apple iPhone 17e
Apple iPhone SE (1st generation) ($41) 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 SE (1st generation) | Apple iPhone 17e |
| Price | $41 | $699 |
| Weight | 113g | 169g |
| Chip | A9 | A19 |
| Display | 4" 60Hz LCD | 6.1" Super Retina XDR OLED |
| Camera | 12MP single | 48MP Fusion |
| Rating | IP67 (later revisions) | IP68 |
| Weight | 113g (Apple published) | 169g (Apple published: 5.96 oz) |
| Battery | — | up to 26h video |
| Storage | — | 256GB / 512GB |
| Released | — | 2026-03-11 |
Pros & Cons
Apple iPhone SE (1st generation)
- Smallest, lightest phone in the entire catalog
- Touch ID and a real home button
- Genuinely one-handed usable, unlike anything from 2018 onward
- Extremely cheap, the least expensive working iPhone here
- iOS support has ended
- A9 chip is a decade old and it shows in modern apps
- Single camera, no portrait mode or night mode
- Battery on any used unit will be significantly degraded
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 SE (1st generation) is the better value at $41. Both are part of our curated smartphone index — tap through to check current pricing.