Apple has updated its mid-range iPhone to complement the iPhone 17 lineup from last year, with some notable upgrades over the iPhone 16e — here’s where and how you can pre-order it in Australia.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Apple has had a big week full of product launches, and while the new MacBook Neo stole the show, the iPhone 17e was the first domino to fall on March 3. The budget-friendly sibling of the very popular and highly-acclaimed iPhone 17 lineup has retained the AU$999 starting price of the iPhone 16e, while also getting some meaningful upgrades.
Apple has followed the lead of the base iPhone 17 by bumping the 17e’s storage to 256GB from the 16e’s starting option of 128GB, and upgrading to the A19 processor. The iPhone 17e now also has MagSafe support, making it compatible with magnetic accessories like cases, mounts, stands, wallets and chargers. Wireless charging speed has also improved to 15W as a result, compared to the iPhone 16e’s 7.5W.
The iPhone 17e, however, retains the notch at the top of the display and the camera array from the 16e, giving you just a single 48MP rear shooter and 12MP front-facing lens. It also doesn’t have the ProMotion display from the flagship range, meaning the 17e has the same 60Hz refresh rate as its predecessor. With the price staying put from the iPhone 16e, pre-ordering the 17e as an outright purchase (and paired with one of our best SIM-only plans) represents the best value over a long-term period, although some customers may find pre-ordering through a telco to pay monthly instalments a more attractive option.
Vodafone and Optus are offering pre-orders for Apple’s new budget handset, and I’ve perused all the offers from both telcos to find the best plans for different users. Apple iPhone 17e (256GB) | Vodafone Small Plan | 60GB data | 24 months | AU$80.62 p/m The iPhone 17e brings some modest — but welcome — upgrades over its predecessor while also retaining the iPhone 16e’s AU$999 RRP, making it a great budget handset overall.
So while there’s no discount on the handset itself, Vodafone’s ongoing promotion of AU$14 off its Small Plan for the entire 24 months makes it the best overall choice for getting the Apple handset through a telco. You also get 60GB of data and unlimited national calls and texts. Apple iPhone 17e (256GB) | Vodafone Medium Plan | 200GB data | 24 months | AU$90.62 p/m If you need more mobile data and you regularly make international calls, then Vodafone’s Medium Plan for an extra AU$10 per month is your best bet if you want the iPhone 17e.
This plan also gets the same AU$14 promotion for the whole 24 months, making it AU$16p/m cheaper than the equivalent option from Optus. Apple iPhone 17e (512GB) | Optus Small Plan | 50GB data | 24 months | AU$113.29 p/m Vodafone is only carrying the 256GB iPhone 17e, so your best bet for the 512GB option through a telco is with Optus. This plan has unlimited national calls and texts, and international roaming costs AU$5 per day for 5GB of mobile data.
Want to know how the plans above stack up against the others? Here’s what you’ll be paying each month for the iPhone 17e with 256GB of storage on a 24-month contract: Apart from the telco plans above, retailers like Amazon, JB Hi-Fi and The Good Guys are offering pre-orders for the iPhone 17e, but there are no discounts at this time. As mentioned earlier, however, pairing the phone with one of our best SIM-only plans can save you more money in the long run.
Apple’s iPhone 17e continues the trend of its predecessor of taking the base iPhone 17’s 3-nanometer A19 processor and using more cost-effective components to make a lower-priced handset. Importantly, the iPhone 17e retains the AU$999 price of its predecessor, but it arrives with 256GB of storage as a minimum (up from the 16e's 128GB) and comes with a new Ceramic Shield 2 front glass cover (compared to the previous-gen Ceramic Shield in the 16e) and MagSafe support.
The C1 cellular modem is also upgraded to the new C1X, which Apple claims is twice as fast. The newer Ceramic Shield front is claimed to bring 3x better scratch resistance than the previous generation, as well as reduced glare. Apple has also added a new colour the company calls “Soft Pink” while holding on to the white and black shades from the iPhone 16e. While there’s a lot that’s new, many features from the 16e have returned to the 17e, like the notch, the camera array (a single 48MP rear shooter and 12MP front-facing lens), 8GB of RAM, 4,005 mAh battery, and the 60Hz Super Retina XDR display.
Admittedly the upgrades aren’t the most groundbreaking, but are all welcome additions for a phone that did not get a price hike during a period of RAM and storage shortages, thus representing excellent per-dollar value compared to the previous generation. Nico is an experienced writer and journalist, having previously written for business titles across Australia. While mainly focusing on phones and finding deals and coupon codes at TechRadar Australia, he is also a keen cyclist and occasional hiker, so he also loves related tech like smartwatches and bike computers.
Outside of tech, Nico is also a politics, basketball and movie obsessive. Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
Summary
This report covers the latest developments in iphone. The information presented highlights key changes and updates that are relevant to those following this topic.
Original Source: TechRadar | Author: nico.arboleda@futurenet.com (Nico Arboleda) , Nico Arboleda | Published: March 6, 2026, 6:06 am
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