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Manila Bulletin devider Technews devider First impressions: iPhone 17e punches well above its weight class

First impressions: iPhone 17e punches well above its weight class

Published Apr 11, 2026 08:03 am
The iPhone 17e is a modern smartphone for newcomers and longtime Apple fans alike.
If you’re after your first iPhone or considering upgrading from a much older device, the iPhone 17e is a smart choice.
The iPhone 17e features an A19 chip, the same one powering an iPhone 17. This makes the iPhone 17e a speedy performer, capable of running power-hungry apps.
The 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display shows beautiful and striking images. Besides catching up with shows and movies I have missed these past couple of months, playing games made me appreciate mobile gaming in a new light. Colors, lighting, shadows, and animation were all vibrant and fluid. The black colors go really dark, which adds so much depth to an image. Some of the games I’ve played involved Arknights, which is a visual delight. I’ve also spent some time in Apple Arcade’s Balatro+, Slay the Spire+, and Dredge+, and they look better than the monitor I use for my PC gaming (Granted, my monitor is nothing special, but still).
The iPhone 17e has a single 48MP rear camera. However, it is the A19 chip that does most of the heavy lifting, showcasing images that have more vibrant colors. Portrait Mode is impressive, and even though there is only a single camera, you can zoom in on a subject for surprising macro photography results.
The iPhone 17e gets an Action Button, which, if you’re coming from an older phone (like me), replaces the mute button. The Action Button can be customized to access your most-used features, such as quick launching the camera, voice memo, Apple Intelligence, flashlight, magnifier, and the incredibly powerful Shortcut.
The iPhone 17e feels nice and sturdy in the hand. It’s reinforced with Ceramic Shield 2, making the screen much more scratch and crack-resistant. The back is frosted glass, which I adore very much because it looks cool and feels nice to touch, too. I’m coming from a black iPhone 11, and while I adore that device, it is a total fingerprint magnet. The iPhone 17e’s frosted glass back solves that problem, giving it a much cleaner look.
The battery life is wonderful. I took pictures and videos for a long time, and from a 74% battery, I ended with 71%. Considering I took time using the camera, I’d say that shows good power efficiency.
Besides the iPhone 17e being available in the country now. Apple has also brought in the AirTag 2, which supports precision finding. It has a 50% wider range and 50% louder speaker, in case it gets really lost under the sofa.

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