[Tried and Tested] Light and Fits in One Hand: Is the Budget iPhone 17e a Good Choice?

Lighter Than High-End iPhones

Asking Visual AI About Pokémon: "Pengdori"

Overheating Becomes a Concern During Use

Apple released its budget smartphone, the iPhone 17e, this month. Although its performance is somewhat behind that of existing models like the iPhone 17, it is an Apple smartphone available for 990,000 won. I tried using the iPhone 17e myself to evaluate its cost-effectiveness.

The reporter personally tried Apple’s smartphone, the iPhone 17e. The smartphone fit comfortably in one hand, making it easy to use. Photo by Byeongseon Gong

The iPhone 17e weighs 170g, making it noticeably lighter than the high-end iPhone models. When I held it alongside the iPhone 17 Pro, which weighs about 204g, the iPhone 17e felt significantly lighter. Its size also made it easy to use with one hand. The dimensions of the iPhone 17e are 71.5mm wide, 146.7mm tall, and 7.8mm thick. In comparison, the iPhone 17 has the same width but is 149.6mm tall and 7.95mm thick. The Samsung Electronics Galaxy S26 (71.7mm wide, 149.6mm tall, 7.2mm thick) is larger overall than the iPhone 17e.

The most interesting feature of the iPhone 17e is its “visual AI.” Apple provides this feature by linking with OpenAI’s generative AI model, ChatGPT. You can point the camera at a specific object and use the visual AI feature to ask the AI questions by voice or text. For example, you can take a picture of a restaurant sign or menu to request a translation, or photograph an unfamiliar plant or animal and use visual AI to satisfy your curiosity.

I tried using the visual AI feature of the iPhone 17e. When I pointed the camera at a Pokémon character "Pengdori" doll and asked, ChatGPT responded, "Character 'Pengdori' doll." Photo by Byeongseon Gong

I tested whether the visual AI feature works properly. I pointed the camera at a plush of “Pengdori,” a character from the famous animation Pokémon. To use the visual AI, I pressed the lower part of the right volume button on the phone, which allowed me to ask a question by voice. When I asked, “What character is this?” the iPhone 17e immediately sent the photo to ChatGPT to identify the character. ChatGPT responded, “This is a plush of ‘Pengdori,’ a character from Pokémon. It’s well-known as a water-type Pokémon.”

Since the focus is on functionality, the company concentrated on extending battery charging and usage time. When I plugged in the Samsung Electronics Type-C charger I had been using, fast charging began immediately. If you use a power adapter rated at 20W or higher, you can charge 50% of the iPhone 17e’s battery in just 30 minutes. The video playback time reached up to 26 hours. In addition, the storage capacity has doubled compared to the previous model, the iPhone 16e, now offering 256GB.

I tested charging Apple's budget smartphone iPhone 17e with Samsung Electronics' USB Type-C charger. Photo by Byeongseon Kong

However, overheating was an issue. After turning on the phone and using several features, it became hot not long after. Even without watching videos or playing games, the heat was noticeable and somewhat concerning. No overheating occurred during charging. The main causes of smartphone overheating are issues with operating system or application optimization, as well as excessive processor usage. Overheating in smartphones can lead to performance degradation, such as reduced battery lifespan.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.