Pre-orders for Apple’s latest iPhone open on Wednesday and its cheaper price may tempt shoppers away from the iPhone 17
Apple has unveiled its latest smartphone and it’s up for grabs with a pennies per day pre-order deal. On Monday (March 2), the tech giant officially announced the iPhone 17e.
It’s a new addition to Apple’s budget-friendly ‘e’ series that’s designed as a more affordable iPhone 17. The 17e is touted as combining ‘powerful performance and features at an exceptional value’, with a £599 price tag that’s £200 cheaper than the flagship model.
Despite this cheaper price, it still delivers fast performance, an advanced camera system, Artificial Intelligence features and double the starting storage at 256GB. Pre-orders for the iPhone 17e go live at 2.15pm on Wednesday (March 4) ahead of a March 11 launch, and Sky Mobile is offering the device for 61p per day when customers get their order in early.
When spreading the cost on one of Sky’s monthly contracts, the iPhone 17e 256GB comes in at £19 with £12 upfront. This works out at roughly 61p per day across a 31-day month.
Similarly, the iPhone 17e 512GB costs £25 with £12 upfront – or roughly 80p per day. As well as a choice of storage, there are now more options when it comes to colour, as Apple has launched a new ‘soft pink’ model alongside the usual black and white.
Sky’s iPhone 17e pre-order deal
Sky Mobile is offering the new iPhone 17e for £19 per month or 61p per day when pre-ordering by March 10.
One thing to note with Sky’s contracts is that they run for 36 months, though customers can swap to a new device from 24 months at no extra cost. They also come with a 100MB data allowance, but most people will eat through this in minutes and should consider upgrading to a larger bundle.
Other networks such as Three and Vodafone have confirmed they will stock the device but have yet to release their prices. For those preferring to buy outright, prices tend to be the same across the board at launch, so expect the likes of Amazon and Argos to charge £599 too.
The iPhone 17e launches a year after Apple unveiled its first ‘e’ model, the iPhone 16e. It’s had some upgrades since then, notably with the 256GB storage – that’s twice the entry storage from the previous model for the same price.
It’s also far more powerful as it runs on Apple’s latest-generation A19 processor, the same version powering the standard iPhone 17. Despite a cheaper price tag, the iPhone 17e boasts premium features including a 48MP Fusion camera that can take crystal clear photos and 4K Dolby Vision video, the latest iOS 26 software out of the box, and advanced Apple Intelligence capabilities.
Its 6.1” Super Retina XDR display is strengthened with Ceramic Shield 2, which Apple claims offers three-times better scratch resistance than the previous generation. One slight niggle is its battery life that’s slightly shorter than the standard iPhone 17 at up to 26 hours video playback, compared to 30.
Announcing the iPhone 17e, Kaiann Drance, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide iPhone Product Marketing, said: “The iPhone 17e combines powerful performance and features our users love at an exceptional value, making it a compelling option for customers looking to upgrade to the iPhone 17 family. We know our customers want a product that will last, and iPhone 17e delivers just that.
“With A19 for incredible performance, double the entry storage, a smarter camera system, and enhanced durability, iPhone 17e is designed to stay fast, secure, and valuable for years to come.”
