iPhone 17e: First benchmarks show strong CPU performance

The iPhone 17e has appeared in the Geekbench 6 database for the first time. These initial benchmarks provide a more detailed insight into the performance of the new A19 chip. It quickly becomes apparent that the device's CPU performance is almost exactly on par with the regular iPhone 17.

However, there is a slight difference. While the processing power is almost identical, the graphics performance of the iPhone 17e is slightly lower.

With the iPhone 17e, Apple continues its strategy of offering a more affordable iPhone with current hardware. The model retains the design of its predecessor but incorporates several technical improvements.

Key new features include the A19 chip, MagSafe, the second-generation C1X modem for faster 5G, and 256 GB of base storage. Despite these improvements, the starting price remains unchanged.

First benchmarks of the iPhone 17e

In Geekbench 6, the iPhone 17e has so far achieved a maximum multi-core CPU score of 9,241.

For comparison: The iPhone 17 with the same A19 chip achieves an average of 9,249 points. The CPU performance of the two devices is therefore almost identical.

The A19 chip thus ensures very high computing power even in the more affordable model.

The small catch: Difference in GPU

The most important difference between the iPhone 17e and the iPhone 17 lies in their graphics performance. The iPhone 17e has a quad-core GPU, while the iPhone 17 is equipped with a five-core GPU. This results in slightly lower graphics performance.

In the first Geekbench Metal tests, the iPhone 17e achieved approximately 31,000 to 31,500 points, while the iPhone 17 scored around 37,000 points. However, this difference is unlikely to be noticeable to most users in everyday use.

Multi-core performance comparison

The latest benchmark results show how the iPhone 17e compares to other iPhone models:

iPhone 17 Pro (A19 Pro): 9,805 points
iPhone 17 (A19): 9,249 points
iPhone 17e (A19): 9,241 points
iPhone 16 Pro (A18 Pro): 8,625 points
iPhone 16e (A18): 7,977 points
iPhone 15 Pro (A17 Pro): 7,199 points

This puts the iPhone 17e almost on par with the iPhone 17 and surpasses several older iPhone generations.

Features of the iPhone 17e

The iPhone 17e uses the same design as the iPhone 16e, but brings some important improvements:

A19 chip for higher performance
MagSafe for magnetic wireless charging and accessories
Second-generation C1X modem for faster 5G
256 GB base storage

The storage capacity is therefore twice as large as before.

Price, pre-order and market launch

In Germany, the iPhone 17e starts at €699, just like the iPhone 16e. Pre-orders began on March 4th, with the market launch following on March 11th.

iPhone 17e: Strong performance despite minor GPU limitations

Initial benchmarks show that the iPhone 17e offers very strong CPU performance. With 9,241 points in the multi-core test, the device performs almost exactly on par with the iPhone 17.

The only major difference lies in the quad-core GPU, which delivers slightly less graphics performance than the five-core GPU in the iPhone 17. However, this difference will likely be barely noticeable to most users in everyday use.

With an A19 chip, MagSafe, faster 5G, 256 GB of base storage, and a starting price of €699, the iPhone 17e positions itself as a powerful entry-level model within the current iPhone generation. (Image: Apple)