Repair website iFixit has taken apart the iPhone 17e, which is the new budget iPhone that Apple released last Wednesday. The iPhone 17e is almost identical to the iPhone 16e in design, but includes a MagSafe that supports MagSafe and faster Qi charging than the iPhone 16e.
See also: iFixit Releases Free iOS Repair App with AI-Powered FixBot
During the disassembly of the iPhone 17e, iFixit found that the device's MagSafe panel is the same size as the 16e panel and both are interchangeable. You can take a back panel from an iPhone 17e and install it in an iPhone 16e, adding MagSafe to an iPhone 16e.
This could be good news for iPhone users who bought an iPhone 16e and don't want to upgrade just to get MagSafe. iPhone 16e customers might be able to get a back panel iPhone 17e to perform a MagSafe swap, which iFixit says is a big win for repairability. There was a downside to the MagSafe swap because the iPhone 16e lacks the built-in software that recognizes MagSafe accessories to provide animations and it is still unclear whether it charges fully at 15W.
“Cross-compatibility matters,” iFixit said. “It makes repairs easier, parts easier to find, and upgrades cheaper.”
Apple made the first‑day manuals available for the iPhone 17e, so iFixit knew that the front and rear panels are removable both. The battery can be replaced without having to go through the screen, although there is still glue that needs to be dealt with. The iPhone 17e continues to use glue for the battery that can be removed with an electric pulse, which makes battery replacements simpler.
See also: iPhone 17 Pro: Apple's new approach to heat management
Aside from the MagSafe update, the other notable change in the iPhone 17e is the A19 System on Chip that replaces the A18. Apple has also replaced the C1 modem with the new, faster C1X modem, and there's more starting internal storage at 256GB.
iFixit found that, like the MagSafe model, almost all components inside the iPhone 17e and iPhone 16e were interchangeable. It is possible to take a logical board iPhone 16e and place it into an iPhone 17e frame, with almost no problem in component recognition. The TrueDepth camera for Face ID did not work when swapped from iPhone to iPhone.
While iFixit was pleased with the dual entry design and the battery glue that releases electrically, the site found that the USB-C port was heavily buried behind components, which will make DIY repairs terrifying for users. Apple fixed the USB-C port accessibility issue on its main models, but has not made port access any easier on the “e” models.
See also: iPhone 17e: What changes has Apple brought?
Despite these problems, iFixίt gave points for the replaceability of components because there is a higher salvage value and more reconstruction possibilities. iFixit gave the iΡhone 17e a provisional repairability rating of 7 out of 10. This is the same rating that the iPhone 16e got last year, and the same rating that the iPhone 17 got.
