The best iPhone 17e plans in Australia for May 2026

The budget-friendly sibling of the very popular and highly-praised iPhone 17 lineup launched in early March 2026, retaining the AU$999 starting price of the iPhone 16e, while also offering some meaningful upgrades.

Apple has followed the lead of the base iPhone 17 by bumping the 17e’s storage to 256GB from the 16e’s starting option of 128GB, and upgrading to the A19 processor. The iPhone 17e now also supports MagSafe, making it compatible with magnetic accessories such as cases, mounts, stands, wallets and chargers. Wireless charging speed has also improved to 15W, compared to the iPhone 16e’s 7.5W.

The iPhone 17e, however, retains the notch at the top of the display and the camera array from the 16e, giving you just a single 48MP rear shooter and 12MP front-facing lens. It also doesn’t have the ProMotion display in the flagship range, meaning the 17e has the same 60Hz refresh rate as its predecessor.

With the 17e retaining the same price of the iPhone 16e, buying the 17e outright (and paired with one of our best SIM-only plans) provides the best value long-term. However, some customers may find buying through a telco to pay monthly instalments a more attractive option.

Vodafone and Optus are offering Apple’s new budget handset, and I’ve listed the best plans for different users below:

Best overall iPhone 17e plan

Apple iPhone 17e (256GB) | Vodafone Small Plan | 60GB data | 24 months | AU$80.62 p/m

Vodafone currently has the cheapest mobile plan in Australia for the iPhone 17e with the telco's Small Plan, which costs AU$80.62 p/m. The plan includes 60GB of mobile data, unlimited nationwide calls and texts, as well as unlimited standard international texts.

Minimum total cost: AU$1,038.64 | Cost over 24 months: AU$1,934.88

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Best premium iPhone 17e plan

Apple iPhone 17e (256GB) | Vodafone Medium Plan | 200GB data | 24 months | AU$90.62 p/m

If you want more mobile data, Vodafone's Medium Plan provides 200GB for an additional AU$10 p/m. The plan also includes unlimited nationwide calls and texts, unlimited standard international texts, and international calls to select destinations.

Minimum total cost: AU$1,048.64 | Cost over 24 months: AU$2,174.88

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Compare iPhone 17e telco plans

Want to know how the plans above stack up against the others? Here’s what you’ll be paying each month for the iPhone 17e with 256GB of storage on a 24-month contract:

Outright iPhone 17e deals

Apart from the telco plans above, retailers like Amazon, JB Hi-Fi and The Good Guys are also selling iPhone 17e. As mentioned earlier, however, pairing the phone with one of our best SIM-only plans can save you more money in the long run.

You can find all the retailer offers available below.

iPhone 17e: Key Information

• Same AU$999 starting price as the iPhone 16e
• Starts at 256GB storage
• MagSafe
• Ceramic Shield 2 front glass

Apple’s iPhone 17e continues the trend of its predecessor of taking the base iPhone 17’s 3-nanometer A19 processor and using more cost-effective components to make a lower-priced handset.

Importantly, the iPhone 17e retains the AU$999 price of its predecessor, but it arrives with 256GB of storage as a minimum (up from the 16e's 128GB) and comes with a new Ceramic Shield 2 front glass cover (compared to the previous-gen Ceramic Shield in the 16e) and MagSafe support.

The C1 cellular modem is also upgraded to the new C1X, which Apple claims is twice as fast. The newer Ceramic Shield front is claimed to bring 3x better scratch resistance than the previous generation, as well as reduced glare.

Apple has also added a new colour the company calls “Soft Pink” while holding on to the white and black shades from the iPhone 16e.

While there’s a lot that’s new, many features from the 16e have returned to the 17e, like the notch, the camera array (a single 48MP rear shooter and 12MP front-facing lens), 8GB of RAM, 4,005 mAh battery, and the 60Hz Super Retina XDR display.

Admittedly the upgrades aren’t the most groundbreaking, but are all welcome additions for a phone that did not get a price hike during a period of RAM and storage shortages, thus representing excellent per-dollar value compared to the previous generation.

iPhone 17e: specs comparison