The first reviews of the iPhone 17e were published today by selected publications and YouTube channels, ahead of the device launching on Wednesday.


iPhone 17e features the same overall design as the iPhone 16e, but it gained Apple's A19 chip, MagSafe for magnetic wireless charging and magnetic accessories, and Apple's second-generation C1X cellular modem. In the U.S., the iPhone 17e starts at the same $599 as the iPhone 16e did, but it has a doubled 256GB of base storage.

The Verge's Allison Johnson recommended that customers purchase the standard iPhone 17 for an extra $200 over the iPhone 17e, if they can afford to. The standard iPhone 17 has been very popular, and it offers some features the iPhone 17e lacks, including a 120Hz ProMotion display, a Dynamic Island, and an extra Ultra Wide rear camera.

If you do opt for the iPhone 17e, though, MagSafe and the 256GB of base storage are the two key upgrades over the iPhone 16e.

CNN Underscored's Mike Andronico called MagSafe a "huge" addition:

While the iPhone 17e looks and feels just like last year's model, there's one huge change under the hood: MagSafe support. Apple's latest entry level phone works with the wide ecosystem of magnetic accessories out there, including MagSafe wallets, MagSafe battery packs and MagSafe charging stands. It's been so nice being able to plop my iPhone 17e on my Belkin Boost Charge stand while I'm at my desk and snap on my Baseus PicoGo battery pack when I'm on the go, two major conveniences I often have to give up when testing a cheaper phone. MagSafe allows for twice the wireless charging speed at 15W versus 7.5W, and while Google just joined the party with its similar PixelSnap tech, you won't find that feature on the new $500 Google Pixel 10a.

Google's budget Pixel 10a smartphone lacks an equivalent MagSafe feature.

iPhone 17e benchmarks already surfaced last week, revealing that the device's A19 chip is up to 15% faster than the iPhone 16e's A18 chip and unsurprisingly on par with the standard iPhone 17. In other words, performance is totally fine.

iPhone 17e features Apple's latest C1X modem for cellular connectivity. Apple says the C1X is up to twice as fast as the C1 modem in the iPhone 16e.

On AT&T's network in New Jersey, PCMag's Eric Zeman said the iPhone 17e achieved a peak download speed of 419 Mbps, but he did not test any other devices for comparison. In a study published in September, Ookla said the iPhone 16e achieved a median download speed of 169 Mbps on AT&T, so it seems like twice-as-fast 5G is roughly accurate.

CNET, Engadget, and WIRED also shared iPhone 17e reviews, among others.

Video Reviews

This article, "iPhone 17e Reviews: Two Key Upgrades" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

The first reviews of the iPad Air with the M4 chip have been shared by selected publications and YouTube channels, ahead of the device launching this Wednesday.


The new iPad Air features the M4 chip, 12GB of memory, the N1 wireless chip for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 connectivity, and Apple's C1X modem on cellular models. Everything else remains unchanged compared to last year's M3 model.

• M3 vs. M4 iPad Air Buyer's Guide: All Differences Compared

Many of the reviews noted the small, iterative nature of the M4 ‌iPad Air‌ over last year's M3 model, with many features like the design, 60Hz Liquid Retina display, and Touch ID button lingering unchanged since 2020. Tom's Guide said:

I wouldn't go so far to say that the Air's design has calcified, but if you go back several generations, you'll see little has changed from year to year. The M4 Air has the same design as the Air Apple released back in 2020. To be sure, it's a great look — thin, light, and a nice slim bezel all the way around.

The main upgrade is the move to the M4 chip, which reviewers agreed is noticeably faster than last year's M3 model, even if it doesn't dramatically change what can be achieved with the device.

Now powered by an M4 chip, the iPad Air is modestly faster than last year's iPad Air M3. On our benchmark tests, it scored appreciably faster, both in single- and multicore, as well as in frame rate tests. The most notable difference you'll see is if you go back a couple of generations; the M4 iPad scored nearly two times higher than the M1 Air on our Geekbench test.

Mashable highlighted the new chip's better optimization for AI tasks:

I tried to test its AI capabilities using apps like Final Cut Pro's auto-captions, Voice Memo's transcription features, and CollaNote's AI image generation. Even with WiFi and cellular data turned off, these processes happened almost instantly, and without any big mistakes.

In CollaNote, the popular note-taking app, you can use the Magic Pen to circle a doodle and turn it into an actual graphic. Record a note or interview with Voice Memos, and you'll get an accurate transcription at the push of a button. In Pixelmator, you can upscale images and remove backgrounds from photos practically instantly.

I also feel like I'm barely scratching the surface of what you can do with the iPad Air's Neural Engine, particularly when it comes to utilizing Apple Shortcuts and open-source models.

Gizmodo noted that while the new ‌iPad Air‌ benefits from the M4 chip, it still falls short of the version of the M4 used in other devices like the MacBook Air:

The iPad Air isn't powered by the same M4 chip in the M4 MacBook Air. The tablet chip is a binned version, meaning it contains fewer cores than the maxed-out 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU. Apple configured the M4 iPad Air version with an 8-core CPU and a 9-core GPU. In practice, you won't see quite the same performance as you would on the M4 MacBook Air. It's also slower for more graphically demanding tasks, like 3D modeling.

What may be helping the M4 iPad Air get a leg up is the upgrade to 12GB of unified memory. That's 4GB more than the M3 iPad Air. This will necessarily increase speeds for when you have multiple apps open at once. It will also boost overall performance.

Reviewers also looked at the new connectivity chips in the device, noting solid performance with no perceptible drawbacks to moving to Apple's custom hardware. Engadget writes:

The other main change is Apple's in-house networking chips are on board here. The N1 covers Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread, while the C1X handles cellular connectivity if you buy a 5G-capable model. Again, this doesn't change the experience of using the iPad Air in any major way, but having the newest Wi-Fi and Bluetooth protocols on board is good for future usage, regardless of who built the chip. In my testing, the C1X on Verizon's 5G network was extremely fast around the suburbs of Boston and didn't seem any slower (or any faster) than other devices I have running on the same carrier. That's fine, as other Apple devices I've tried with the C1X (like the iPad Pro) are solid and reliable, which is the most important thing.

Video Reviews

This article, "M4 iPad Air Reviews: Faster Chip, Familiar Design" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Last month, Anker debuted its new Prime 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station with a launch discount on Amazon. This deal has gotten even better today, with the accessory marked down to $115.99, down from $149.99, and no need for a coupon.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

The Prime 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station features Qi2.2 support, which lets a compatible MagSafe ‌iPhone‌ charge at up to 25W. It's the same speed as Apple's ‌MagSafe‌ charger, and it is 10W faster than the standard Qi2 ‌MagSafe‌ chargers. You can also simultaneously charge an Apple Watch and AirPods with the device.



There are plenty of other Anker discounts happening on Amazon this week, including the Prime 14-in-1 Thunderbolt 5 Dock back at its all-time low price of $339.99, down from $399.99. Anker's popular 3-in-1 MagSafe-Compatible Charging Cube is also down to a new all-time low price of $83.68 with an on-page coupon, down from $129.99.

Wall Chargers

• Nano USB-C Wall Charger - $29.99, down from $39.99


• 6-in-1 USB-C Power Strip - $79.99, down from $109.99


• 140W 4-Port GaN USB-C Charger - $64.99, down from $99.99


• 14-in-1 Prime Thunderbolt 5 Dock - $339.99, down from $399.99

Wireless Chargers

• Qi2 MagSafe-Compatible Wireless Charger 2-Pack - $25.97, down from $39.99


• 3-in-1 MagSafe-Compatible UFO Charger - $69.99, down from $89.99


• 3-in-1 MagSafe-Compatible Charging Station - $85.49, down from $109.99


• 3-in-1 MagSafe-Compatible Foldable Charging Station - $85.99, down from $109.99


• 3-in-1 MagSafe-Compatible Charging Cube - $83.68 with on-page coupon, down from $129.99


• 3-in-1 Prime Wireless Charging Station (NEW) - $115.99, down from $149.99


• Prime MagSafe-Compatible 3-in-1 Charging Station - $159.99, down from $229.99

Portable Chargers

• MagGo Power Bank 10,000 mAh - $63.99, down from $79.99


• Prime Power Bank 20,100 mAh - $149.99, down from $179.99


• SOLIX C300 Power Station with Lantern - $169.99, down from $249.00


• Prime Power Bank 26,250 mAh - $171.48, down from $229.99


• SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 Portable Power Station - $428.99, down from $799.00


• SOLIX C2000 Gen 2 Portable Power Station - $799.99, down from $1,499.00

If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

---

This article, "Anker's New Prime 3-in-1 Foldable Charging Station Hits Record Low on Amazon, Plus More Anker Deals" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

CBS Sunday Morning correspondent David Pogue interviewed Apple's CEO Tim Cook ahead of the company's 50th anniversary on April 1, 2026.


In the interview, Cook revealed the two things that are "essential" to Apple: people and culture.

"Yes, we have a lot of intellectual property and so forth, and that is important, but it's people that create that intellectual property," said Cook. "It's the culture that creates the innovation with the intellectual property."

"I think it's very difficult to replicate culture," added Cook. "It takes a long time, because you have to hire the right people. And then those people have to hire the right people, and you have to build a complete organization."


That culture then has to be sustained as life changes and technology evolves, he said.

Cook concluded that Apple is a "party of one."

"I think Apple is such a unique place, it's not possible to replicate it," he said. "I know a lot of different companies, and I think Apple is just in a party of one."

Pogue is the author of the new book Apple: The First 50 Years, set to be released this Tuesday.

From the book's official description:

In time for Apple's 50th anniversary, CBS Sunday Morning correspondent David Pogue tells the iconic company's entire life story: how it was born, nearly died, was born again under Steve Jobs, and became, under CEO Tim Cook, the most valuable company in the world. The book features full-color photos, new facts that correct the record and illuminate its subversive culture, and fresh interviews with the legendary figures who shaped Apple into what it is today.

An excerpt from the book, focused on Steve Jobs and Apple's "Think Different" campaign, is available on the CBS News website.
This article, "Tim Cook Says Two Things Matter Most at Apple Ahead of Company's 50th Anniversary" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums