HONG KONG, March 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Apple’s latest budget-friendly smartphone, the iPhone 17e, makes its debut featuring significant storage upgrades and the same trusted durability. Retailing at a starting price of $599, the device now offers 256GB of base storage—double the capacity of last year’s iPhone 16e.
The iPhone 17e features a significant upgrade in both the material and craftsmanship of its cover glass. The front cover glass is manufactured by BIEL Crystal and is made of Ceramic Shield 2. Reinforced with BIEL Crystal’s super-hard coating technology, Ceramic Shield 2 delivers three times better scratch resistance compared to the Ceramic Shield 1 used in the iPhone 16e.
It is worth noting that Apple has once again selected BIEL Crystal as the exclusive supplier of cover glass for the iPhone 17e. BIEL Crystal was also the exclusive supplier of cover glass for the iPhone 16e launched early in 2025.
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