iPhone 17E vs. Galaxy S25 FE vs. Pixel 10A: Comparing Lower-Cost Flagship Phones

Just like last year iPhone16EApple recently announced iPhone17E is considered an entry-level addition to the iPhone range.

Starting at $599, the 17E offers many improvements over the 16E: double the base storage to 256GB, an upgraded A19 processor, and MagSafe compatibility.

Watch this: The iPhone 17E offers more features for the same $599 price

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Apple isn’t the only mobile company offering entry-level handsets. Samsung and Google have their own budget handhelds.

Samsung Galaxy S25 FE (starting at $650 for 128 GB) and the all-new Pixel 10A (starting at $499 for 128 GB). With attractive designs and solid features, all three handsets make compelling, affordable alternatives to their more expensive siblings.

Here’s how the iPhone 17E compares to the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE and Google Pixel 10A.

Display and design

Apple’s iPhone 17E has the smallest screen of the trio with a 6.1-inch OLED display. Google’s Pixel 10A isn’t much bigger with its 6.3-inch screen. The Samsung Galaxy S25 FE’s 6.7-inch AMOLED makes it the largest of the lot.

The iPhone 17E also doesn’t win any points for its 60Hz refresh rate, especially compared to the 120Hz displays on the Pixel 10A and Galaxy S25 FE, which offer smoother scrolling and more responsive gameplay. However, this will be less noticeable if you’re coming from a non-Pro iPhone 16 or earlier.

If you want a small and light phone, the iPhone 17E has the upper hand over the rest. Weighing just 5.88 ounces (167 grams), it’s lighter than the Pixel 10A at 6.5 ounces (183 grams) and much lighter than the Galaxy S25 FE at 6.7 ounces (190 grams).

Cameras

The iPhone 17E only has a single 48-megapixel camera, compared to two on the base iPhone 17. Much like the 16E, the 17E mitigates the lack of a second camera by using sensor cropping to achieve 2x magnification.

Other entry-level phones do much better in terms of camera. The Pixel 10A has a 48-megapixel display and a 13-megapixel ultra-wide, while the Galaxy S25 FE has a 50-megapixel display, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide, and an 8-megapixel 3x telephoto lens.

All three phones have similar front cameras. The iPhone 17E has a 12-megapixel selfie shooter, the Pixel 10A has a 13-megapixel one, and the Galaxy S25 FE has a 12-megapixel one.

Price, storage, processor and battery

While the iPhone 16E has a base storage of 128GB, the iPhone 17E has double that with 256GB. The Pixel 10A starts at 128GB for $499, but its 256GB model has the same $599 price as the iPhone 17E. The base 128GB Samsung Galaxy S25 FE is a little more expensive at $650, while its 256GB version is priced at $710. That said, you may be able to get the S25 FE on sale from select retailers.

The iPhone 17E is powered by Apple’s latest A19 processor (quad-core instead of the five-core of the base iPhone 17), while the Pixel 10A comes with Google’s Tensor G4 and the Galaxy S25 FE uses Samsung’s Exynos 2400.

The iPhone 17E has the smallest battery of the lot, with a capacity of 4,005 mAh. The Pixel 10A, on the other hand, has a 5,100 mAh battery while the Galaxy S25 FE has a 4,900 mAh battery.

All three feature some form of wireless charging. The iPhone 17E supports MagSafe and Qi2 charging at up to 15W, and the Pixel 10A has 10W wireless charging. The Galaxy S25 FE also supports 15W wireless charging and is said to be Qi2 Ready, meaning it doesn’t have Qi2 magnets, but you can use it with third-party magnetic cases.

Check out the table below to further compare Apple’s iPhone 17E to Samsung’s Galaxy S25 FE and Google’s Pixel 10A.