Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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The iPhone 17e just fixed the worst thing about the 16e, and the best part is, you don’t even have to buy a whole new phone to get the upgrade.

When we tore down the 16e, we said it wasn’t worth upgrading to. It was a pretty modest phone, and the missing MagSafe magnets were a real drawback.

But here’s the surprise: Apple appears to have made the 17e back panel compatible with the 16e. That means 16e owners will be able to add MagSafe just by swapping one part.


Chapters:
00:00 iPhone 17e: The Upgrade You Don’t Need a New Phone For
00:15 iPhone 17e vs 16e: The MagSafe Fix Explained
00:53 Opening the iPhone 17e (Dual Entry Design)
01:58 iPhone 17e Battery Removal Gets Even Easier
03:04 iPhone 17e Teardown: Cameras, Speakers, Internals
03:51 iPhone 17e USB-C Repair Problem
05:40 iPhone 17e Chip Upgrade: A19 and New Modem
06:27 iPhone 17e vs 16e Parts Interchangeability Test
07:30 iPhone 17e Upgrade Potential for 16e Owners
07:52 iPhone 17e Design Tradeoffs Explained
08:48 iPhone 17e Repairability Score: 7/10


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