Xiaomi 14 scores higher on the OH Rank (59 vs 58), winning 3 of 10 categories including Battery and Screen. Apple iPhone 17e is the more recent release, from Mar 11, 2026.
EDITORIAL: Apple used to update it's basic (SE) iPhones every few years but the last year's 16e got it's upgrade just a year later. We will see if this is a beginning of a yearly update cycle - it would make sense if this very modestly equipped $600 phone sells well. 17e comes with a very fast A19 processor and it does great in benchmarks, beating all iPhone 16 models, including 16 Pro Max. It also features the latest iOS version and comes with double the memory for the same price as 16e but this is where the excellence runs out. The rest of the phone is very elementary - same small battery, less-then-a-day endurance, 60Hz Retina display, reliable single lens cameras front and back. This is your cheapest ticket into iPhone world but the plain 17 model is a much better option...
Both phones here were scored by me, using the same ten categories, with no ads, sponsorships, or manufacturer relationships — this comparison is as objective and honest as it gets.