It is now been over a month since Apple unveiled the brand new iPhone 17 lineup. Whereas I’ve at all times been a Professional person, it is plain how a lot the corporate was capable of enhance the bottom mannequin through the years, culminating in probably the perfect iPhone Apple has ever launched within the type of the iPhone 17. Adopting extra options from the Professional fashions than ever earlier than, the corporate was capable of steadiness premium performance with a extra accessible value for purchasers searching for an improve over their ageing iPhone.
The iPhone 17 nonetheless includes a related design to the iPhone 16 fashions, which suggests it would not have the digicam plateau design obtainable with the iPhone 17 Professional and iPhone Air. Nonetheless, the iPhone 17 brings to thoughts to arrival of the iPhone 8, which featured a tried-and-true design on the peak of its powers. With that in thoughts, we will discover among the most notable iPhone 17 options which may persuade you to improve.
iPhone 17 is stuffed with Professional options
In the event you’ve been taking note of the iPhone 17 rollout, you might need caught on to this already, nevertheless it’s onerous to overstate. The iPhone 17 is as shut as Apple has ever come to releasing a “Professional” iPhone with out “Professional” within the identify. Lots of the options that have been as soon as unique to the Professional fashions at the moment are current within the most cost-effective entry of the iPhone 17 lineup. Listed here are a number of of the highlights:
- All the time-On Show: First obtainable with the iPhone 14 Professional, customers can now select to have a dimmed model of their wallpaper on the iPhone’s show. It is also a pleasing change to see notifications and extra with out all the display screen lightning up.
- ProMotion show: After years of complaints, Apple lastly added an adaptive refresh charge as much as 120Hz to the iPhone 17 show, making the display screen as clean as that of the iPhone Professional fashions.
- Higher processor: The brand new A19 chip has 20% quicker graphics with improved Neural Accelerators for AI workloads. Because of this operating AI fashions on the iPhone is quicker than earlier than, whereas nonetheless being extra environment friendly than the earlier era.
- Improved ultra-wide digicam: Apple lastly upgraded the ultra-wide digicam with 48MP Twin Fusion expertise, which suggests the ultra-wide lens now shoots in 24MP, however can create RAW photographs of 48MP, providing extra element and absorbing extra mild than the earlier 12MP sensor.
- Finest selfie digicam: The brand new 18MP selfie digicam is amongst the perfect iPhone 17 options. A sq. sensor helps you to take panorama photographs with out really rotating the digicam. Apple additionally added the Middle Stage performance to video calls.
These are among the most evident causes to improve, however there are a lot extra as properly.
Different under-the-hood enhancements
The options above are clearly the headlines for the iPhone 17. That stated, the migration of the Professional options is simply the tip of the iceberg when to involves the enhancements Apple made on its base mannequin iPhone in 2025:
- Longer battery life: Apple was ready so as to add as much as 30 hours of video playback. Within the earlier era, it was 22 hours. Extra impressively, Apple promised as much as 19 hours of streamed video on the iPhone 16, whereas the iPhone 17 can last as long as 27 hours.
- Proprietary networking chip: Apple added the N1 chip to the iPhone 17, which brings Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread networking expertise. Nevertheless, what’s extra necessary about this modem is that it improves options like AirDrop.
- Extra resistant show and again: With Ceramic Defend 2, Apple says the entrance cowl is more durable than any smartphone glass or glass-ceramic display screen, and it additionally has 3x battery scratch resistance over the earlier era.
- Extra storage: The iPhone 17 now begins at 256GB of storage (up from 128GB on the iPhone 16), guaranteeing customers have double the quantity of house obtainable for all their photographs, movies, apps, and extra.
In the event you’re able to improve out of your previous iPhone however aren’t fascinated by shelling out for a Professional mannequin, you are in luck. For the primary time, the usual mannequin goes to be the mannequin to purchase for a overwhelming majority of shoppers.
