I just tried the iPhone 17, and it could be the best standard iPhone in years

Date:
Wed, 10 Sep 2025 06:30:00 +0000

Description:
We've spent hands-on time with the iPhone 17 here are our first impressions.

FULL STORY ======================================================================

No, the iPhone 17 didnt get a radical makeover on the back or shed some overall thickness; it looks very similar to the iPhone 16, with a few new colors, but dont let the similarities fool you.

Apples entry-level iPhones have been slowly marching toward delivering more value and getting closer and closer to the Pro iPhones. And maybe its that Apple went full throttle with the Pros or that the entirely new iPhone Air is a very thin Pro, but the iPhone 17 makes three key upgrades that might have you questioning if you need to go Pro.

If that sounds familiar, see my iPhone 16 review from last year.

While its keeping the same overall dimensions as the iPhone 16, the screen is larger here. Its jumping from 6.1 inches to 6.3 inches on the iPhone 17, courtesy of slimmer bezels, and its a Super Retina XDR OLED screen thats now always on. And that means that even when its locked, you can glance at it to see the time, widgets, and whatever is actively playing. (Image credit: Future/Lance Ulanoff)

Even during my brief demo after the Awe dropping event came to a close, when
I ventured to the hands-on area, the always-on nature was a big improvement and a better fit for the MSRP price here. It also felt a bit more expansive, even with a 0.2-inch increase, though its not a major stretch.

I will say that the display looked excellent with punchy, vibrant colors and sharp, inky blacks for text, and it was really nice to use even in a brightly lit demo space. I didnt get the chance to try it outdoors, though.

Alongside the always-on upgrade, Apple is finally rolling out its ProMotion functionality to the entry-level iPhone, and this is a significant one that feels immediately noticeable, especially in some AAA game demos. Essentially, the iPhone 17 sports a variable 120Hz refresh rate that will make everything especially scrolling, streaming, or gaming feel buttery smooth.

This is a big upgrade and finally levels the playing field with similarly priced Android phones that have been offered this year, and I really look forward to testing this out on the iPhone 17. (Image credit: Future/Lance Ulanoff)

The last main change on the front is the new Center Stage camera. The selfie camera is getting a major upgrade across the iPhone 17 family including the Air and Pros as its jumping to an 18-megapixel camera with a larger, square sensor. The upgrade here is that it can fit more in a shot, and with just one lens, it can shoot a multitude of selfie styles, allowing you to play less Tetris trying to fit people into a shot and capture the moment easily.

I tried this out on the show floor at the Apple event, and it worked seamlessly. To its credit, Apple has integrated this feature simply into the camera app, allowing you to cycle through the different selfie sizes and orientations available. It can even swap from vertical to horizontal without you rotating your phone.

The iPhone 17 is still sticking with two primary cameras: a 48-megapixel Fusion main camera (wide) and a new 48-megapixel ultra-wide lens. The latter should be a pretty major upgrade in terms of clarity for photos, as its a
jump from 12 megapixels and will utilize some pixel-binning tech like the main. I didnt really get to put this through its paces in the demo space, but I look forward to trying it out soon. As a reminder, youll be able to shoot 0.5x, 1x (at varying focal lengths), and 2x as a crop in a shot. Youll also get the new Camera interface as part of iOS 26, and there is a new Dual Capture option that lets you film with the selfie and main cameras at once in the same file. This might prove fun, especially for family moments or when at a concert or sports game.

Oh, and if youre counting, the iPhone 17 does have more cameras than the single-lensed iPhone Air. (Image credit: Future/Lance Ulanoff)

Last but not least, the iPhone 17 felt pretty darn responsive in my brief time, and I suspect performance will not be an issue here for the most common tasks, and even more power-hungry ones. Its not a Pro chip, but the iPhone 17 does get Apples new A19 chip with a 6-core CPU and 5-core GPU, as well as a dedicated Neural Engine. When the new Siri arrives and uses the current Apple Intelligence features, the chip is likely more than capable.

Apples also doubled the starting storage from 128GB to 256GB without raising the price. The Cupertino-based tech giant also did this with the entry-level iPad and iPad Air with M3, and its an excellent trend they should continue.

Out of the new colors, I think Im most preferential to the new Sage green option or the Lavender purple, though these lack some of the fun of the
iPhone 16 lineup remember the two shades of blue? It is also available in mist blue, as well as white or black.

Overall, though, its going to be hard not to consider the iPhone 17, especially if you dont need a telephoto lens or a super slim design. It
boasts an excellent, vivid display thats now ProMotion and always-on, a
better ultra-wide camera, more storage, a new chip, and retains a working design while upgrading the durability.

Its not a radical redesign, but thats a lot to like in my book so far. But
let me know what you think in the comments below. Specs comparison

Below, you'll find a beat-by-beat comparison of the key specs offered by the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max.

iPhone 17

iPhone 17 Air

iPhone 17 Pro

iPhone 17 Pro Max

Weight:

177g

165g

206g

233g

Display:

6.3-inch OLED

6.5-inch OLED

6.3-inch OLED

6.9-inch OLED

Resolution:

2622 x 1206

2736 x 1260

2622 x 1206

2868 x 1320

Refresh rate:

120Hz

120Hz

120Hz

120Hz

Peak brightness:

3,000 nits

3,000 nits

3,000 nits

3,000 nits

Chipset:

A19

A19 Pro

A19 Pro

A19 Pro

Rear cameras:

48MP wide (26mm, /1.6), 48MP ultra-wide (13 mm, /2.2)

48MP wide (26mm, /1.6)

48MP wide (24mm, /1.78), 48MP ultra-wide (13 mm, /2.2), 48MP telephoto (8x optical zoom)

48MP wide (24mm, /1.78), 48MP ultra-wide (13 mm, /2.2), 48MP telephoto (8x optical zoom)

Front camera:

18MP (/1.9)

18MP (/1.9)

18MP (/1.9)

18MP (/1.9)

Storage:

256GB, 512GB

256GB, 512GB, 1TB

256GB, 512GB, 1TB

256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB

Colors:

Black, White, Mist Blue, Sage, Lavender

Space Black, Cloud White, Light Gold, Sky Blue

Silver, Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue

Silver, Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue Price & availability Starts at $799 / 799 / AU$1,399 Pre-orders open on September 12, shipping from September 19

The iPhone 17 was announced at Apple's 'Awe Dropping' event on September 9. iPhone 17 pre-orders will begin on September 12, and the new phone will start shipping on September 19.

The iPhone 17 starts at $799 / 799 / AU$1,399 for the model with 256GB of storage, with that price rising to $999 / 999 / AU$1,799 for 512GB of
storage.

You can see full iPhone 17 pricing below.

Storage

US price

UK price

AU price

256GB

$799

799

AU$1,399

512GB

$999

999

AU$1,799 You might also like The best iPhone 2025: which Apple smartphone reigns supreme? The best camera phone 2025: the top phones for photography, tested and ranked The best gaming phone 2025: top picks for gaming on the go



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/phones/iphone/i-just-tried-the-iphone-17-and-it-coul d-be-the-best-standard-iphone-in-years


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