Should You Buy an iPhone 17?
Introduced in September 2025, the the iPhone 17 is Apple's most affordable flagship iPhone, sold alongside the higher-end iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Since the iPhone 17 was just released, now is a good time to buy.
The iPhone 17 has an A19 chip that supports Apple Intelligence, an excellent OLED display with a 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate and Always-On functionality, a dual-lens camera system with two 48-megapixel lenses, an Apple-designed networking chip, more scratch-resistant front glass, a Camera Control for quick camera access, and a customizable Action button.
Pricing starts at $799, and the iPhone 17 offers a good balance between functionality and price. If you're looking for a step up, Apple has the iPhone 17 Pro models with upgraded A19 Pro chip, an improved thermal design, and a triple-lens camera system.
For those who want a more affordable device, Apple also offers the $599 iPhone 16e, and the prior-generation iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus with prices starting at $699.
- iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 17 Buyer's Guide: 20 Upgrades Compared
- iPhone 17 vs. iPhone Air Buyer's Guide: 25+ Differences Compared
Choosing an iPhone is a major decision, so we have some buyer's guides that walk you through choosing the best device for you, and you'll also want to check out our iPhone deals post to get the best prices.
The 2025 iPhone 17
Contents
The iPhone 17 is Apple's most affordable flagship iPhone at $799, and it is being sold alongside the thin and light iPhone Air that's priced at $999, and the higher-end iPhone 17 Pro and 6.9-inch iPhone 17 Pro Max that are priced starting at $1,099
This year's lineup eliminates the "Plus" iPhone and replaces it with the iPhone Air. The iPhone 17 family includes the 6.3-inch iPhone 17, the 6.5-inch iPhone Air, the 6.3-inch iPhone 17 Pro, and the 6.9-inch iPhone 17 Pro Max.
With its lower price point, high-end camera, upgraded display technology, and A19 chip, the iPhone 17 is the ideal phone for most people. Apple's most cutting edge features are reserved for the iPhone 17 Pro models to make the extra cost worth it to consumers, and the iPhone 17 isn't as thin as the iPhone Air, but it is still a powerful smartphone that will last for many years to come.
Apple upgraded the display size of the iPhone 17, and it now has a 6.3-inch display, up from 6.1 inches, making it the same size as the iPhone 17 Pro. The larger display size means the iPhone 17 is a little bit taller, thicker, and heavier than the iPhone 16, but some of the improvement is from a reduction in bezels.
Aside from the slight size increase, the iPhone 17 is identical in design to the iPhone 16, featuring an aluminum frame, a frosted glass back, a vertical dual-lens camera bump, and the Dynamic Island. The Dynamic Island houses the front-facing TrueDepth camera and other sensors for Face ID biometric authentication.
The iPhone 17's Super Retina XDR OLED display is protected by Ceramic Shield 2, which Apple says offers 3× better scratch resistance. This year, Apple brought the ProMotion display to the base-model iPhone, and it now supports adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz. 120Hz refresh rates offer smoother scrolling and other benefits, with the upgraded display also enabling Always-On display technology. Apple improved the display's peak outdoor brightness, and it now reaches 3,000 nits, up from 2,000 nits. Typical brightness is still 1,000 nits, and HDR brightness peaks at 1,600 nits.
The iPhone 17 has the same Action button and Camera Control that were available on the iPhone 16, and there continues to be a dual-lens rear camera with a 48-megapixel "Fusion" Wide-Angle lens and a 48-megapixel Ultra Wide-angle lens that's an upgrade over the prior 12-megapixel Ultra Wide lens. The Fusion lens supports 2× optical zoom, so there are 0.5×, 1×, and 2× zoom options available. The Ultra-Wide lens offers improved low-light performance and it supports macro images.
An upgraded 18-megapixel front-facing camera improves selfies and video calls. A square sensor allows for capturing portrait and landscape photos without rotating your iPhone, and it supports Center Stage for wider views when capturing images and taking video calls. Updated stabilization ensures your front-facing videos are shake free. Apple added Dual Capture, a feature that lets you record up to 4K Dolby Vision video with the front and back cameras at the same time, so you can film reaction-style videos that show you along with what you're filming.
You can get the iPhone 17 in five colors, including Lavender, Mist Blue, Sage, Black, and White. The bottom of the iPhone features a USB-C port for charging, and it supports USB2 transfer speeds.
0 Comments
Post a Comment