Apple introduced its iPhone 17 collection of telephones at its “awe-dropping” occasion on 9 September.
The occasion was tonally completely different from Apple’s “Glowtime” iPhone 16 launch a 12 months earlier than, in that the main target was firmly on what its new lineup of telephones can do proper now. There have been no obscure claims of agentic AI or software program options that might arrive at some undisclosed level sooner or later.
Aside from one or two very well-defined, AI-enabled options (resembling Dwell Translation), it was all in regards to the telephones’ {hardware}.
However the large shock was which cellphone had probably the most intensive upgrades: the bottom iPhone 17 mannequin.
Apple
Nearly the one factor that continues to be the identical year-on-year is its beginning value: £799/$799. However there have been so many real enhancements.
Don’t underestimate the upgrades
The show dimension has elevated from 6.1 inches (on the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16) to six.3 inches, and it lastly presents an All the time-On show.
Maybe extra importantly, and despite what rumours had led us to imagine, the bottom mannequin has ProMotion for the primary time. Meaning it has an adaptive refresh charge of as much as 120Hz (up from 60Hz), making varied on-screen parts really feel extra fluid and responsive.
Nearly the one factor that continues to be the identical year-on-year is its value
It must be sooner and extra succesful too, because it’s powered by Apple’s A19 chip, a step up from final 12 months’s A18, and the iPhone 15’s A16 Bionic chip. And regardless of no value change, the cellphone additionally begins at 256GB of storage: double final 12 months’s providing.
There are notable battery life positive aspects, too. Its video playback period has leapt from as much as 22 hours to as much as 30 hours. It now helps MagSafe wi-fi charging as much as 25W (from 22W), and so-called quick wired charging can get you 50% in solely 20 minutes (paired with a 40W adaptor).
Plus, it doesn’t miss out on Apple’s enjoyable innovation of the 12 months. It has the 18Mp Heart Stage entrance digicam, which retains you within the centre of the body when taking selfies. It could even centre a bunch of individuals for group selfies, altering the side ratio from portrait to panorama for a greater match, with out you needing to alter the angle you’re holding your cellphone.
Apple
Altogether, these are specs that even my Android-loving colleagues would begrudgingly admit are respectable for the value level – though I’m not anticipating them to modify.
However why not go for the shiny new iPhone Air? Sure, it’s stunning. Sure, it’s extravagantly skinny at solely 5.6mm – minus, in fact, the “Plateau”. That’s what Apple is asking the bar throughout the again that’s wanted to deal with some parts so as to obtain stated thinness.
Apple
However I’ve to agree with our sibling publication Macworld’s editor when he says that what the Air does rather well is to resolve the issues of its personal making.
If you must carry a battery pack round, having an extremely slender cellphone is way much less of a flex
Purchase it in case you love the design, certain, however keep in mind that its battery life gained’t reside as much as that of the bottom mannequin, charging can be slower, you’ll miss out on macro images, spatial video recording and macro video recording.
As soon as the novelty wears off, you’ll be left with a cellphone that’s inferior to the bottom mannequin, and also you’ll be spending £999/$999– that’s £200/$200 extra.
Apple
The truth is, the Apple on-line retailer really consists of video playback figures with the appropriate MagSafe battery pack connected. However let’s face it, if you must carry a battery pack round, having an extremely slender cellphone is way much less of a flex.
However what in regards to the Professional and Professional Max fashions? There’s no denying that these telephones provide loads, but it surely’s not all excellent news so far as I’m involved.
Get the perfect of the iPhone 17 upgrades, keep away from the ugly plateau, and save your self a wad of money by choosing the iPhone 17
First off is the visible enchantment. I’m not in love with the “plateau” digicam bump that stretches throughout the again. It has a special design on the Professional and Professional Max fashions than the extra elegant form on the Air.
Nevertheless, the telephones’ textured aluminium unibody, which is available in three metallic color choices (together with an eye catching “cosmic” orange), is recent and distinct.
Apple
They’re powered by the A19 Professional chip, so that they’ll be sooner than the iPhone 17. They’ve a LiDAR scanner (for AR experiences, amongst different issues), their digicam arrays have an additional lens and extra options, and their video choices are far more superior. This makes them the popular possibility for content material creators, indisputably.
However as the bottom mannequin has had such a bump in specs this time round, the variations are far much less pronounced than in earlier years.
Nevertheless, what’s pronounced is the value variance. Beginning at £1,099/$1,099 for the Professional and £1,199/$1,199 for the Professional Max, there’s a £400/$400 distinction between the bottom mannequin and the Professional Max, which is a large quantity.
In the event you’re unlikely to make use of your iPhone for critical filming, you may get the perfect of the iPhone 17 upgrades, keep away from the ugly plateau, and save your self a wad of money by choosing the iPhone 17.