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The latest iPhone lineup is one of the most diverse in the company's history. While there's always been plenty of options for users to prioritize price or performance this fall Apple introduced three models, including the entirely new iPhone Air.
I've been switching between all three phones since they launched in September and I'm ready to share my thoughts after plenty of hands on time with the iPhone 17. This model is going to satisfy the needs of most users while adding some nice extras, most notably a vastly different selfie camera and front-facing display.
iPhone 17 One Paragraph Review
The iPhone 17 adds some features previously only available on pro model iPhones while adding major improvements to the front-facing camera. It maintains the "stacked" camera module which allows for spatial photo and video capture (supporting viewing on Vision Pro). The display is great for gaming thanks to the 120Hz refresh rate, though the processor is underpowered for more demanding games. All things considered, this is going to be a great upgrade for anyone moving from an iPhone 15 or older device.
Pros
- Excellent front-facing camera
- 120Hz display (finally)
- Big display (6.3-inches)
Cons
- Minimal telephoto capabilities
- Slightly thicker and heavier than 16
- Warms up while gaming
The iPhone 17: At a Glance
Here's a quick rundown of the key specs:
- Display: 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR , now with 120Hz ProMotion and Always-On display.
- Processor: A19 chip, powering AI features like Apple Intelligence, Image Playground and more.
- Rear Cameras: 48MP Dual Fusion system. This includes a 48MP Main camera with a 2x optical-quality telephoto and a 48MP Ultra Wide camera that handles macro shots.
- Front Camera: A brand new 18MP Center Stage front camera.
- Battery: All-day battery life, with up to 8 hours more video playback than the iPhone 16.
- Durability: Ceramic Shield 2, which Apple says has 3x better scratch resistance. It also has IP68 water resistance.
- Colours: Comes in five finishes: Black, White, Sage, Mist Blue, and Lavender.
The "Center Stage" Camera is a Selfie Game-Changer
The feature taking centre stage on the new iPhone is, well, Center Stage. This is going to help you with selfies, Facetime calls and more.
The front-facing camera is 18MP, but with a new square sensor.
So, what does a square sensor do?
First, it lets you take landscape (wide) selfies while holding the phone vertically. Think about that. You no longer have to do that awkward claw-grip thing to hold your phone sideways and hit the shutter button. You just hold your phone normally, tap a rotate button on the screen, and snap a wide shot.
Second, it brings Center Stage to photos. Maybe you've experienced this on iMac, iPad, or other Apple devices where the camera "follows" you during FaceTime calls? Now it does that for group selfies. If you're taking a shot and a friend jumps in, the camera will automatically expand the view to fit everyone in.
There's also a new feature called Dual Capture. You can now record using the front and rear cameras at the same time. This is perfect for reaction videos during a surprise party, interviews if you're working as a content creator, or travel vlogs where you want to show your face and the scenery in front of you.
A pro display On a regular phone
The 6.3-inch display on iPhone 17 now has ProMotion, which means it has an adaptive refresh rate up to 120Hz. In plain English, this makes scrolling websites and social media feel incredibly smooth. But the real winner here is gaming. When paired with the new 5-core GPU in the A19 chip, games will look and feel more responsive and fluid than ever.
While the display is great for gaming, the processor on this phone is more conducive to Apple Arcade titles and other pick-up and play games. When I was streaming some more intensive titles, I noticed the processor was working hard, producing warmth and diminishing battery quicker than expected.
So while the display is great for gaming, I think saying the actual phone it's "great" for gaming is a bit of a stretch, mostly because the processor isn't as capable for tackling AAA titles.
Another place you'll see a noticeable improvement with the display, particularly if you're coming from an older model iPhone, is when you use this phone outdoors on a sunny day.
iPhone 17 has the highest peak brightness ever on an iPhone at 3000 nits and they've taken steps to improve contrast and reduce reflections. So while I think the selfie is the big headline with this phone, the display is a close second.
The A19 Chip and Battery Life
Powering all this is the new A19 chip. Every year we get a new chip, and every year Apple says it's faster. And it is. But what really matters for everyday use is that it's also more efficient.
This new chip is the brain behind all the new "Apple Intelligence" features and the advanced camera processing. But its efficiency has a direct, practical benefit: better battery life.
Apple is claiming "all-day battery life" and up to 8 hours more video playback compared to the iPhone 16. In my testing, it was NO problem getting through a whole day on a single charge, even when I was doing some battery-draining gaming sessions.
If you are running low, you can get up to 50 percent battery in just 20 minutes (assuming you have a high-wattage adapter). Or for a quick 10-minute charge can give you up to 8 hours of video playback.
iPhone 17 Final Thoughts
As technology improves, expensive components that were previously only reserved for pro models, become more widely available, dropping the price, and allowing manufacturers to add them to their entry-level devices.
The iPhone 17 is definitely benefiting from the Pro models that came before as Apple's able to trickle down pro display and camera features in their lowest-cost model.
iPhone 17
The iPhone 17 is the defacto choice for any iPhone user looking for an upgrade. Unless there's a very specific feature in the Pro model or you want the razer thin iPhone Air, the iPhone 17 is the best choice for most people's phone use and benefits from meaningful upgrades to the display and selfie camera.
The most significant change (at least for Canadians) is the unfamiliarity with eSIM. While eSIM has been an option for Canadians for awhile, the iPhone 17 is the first eSIM ONLY model to hit Canada. Previously we were able to take our physical SIM card out of our old phone and put it into a new phone, but now we are relying on a digital version of a SIM card.
It's actually super easy to set up (see this article), and allowed Apple to improve battery life since they didn't have to leave that tiny bit of room for a SIM card tray.
Of the three models, there's not too much I feel is "missing" when I switch between the Pro model and the base iPhone 17. The biggest difference is cameras (specifically zoom) but for everyday use the iPhone 17 is good to great from a camera perspective even though the rear cameras "only" have 2x optical equivalent telephoto zoom.
Battery life is good. The display is excellent. And the selfie camera is awesome. iPhone 17 is a solid pick for anyone due for an upgrade and you'll really notice huge differences if you're stepping up from an iPhone 15 or older model.
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