After a week with the iPhone 17, I'm convinced it's the best-value iPhone ever

Apple iPhone 17: Two-Minute Review

In my hands-on preview of the iPhone 17, I said it could be the best standard iPhone in years, and after a week of using Apple’s latest base model for photos, calls, work, and everything else, I can confidently confirm: this is the best standard iPhone in many years.

At $799 / £799 / AU$1,399, with double the starting storage and a laundry list of upgrades, Apple’s never made a better-value iPhone – especially compared to the 16e.

The 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR display is the star of the show. It’s punchy, sharp, and now buttery smooth thanks to ProMotion, plus you get Always-On functionality that’s actually useful day to day. Pair that with Apple’s new A19 chip, and the iPhone 17 feels plenty fast enough for most everyday tasks – whether you’re gaming, scrolling TikTok, or multitasking with video running in the corner.

The design doesn’t rewrite the rulebook, but it doesn’t need to. It’s still instantly recognizable as an iPhone, with a slightly bigger build, fresh colors like Sage Green, and with Camera Control and the Action Button on the sides. The phone feels comfortable in the hand and balanced, just like you’d expect. I can, however, see some folks missing the Ultra Marine or Pink Colors from the iPhone 16 lineup.

The base iPhone’s cameras have been given a serious improvement, too: both the main and ultra-wide are now 48MP, which means sharper, more color-accurate shots with less edge distortion. I really liked the new front-facing Center Stage camera as well, since it means no more selfie Tetris when you’re trying to fit in a group. And Dual Capture, which lets you record with the front and rear cameras at the same time, is one of those features that’s actually fun at a concert or ballgame.

Battery life? Solid. I consistently made it through a full day with the iPhone 17, even with the Always-On display turned on and some heavier workflows. And when it’s time to plug in, the new 40W fast charging gets you back up quickly – about 50% in 20 minutes and 80% in under an hour.

Put it all together, and the iPhone 17 feels like the iPhone most people should buy. It’s fast, fun, reliable, and continues to beat the all-important drum of delivering some Pro-level features without the Pro-level price.

If you have an iPhone 16 or iPhone 15, you probably don’t need to upgrade to the iPhone 17 unless you want a better rear camera (which only applies to iPhone 15 owners or those with a 16 who swear by the ultra-wide lens) or desperately need a Pro-level display. But if you have an iPhone 14 or older, this is the year to make the jump.

Apple iPhone 17: Price and availability

• $799 / £799 / AU$1,399 starting price
• 256GB starting storage

Apple’s iPhone 17 was announced during the company’s ‘Awe Dropping’ event on September 9, 2025, alongside the iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. It’s up for preorder right now and officially launches on September 19, 2025 – that’s also the date when the earliest online orders will arrive.

The iPhone 17 starts with double the starting storage of its predecessor – 256GB – , thankfully, keeps the same starting price of $799 / £799 / AU$1,399. It jumps to $999 / £999 / AU$1,799 for 512GB of storage. Apple’s offering the iPhone 17 in Sage Green, Mist Blue, Lavender, Black, or White.

Apple iPhone 17: Specs

Here are the key specs of the iPhone 17, as well as how they compare to the rest of the iPhone 17 lineup (including the iPhone 17 Air):

Apple iPhone 17: Design

• No true redesign; it’s similar to the iPhone 17
• Color range is fun
• More durable year over year

Yeah, the iPhone Air is strikingly thin, and the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max look pretty different, but Apple’s staying the course with the iPhone 17 – and it makes a lot of sense.

As the entry-level model in the 2025 lineup, it feels instantly recognizable as an iPhone and looks right at home when compared to the previous iPhone 16 (or the 15 or 14 before that).

The iPhone 17 keeps largely the same dimensions, with only slight growth compared to the iPhone 16 – it’s 149.6 x 71.5 x 7.95mm versus 146.7 x 71.6 x 7.8mm. So, it’s ever so slightly thicker and seven grams heavier year over year, but I doubt you’ll notice this in daily use.

Over the past week, I’ve been using the iPhone 17 – alongside the Air, which is a story for another day – and it feels every bit like a modern iPhone. While I thought the colors were a little lacking in pop during my hands-on, the Sage Green model I’ve been testing has certainly grown on me. It lacks the vibrancy of last year’s Ultra Marine iPhone 16, but I especially like how it shifts from a lighter to a darker hue as the light hits it. The 17 also comes in Mist Blue, Lavender, White, or Black, should this Sage hue not be to your taste.

It’s also got the same color finish as the previous generation – it’s mostly a frosted back that gives a pastel-like effect, while the sides of the 17 are a matte, lighter version of the shade. It all comes together quite nicely, and the camera bump on the back – which houses the 48MP main and 48MP ultra-wide cameras – is slightly raised with a glossy, darker shade of Sage.

The left side is still home to the Action Button, which is infinitely customizable, as well as the volume up and volume down buttons. The right is where you’ll find the power/sleep button, as well as the “don’t call it a button” Camera Control cut-out. The USB-C port is on the bottom and offers one way to recharge the iPhone 17, while there’s also a MagSafe ring on the back for wireless charging.

The iPhone 17 still feels every bit like the modern iPhone we’ve come to expect and is very comfortable to use in the hand, with Apple appropriately balancing the device internally. It’s not a radical makeover, but one of the biggest changes is staring you in the face – at least when the phone’s screen is on.

• Design score: 4 / 5

Apple iPhone 17: Display

• Finally, a 120Hz display
• It’s an Always-On screen
• Excellent visuals and more scratch-resistant

I think the Steve Jobs Theater gave out its loudest applause in some time when it was announced that ProMotion and Always-On functionality were arriving on the iPhone 17, and it’s probably the standout feature from my time with the device so far.

Not just as someone coming from the iPhone 16 Pro Max with an Always-On display, but also as someone who’s looking at the price – $799 / £799 / AU$1,399 – and the sea of other 120Hz-capable phones available. Either way, Apple’s provided a solution to one of the biggest qualms with the previous entry-level iPhones.

Yes, the iPhone 17’s 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display now supports ProMotion, meaning it delivers a buttery-smooth experience for scrolling, swiping, gaming, streaming, and even general navigation, as it will adjust on the fly from 1Hz all the way up to 120Hz depending on what you’re doing. The iPhone 16, 15, and 14 before it were all locked at 60Hz, which wasn’t a big deal if you weren’t coming from a 120Hz device, but this is a really nice upgrade.

There’s also a slight display size upgrade. iPhone 17’s screen is 0.2 inches bigger than the iPhone 16’s, which is the same increase awarded to the iPhone 16 Pro versus the iPhone 15 Pro. This means the iPhone 17’s display stretches much closer to the edges.

Paired with the A19 processor and the excellent vibrancy and richness of the Super Retina XDR screen, it all feels more responsive and instantaneous – whether that’s navigating the Liquid Glass world of iOS 26, playing a AAA game, or swiping through photos. I even enjoyed watching films and TV episodes on the iPhone 17; everything looked great with excellent color reproduction and smooth visuals.

The Dynamic Island is still at the top, and I especially enjoyed seeing apps like Flighty and United take it over with important travel details, the Yankees score via the Sports app, and deliveries for coffee from Uber Eats or DoorDash while writing this review. More and more apps are supporting this functionality, and I hope it’s a trend that continues. I’ll dive into the selfie camera improvements below, but they’re pretty massive and, more importantly, pure fun.

Last but not least, the other trickle-down feature – Always-On functionality. This might be more useful day in, day out than ProMotion. Just like the Pro iPhones and even the Apple Watches, the iPhone 17’s display will still show the time, your widgets (if you have them set), and notifications even when the display is not in use. This comes in seriously handy for a quick glance to see the weather, the time, or the notifications piling up.

The iPhone 17’s display story is really about the sum of its parts. ProMotion, Always-On, and a slightly larger screen make for a great experience, and there’s a serious amount of value to be found through this display alone. Oh, and it’s also coated in Ceramic Shield 2, which makes it three times as scratch-resistant as the screen on the iPhone 16 – that’s a win, especially if you're prone to dropping your iPhone.

• Display score: 5 / 5

Apple iPhone 17: Software and Apple Intelligence

• iOS 26 is a feature-filled upgrade

iOS 26 is officially out for the masses, and it should come as no surprise that it’s installed and running on the iPhone 17 right out of the box. It’s one of my favorite software refreshes from Apple in quite some time, with Liquid Glass at the center of it.

You’ll notice it immediately from the moment you power up the iPhone 17, with a translucent “Hello” appearing in various languages – a nice taste of the experience to come. Liquid Glass is all about clear, see-through interpretations of menus and components that stack on top of each other. This design language freshens things up and pairs nicely with the actual build of the iPhone 17. My favorite part, though, is how it handles menus: they layer instead of blocking the OS behind them.

There’s also an abundance of customization, especially with the tinting or color picking of app icons and the Lock Screen. You can choose the typeface and clock size, as well as spatialize photos to have them tilt as you move your iPhone.

Design aside, some core apps have been significantly updated. Phone is completely redone, with a main screen that now houses favorites up top, followed by calls made, received, missed, and even voicemails in a list below. It’s simpler once you get the hang of it, but the bigger win here is Call Screening and Translation during phone calls.

The former has been a major time-saver, screening unknown callers and presenting a typed-out transcript before you decide to pick up. As someone who’s had to call an airline or wait on hold with Amazon, the “hold for you” functionality is also quite nice.

While you can use Camera Control to take a photo, I prefer the long hold to scan something – to visually search it, add a date to my calendar, or identify an item. That’s part of the Visual Intelligence upgrade, and we should see more apps start to integrate with this feature. Think snapping a photo of a jacket and then using it to find the same one online.

There are plenty of other features in iOS 26, and you should check out our guide for the full list. Other software standouts on the iPhone 17 include typing indicators in group messages and the auto-transition functionality in Music. Hey, I even figured out a way to transition from a Bruce Springsteen classic to Olivia Rodrigo – talk about a skill.

• Software score: 4 / 5

Apple iPhone 17: Camera

• Two excellent cameras
• The upgraded ultra-wide lens is a major improvement
• Dual Capture is a fun new mode

While at a glance the two-camera setup on the iPhone 17 looks pretty similar to that of the iPhone 16, the former has been given a significant upgrade. It’s still a 48MP main camera, but that’s now paired with a 48MP ultra-wide camera, both of which are “Fusion” in Apple’s mind. The latter is upgraded from a 12MP camera on the iPhone 16, and the results deliver less warp in the corners, along with shots that are more color-accurate and richer in detail.

You can take an image or start recording video with the Camera Control or the touch interface, which is redesigned as part of iOS 26. As a whole, the iPhone 17 is a sharp shooter, and I’ve been really liking the overall image quality from both cameras. You can technically shoot at 0.5x, 1x, and 2x with digital zoom up to 10x. Results will vary with that last option, though.

With the 1x lens, you can shoot at either the full 48MP or let Apple’s “Photonic Engine” work some Fusion magic to shoot at a 24MP default size that bins every four pixels into one. The goal here is to preserve storage space – though starting storage is up to 256GB from 128GB – and still deliver excellent-looking images rich with detail and accurate colors. I think it largely succeeds here, and since the ultra-wide lens is now 48MP as well, you’ll have the same binning option, which really shines.

Not only do ultra-wide shots pack in more detail with less warping at the edges, but I find them to be more accurate in terms of what you’re capturing and the associated colors. As in years past, Apple tends to skew more toward reality with less over-saturation and a slightly cooler image. You can adjust this with Photographic Styles, Apple’s version of filters, which actually impact how the camera captures a shot.

You can see samples shot from the rear cameras below – including ultra-wide shots, main shots at 1x, digital crops at 2x, and Macro mode. The latter really lets you capture a unique angle or view of an object – especially flowers. It’s also something I missed on the iPhone Air.

As I noted in the iPhone 16 review, the iPhone 17’s main camera does a nice job of applying a bokeh effect to almost any shot with either the 24MP or 48MP output. It can enhance the overall impact of a shot, but this year I also noticed that it extends to Night mode shots, which might indicate an update to the overall processing.

My favorite camera upgrade with the iPhone 17 is on the front: the new Center Stage camera, which jumps from 12 to 18MP with a larger square sensor. That’s paired with software and algorithms to let it stretch and even rotate from a vertical to horizontal shot, depending on how many people you want to get in the photo.

This change eliminates the game of Tetris for group selfies, and it’s quick at recognizing what needs to be done. The quality is also much improved over the previous generation, and this update comes across every new iPhone – the Air, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max included. It’s more fun, useful, and less of a gimmick than the slofie (slow-motion selfie).

The other new feature of the iPhone 17’s camera is Dual Capture, which allows you to record video with the front and rear cameras – anywhere from 0.5x to 10x digital zoom – and end up with a single file. This isn’t an entirely new idea, but Apple is baking the function directly into the Camera app. It was a lot of fun to use at a baseball game – the Savannah Bananas at Yankee Stadium, if you’re interested – but I can also see the feature being a blast at concerts, when you’re belting out a song (“Born to Run,” anyone?). And it will likely be fun for families, especially with little ones.

So, while we still don’t have a Google Pixel super-zoom equivalent or a true telephoto here, the iPhone 17’s cameras can shoot among the best. You’re left with high-quality photos that don’t skew out of reality, and even though there’s no “Add Me” or “Camera Coach,” you have several capture modes to pick from and the right tools to get a great shot.

• Camera score: 4.5 / 5

Camera samples

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Apple iPhone 17: Performance

• A19 chip is plenty, plenty fast
• Not a major boost over the iPhone 16, but a big improvement over older iPhones

The iPhone 17 is the debut product for a new chip from Apple, the A19. This, of course, succeeds the A18 found in the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus. It’s not a Pro chip in name according to Apple, though it does power some previously Pro-only features and really makes the iPhone 17 responsive even with a battering of tasks thrown at it.

Apple’s A19 chip is made up of a six-core CPU – split between two performance cores and four efficiency cores – a five-core GPU with accelerators, and a 16-core Neural Engine. It’s also a 3nm chip paired with a new display engine, which makes ProMotion and Always-On a reality here.

The iPhone 17 offers great performance and screams value when you also consider that, for the same starting price as the iPhone 16, the internal storage is doubled to 256GB. That's not something you'll get from similarly priced rivals like the Samsung Galaxy S25 and Google Pixel 10.

You’ll have plenty of room to store photos with this beefier capacity – even 48MP captures – as well as apps, music, files, and other odds and ends. But the real appeal here is that the iPhone 17 feels fast, fluid, and responsive with pretty much any task. It also doesn’t heat up nearly as much as previous generations when using Apple Intelligence features like Visual Intelligence or Image Playground.

When taking a quick flight in Real Flight Simulator, I found the phoneresponsive even at maximum graphics and with a picture-in-picture video running. Other games, including Mini Metro, Asphalt 9, Disney Speedstorm, and Disney Dreamlight Valley, also ran well on the iPhone 17.

My core applications for personal use and work – like Slack, Gmail, Calendar, Google Meet, Instagram, TikTok, Music, Spotify, Google Drive, and many others – all ran without a hitch, and I didn’t find myself needing to close out of apps in the app drawer, even after extended use. In comparison to the A19 Pro found in the iPhone Air, these two devices were mostly on par in terms of performance. Exports could finish a little faster on Apple’s new super-slim model, likely thanks to the extra GPU core, but I didn’t find myself missing any beats on the iPhone 17.

My qualitative daily experience with the iPhone 17 also matched up with benchmarking done by the Future PLC team. The iPhone 17 scored 3,701 single-core and 9,460 multi-core on GeekBench 6.5, compared to the iPhone 16’s 3,301 single-core and 8,033 multi-core. It’s a solid improvement generation over generation, then, and present-day performance or the future is not a concern on the iPhone 17.

• Performance score: 4.5 / 5

Apple iPhone 17: Battery

• Like the iPhone 16, the 17 can last all day
• It now supports up to 40W fast charging when wired

Apple still isn’t sharing the battery size inside the iPhone 17 – it rarely does so for most of its products – so we’ll need to wait for a proper teardown to see the exact lithium-ion cell inside. Apple instead promises all-day battery life and a downloaded video playback time of up to 30 hours – a six-hour improvement over the iPhone 16. For streamed video, the iPhone 17 can supposedly last for up to 27 hours – a nine-hour improvement. So, maybe the extra thickness inside the phone is for a larger battery, or the A19 is just much more efficient.

Either way, it can be a little hard to translate those playback estimates into everyday use, but after a week of testing, it’s fair to say that the iPhone 17 lasted all day on a consistent basis, even with the Always-On display turned on. I managed to last from early morning to evening, even with several FaceTimes and two video exports, without needing to plug it in. That’s not quite iPhone 16 Plus battery level, though it seems as though the 17 Pro Max is succeeding that device as the battery champ.

When it is time to plug in the iPhone 17, Apple’s upped the spec; the phone now supports up to 40W fast charging. With a 40W fast charger, you can hit around 50% from zero in about 20 minutes – based on a few tests – and 80% in less than an hour.

If you’re planning to be on the road constantly shooting images, playing some games, or draining the battery with heavy workflows, you might find that you need to recharge after eight or nine hours. I did encounter that, but the faster recharge times helped mitigate this. There is, however, no official MagSafe Battery Pack for this iPhone model.

And hey, you do still get the USB-C to USB-C cable in the box. I did find that with fast charging, the iPhone 17 does get hot – not to the point of burning your fingers, but it does become warm during the initial ramp-up, then cools down as it approaches 80%.

• Battery score: 4 / 5

Apple iPhone 17: Should you buy?

Buy it if...

Don’t buy it if...

Apple iPhone 17: How I tested

I’ve been reviewing phones for years, including iPhones since the iPhone 8 lineup. To complete this review, I used the iPhone 17 in Sage Green for over a week.

During that time, I tested every part of the phone – making calls, streaming music, playing games, watching shows and movies, snapping photos, and working across my usual apps. For performance, I ran both qualitative and quantitative tests, including GeekBench 6.5, and noted how the phone handled heavier tasks like gaming or multitasking. For battery life, I tracked percentage drop across a full day of use and ran a standardized test.

For the cameras, I shot extensively with the 48MP main and new 48MP ultra-wide lenses, testing 0.5x, 1x, and 2x crop, as well as Portrait, Night mode, and Macro shots. I also tried the upgraded 18MP selfie camera and Dual Capture video. To put results in context, I compared them with shots from the iPhone Air, the entire iPhone 16 lineup, Google Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.

First reviewed September 2025.