The iPhone 17 lastly feels just like the telephone everybody secretly needed from Apple

For years, the primary level of my base iPhone reviews has been that it is a stable, all-around telephone that is good for the typical smartphone consumer, with one key lacking characteristic that is tough to excuse, any manner you take a look at it — 120Hz ProMotion.

Whereas the next refresh charge show is the kind of characteristic not everybody notices instantly, as soon as you have used a tool with a silky easy display, it is almost unattainable to return. Add in the truth that most Android units, together with even these on the entry-level facet, characteristic at the least a 90Hz show, and Apple locking ProMotion to its Professional iPhones has felt like a gatekeeping cash-grab for a very long time now.

Amongst different notable upgrades, with the iPhone 17, that is fortunately now not the case, making it one in every of 2025’s prime smartphones for the value.

This 12 months, the iPhone 17 will get the most important improve

The enhancements do not stand out, however they matter

Whereas the iPhone 17 Pro gives top-tier digicam efficiency similar to in years previous, and the iPhone Air provides us a restricted however nonetheless compelling glimpse at Apple’s future iPhone plans, the iPhone 17 is arguably this 12 months’s most upgraded iPhone, regardless of being by far the least flashy. Apple has refused to deliver ProMotion to its base flagship since its launch again in 2022, although even entry-level Android telephones have featured increased refresh charge shows for a number of generations, together with most just lately, Google’s wonderful Pixel 9a and Pixel 10.

So what does ProMotion truly do? It is a bit tough to explain and is the kind of improve it’s good to see in particular person to understand, however on a primary stage, the scrolling expertise on the iPhone 17’s 6.3-inch display is way smoother. The uneven motion that ruined the iPhone 16’s show for me simply is not an issue on the iPhone 17. Every part from quickly flipping between apps and doom-scrolling social media, to navigating iOS 26’s flashy Liquid Glass UI and its enjoyable animations (which I truly actually like, by the way in which), really feel extremely easy. As soon as you have used a telephone with the next refresh charge, you really cannot return.

Including to that is the addition of an always-on show for the primary time now that the telephone now includes a variable refresh charge show, permitting the display to dip right down to 1Hz to avoid wasting battery and ratchet all of it the way in which as much as 120Hz when vital. Which means, just like the iPhone 17 Professional, while you set the iPhone 17 down, the display dims and, relying in your settings, a faded-out model of your wallpaper, widgets, and notifications seems. I turned off the wallpaper to avoid wasting a bit extra battery life, giving the telephone a cleaner black and white look. Although I am not that huge on always-on smartphone screens, I’ve appreciated having the ability to look on the iPhone 17 to test the time and to see what number of notifications I’ve, and I believe others will, too.

Sadly, the telephone nonetheless options sizable bezels in comparison with the iPhone 17 Professional, however that is the form of shortcoming I would count on from a base-level telephone. On the plus facet, the display is barely greater at 6.3-inches in comparison with 6.1-inches, although throughout my time with the iPhone 17 thus far, I have never actually seen the scale change.

The all-important selfie shooter will get a giant bump

In quite a lot of methods, digicam efficiency is similar to the iPhone 17 Professional

Whereas the iPhone 17 Professional/Professional Max are higher fitted to avid photographers because of their triple digicam setup, the iPhone 17 has stepped its recreation up this 12 months. Its predominant f/1.6 48-megapixel shooter nonetheless shines in terms of low-light, particularly within the context of a base telephone, and the ultra-wide shooter has been upgraded to an f/2.2 48-megapixel sensor from the f/1.9 12-megapixel shooter within the iPhone 16, although the picture high quality enchancment is not substantial.

Extremely-wide pictures are a bit extra vibrant, however you actually need to look intently to see the distinction. I’d have most well-liked Apple ditched the ultra-wide for an optical zoom lens, although similar to final 12 months, the 2x sensor crop zoom provided by the iPhone 17’s predominant shooter remains to be stable.

The Selfie shooter has additionally been up to date to f/1.9 18-megapixels with Middle Stage, similar to the remainder of the iPhone 17 collection, providing crisp and detailed photographs underneath all kinds of sunshine. Middle Stage makes use of a sq. picture sensor as an alternative of the extra conventional rectangle, permitting you to flip between portrait and panorama pictures on the fly and after you shoot the picture, all with out altering the telephone’s orientation.

It is a minor addition, however I’ve discovered it to be a extremely helpful characteristic, particularly as I slowly admit defeat and begin snapping extra pictures in portrait orientation. I do not take selfies typically, however once I do snap them, I’ve grown to understand this versatility.

Every part else

The A19 chip, sooner wi-fi charging, and extra beginning storage

There are different minor updates, too, together with Apple’s highly effective A19 chip (the A19 Professional is saved for the iPhone 17 Professional and iPhone Air). Apple’s chips have been overkill for years, so the bottom A19 is greater than highly effective sufficient for most individuals. Wi-fi charging has additionally been kicked as much as 25W, permitting you to get to 50% in simply half-hour, making it simple to rapidly prime up the telephone’s battery life. And eventually, beginning storage is doubled to 256GB. Much like ProMotion, Apple has caught with 128GB with its base iPhone for years, a brutal quantity of storage by 2025 requirements, particularly in comparison with almost each trendy Android telephone on the market. I do know most individuals doubtless subscribe iCloud storage at this level, however nonetheless, 128GB of bodily storage was laughably unhealthy.

For what you get with the iPhone 17 this 12 months, $800 is a stable value, and for the primary time, upgrading to the $1,100 iPhone 17 Professional does not really feel price it. To justify the associated fee, you actually should be into images or want the additional energy the A19 Professional chip gives. For the primary time, the bottom iPhone does not characteristic any notable compromises, making the iPhone 17 one of the full smartphone packages Apple has ever launched.