It’s now been over a month since Apple unveiled the new iPhone 17 lineup. While I’ve always been a Pro user, it’s undeniable how much the company was able to improve the base model over the years, culminating in possibly the best iPhone Apple has ever released in the form of the iPhone 17. Adopting more features from the Pro models than ever before, the company was able to balance premium functionality with a more accessible price for customers looking for an upgrade over their aging iPhone.
The iPhone 17 still features a similar design to the iPhone 16 models, which means it doesn’t have the camera plateau design available with the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air. Still, the iPhone 17 brings to mind to arrival of the iPhone 8, which featured a tried-and-true design at the peak of its powers. With that in mind, we’re going to explore some of the most notable iPhone 17 features that might convince you to upgrade.
iPhone 17 is full of Pro features
If you’ve been paying attention to the iPhone 17 rollout, you might have caught on to this already, but it’s hard to overstate. The iPhone 17 is as close as Apple has ever come to releasing a “Pro” iPhone without “Pro” in the name. Many of the features that were once exclusive to the Pro models are now present in the cheapest entry of the iPhone 17 lineup. Here are a few of the highlights:
- Always-On Display: First available with the iPhone 14 Pro, users can now choose to have a dimmed version of their wallpaper on the iPhone’s display. It’s also a pleasant change to see notifications and more without the entire screen lightning up.
- ProMotion display: After years of complaints, Apple finally added an adaptive refresh rate up to 120Hz to the iPhone 17 display, making the screen as smooth as that of the iPhone Pro models.
- Better processor: The new A19 chip has 20% faster graphics with improved Neural Accelerators for AI workloads. This means that running AI models on the iPhone is faster than before, while still being more efficient than the previous generation.
- Improved ultra-wide camera: Apple finally upgraded the ultra-wide camera with 48MP Dual Fusion technology, which means the ultra-wide lens now shoots in 24MP, but can create RAW photos of 48MP, offering more detail and absorbing more light than the previous 12MP sensor.
- Best selfie camera: The new 18MP selfie camera is among the best iPhone 17 features. A square sensor lets you take landscape shots without actually rotating the camera. Apple also added the Center Stage functionality to video calls.
These are some of the most obvious reasons to upgrade, but there are plenty more as well.
Other under-the-hood improvements
The features above are clearly the headlines for the iPhone 17. That said, the migration of the Pro features is just the tip of the iceberg when to comes to the improvements Apple made on its base model iPhone in 2025:
- Longer battery life: Apple was able to add up to 30 hours of video playback. In the previous generation, it was 22 hours. More impressively, Apple promised up to 19 hours of streamed video on the iPhone 16, while the iPhone 17 can last up to 27 hours.
- Proprietary networking chip: Apple added the N1 chip to the iPhone 17, which brings Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread networking technology. However, what’s more important about this modem is that it improves features like AirDrop.
- More resistant display and back: With Ceramic Shield 2, Apple says the front cover is tougher than any smartphone glass or glass-ceramic screen, and it also has 3x battery scratch resistance over the previous generation.
- More storage: The iPhone 17 now starts at 256GB of storage (up from 128GB on the iPhone 16), ensuring users have double the amount of space available for all their photos, videos, apps, and more.
If you’re ready to upgrade from your old iPhone but aren’t interested in shelling out for a Pro model, you’re in luck. For the first time, the standard model is going to be the model to buy for a vast majority of customers.
