Apple iPhone 17 review

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Introduction

The iPhone 17 is the next installment in Apple's mainstream lineup and with its Plus sibling replaced with an Air model this year, it sounds like the dud in the lineup with its plain naming. Except that's an entirely false impression and this may well be the most improved member of the 2025 Apple series.

This year's refresh brings a number of meaningful upgrades over the iPhone 16. Chief among them is the new 6.3-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED panel with slimmer bezels and Promotion tech for variable refresh rate up to 120 Hz. Brightness has also been boosted, peaking at 3000 nits, so for the first time the vanilla model is on par with the Pro models.

Then there's the brand-new A19 chipset, built on a 3nm process, paired with 8 GB of RAM for consistently high performance and longer software support down the road.

Apple iPhone 17 specs at a glance:

• Body: 149.6x71.5x8.0mm, 177g; Glass front (Ceramic Shield 2), aluminum frame, glass back; IP68 dust-tight and water resistant (immersible up to 6m for 30 min), Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified).
• Display: 6.30" LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, 1000 nits (typ), 1600 nits (HBM), 3000 nits (peak), 1206x2622px resolution, 19.57:9 aspect ratio, 460ppi.
• Chipset: Apple A19 (3 nm): Hexa-core (2x4.26 GHz + 4xX.X GHz); Apple GPU (5-core graphics).
• Memory: 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM; NVMe.
• OS/Software: iOS 26.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 48 MP, f/1.6, 26mm, 1/1.56", 1.0µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS; Ultra wide angle: 48 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120-degree, 1/2.55", 0.7µm, PDAF.
• Front camera: Wide (main): 18 MP multi-aspect, f/1.9, 20mm, PDAF, OIS, SL 3D.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), stereo sound rec; Front camera: 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS.
• Battery: 3692mAh; Wired, PD3.2, AVS, 50% in 20 min, 25W wireless MagSafe/Qi2, 50% in 30 min (15W - China), 4.5W reverse wired.
• Connectivity: 5G; eSIM; Wi-Fi 7; BT 6.0; NFC.
• Misc: Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer; stereo speakers; Ultra Wideband (UWB) support (gen2 chip), Emergency SOS, Messages, and Find My via satellite.

Photography gets a bump, too. The dual 48MP system inherits many of Apple's latest computational tricks, offering improved low-light performance and Dolby Vision HDR video recording at up to 4K60. Even the selfie camera has been refreshed with an 18MP sensor, OIS, and the ability to capture spatial audio and Dolby Vision video.

The design is largely unchanged compared to the iPhone 16, but with the controversial look of the Pro models, a point can be made that the base model in the series is also the best looking one. Unlike the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, which debut a new glass "window" insert on the back, the standard model retains the all-glass rear with an aluminum frame-a look that is cleaner and shouldn't be as easy to scratch.

With IP68 water resistance, MagSafe and Qi2 wireless charging, and satellite connectivity for SOS and Find My, the iPhone 17 ticks all the expected boxes for a modern flagship. And while its 3,692mAh battery isn't the biggest, it still has the far more expensive Air beat. It also matches the Pros in charging speed with both wired PD3.2 and 25W wireless charging support. And, arguably even more importantly, it finally offers 256 GB storage in its base version.

So, while the Pro models continue to push the boundaries with extra features and a bolder look, the iPhone 17 is arguably the vanilla model to stand the closest to them ever. A device that only misses on a few niche features, while covering the basics better than any of its predecessors. Thus, the vanilla iPhone 17 might very well be "the one to have" in the iPhone 17 generation - we'll find out by the end of this review.

Unboxing

You wouldn't think that a product box would make much of a difference in the grand scheme of things, but it is actually tremendously important for Apple, not just from a company image standpoint but also for logistics. When you ship as many product as Apple does, every inch you can save counts a lot, which is why the iPhone 17 box is as slim as ever. Even so, it is very sturdy and made from quality cardboard and fully recyclable, which is great for the environment. Despite the cardboard construction, an insert is included on the inside to protect the phone during transit.

Don't expect a lot in terms of accessories, though. Apple led the charge when it came to removing the charger from the box, a move that was adopted by many others, so don't ever expect a reversal. The back of the product box indicates that you need to get yourself a 4.5W to 29W PD charger, but there is actually more to it than that. Apple has a new AVS charger on the market, which you might need to get to fulfil the iPhone 17's charging potential.

So what do you get in the box? Well, a nice braided USB Type-C to Type-C cable and a SIM ejector tool. That's it.