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iPhone 17 Review: Forget the Pro, This Is the iPhone to Get

iPhone 17 Review: Forget the Pro, This Is the iPhone to Get

Name: iPhone 17 Review: Forget the Pro, This Is the iPhone to Get
Item: iPhone 17

The iPhone 17 positions itself as the most sensible choice for most this year. Here's our review.

Written by Shaurya Tomer, Edited by Ketan Pratap | Updated: 28 October 2025 00:25 IST

iPhone 17 Review: Forget the Pro, This Is the iPhone to Get

iPhone 17 price in India is set at Rs. 82,900

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Highlights

The iPhone 17 is powered by Apple's A19 chipset
The handset delivers excellent day-to-day performance
While it has new design elements, iOS 26 lacks polish

The tyranny of choice is a logic-based concept that suggests having options allows people to select precisely what makes them happiest. However, studies show that the paradox of abundant choice often leads to misery, causing decision paralysis and potentially reducing consumer satisfaction. Apple's annual iPhone launch has historically been a significant contributor to this fatigue in the world of technology, with four models that felt subtly differentiated. However, things have fundamentally shifted with the iPhone 17 series, and Apple finally looks to have mastered the art of segmentation. There's now an iPhone for everyone, yet only one seems the most sensible choice for the many. And surprisingly, it is neither the high-end Pro models nor the new iPhone Air.

This is the vanilla iPhone 17 we're talking about.

The iPhone 17 price starts at Rs. 82,900 for the base variant with 256GB of storage. It is also available in a 512GB storage variant, priced at Rs. 1,02,900. This year, Apple has poured so many upgrades into its standard model that I'll recommend it to most people, not just first-time iPhone buyers or those on a budget. Here's why.

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iPhone 17 Design: Something You've Seen Before

Dimensions - 149.6 (H) x 71.5mm (W) x 7.95mm (D)
Weight - 177 grams
Colours - Black, White, Mist Blue, Sage, and Lavender

The glass-sandwich design of the iPhone 17 is largely consistent with its predecessor. It features a matte-finish back panel, an aluminium frame, and rounded corners — all contributing to an excellent in-hand feel. The phone sits almost right beside the iPhone 16 in terms of height and width. However, the iPhone 17's thickness and weight have both gone up this year to accommodate a larger battery pack (which we'll talk about later in the review).

Despite this, the phone feels well-balanced, and while it is not too heavy, it gives you confidence to hold it. You'll find the vertical, pill-shaped camera island at the back, which lets the phone shoot spatial photos and videos like last year.

The Action button and Camera Control return on the iPhone 17

Apple also promises improved protection against scratches, utilising Ceramic Shield 2 on the front. It is claimed to offer three times the scratch resistance of previous generations, and I think it deserves a mention here. Having tested Ceramic Shield on the iPhone 15 Pro, I found the 17 to be far less prone to both minor nicks and deeper scratches, even when accidentally kept in the same pocket as my car keys.

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The iPhone 17 is sold in five colourways — Black, White, Mist Blue, Sage, and Lavender, all of which are muted shades that don't feel ostentatious at any point. I have the Black, and it has the same finish you saw on the iPhone 16. While it certainly looks good, I think the new Sage colourway of the iPhone 17 is the best of the bunch.

The black shade of the iPhone 17 is the same as last year, offering a stealthy addition to Apple's lineup

There's not much to differentiate the iPhone 17 from the iPhone 16 in terms of design. Apple's latest vanilla iPhone retains the IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, meaning it can survive an occasional dip in the pool. The Action and Camera Control buttons return on the iPhone 17 as well.

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iPhone 17 Display: Big Upgrades

Display - 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR display
Refresh rate - 120Hz
Brightness - 3,000nits (peak)

Apple has poured so much work into the iPhone 17 that it has become a contender for the most value-for-money iPhone, and the display is a major contributor to that. The new vanilla iPhone sports a slightly larger 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR OLED screen, and it is a sweet spot. While the phone's dimensions remain largely the same, the bezels have been shrunk by a considerable amount, offering slightly more viewing real estate.

The 6.3-inch panel also results in a slight bump in screen resolution, but the pixel density remains the same at 460PPI. Overall, the iPhone 17 reproduces vibrant yet natural colours, crisp text, and a fluid experience. It also supports Widevine L1, which, combined with the larger screen, resulted in an enjoyable binge-watching experience for me.

The display's outdoor legibility is improved, with higher peak brightness levels

However, there is one improvement that overshadows it and finally eliminates a perennial gripe that many have had from the base iPhone — the inclusion of a ProMotion display.

Adopting the Pro models, the iPhone 17 now supports a variable refresh rate up to 120Hz. That means it can go as low as 1Hz and as high as 120Hz, when needed. This instantly ups the user experience, with smoother scrolling through the UI. It also adds an always-on display, another feature exclusive to the Pro models till now.

The new anti-reflective coating is mostly a gimmick and does not eliminate reflections

While those shifting from a premium Android or Pro iPhone models may not see this as an improvement, ask any vanilla iPhone owner what they'd want improved, and it'll be the screen refresh rate eight times out of ten.

Another upgrade here in terms of the peak brightness. Apple claims the iPhone 17 supports peak brightness of up to 3,000 nits. In real-world experience, this results in a considerably brighter panel and improves legibility, even under direct sunlight. The handset is also advertised with an anti-reflective screen; however, it is not as monumental an inclusion as the one that we saw on the Galaxy S24 Ultra in 2024.

iPhone 17 Performance and Software: Powerful

Chipset - A19 chip
RAM - 8GB
Software Version - iOS 26

Chipset is another area where upgrades have been made. The iPhone 17 is powered by an A19 chip, comprising a six-core CPU, a five-core GPU with Neural Accelerators, and a 16-core Neural Engine. The company claims it can deliver power-efficient AI inference, increased memory bandwidth, and improved performance. In total, the iPhone 17 is marketed as 40 percent faster compared to the iPhone 16.

The iPhone 17 performs like a typical Apple flagship. Most operations are handled swiftly, and apps load quickly, without any frame drops or lags. I never got the impression that it lacked power or throttled under normal load. Gaming performance is great too. I tried my hand at AAA titles like Assassin's Creed: Mirage, Resident Evil: Village, and Grid: Legends, and it handled each one of them fabulously.

Console-quality games, like GTA:III here, run fabulously on the iPhone 17

While thermals aren't an issue, you will notice some heat accumulation, especially at the top half of the back panel. Unfortunately, the iPhone 17 does not get the same vapour chamber treatment as the Pro models this year, meaning there is still a performance differentiator between the vanilla and Pro models.

However, what it does have is the same amount of base storage: 256GB. In the US and other markets, the iPhone 17 costs the same as last year, effectively translating into a price cut on the higher-storage model. There is a slight price increase in India, but even then, you get double the storage for just a few thousand rupees extra.

The iPhone 17 runs on iOS 26, complete with support for Apple Intelligence and the Cupertino-based tech giant's new Liquid Glass Design. You can read more about the latest iOS 26 features in our iPhone 17 Pro Max review here. Unfortunately, it isn't the most polished iOS experience on the vanilla iPhone. I experienced a few hiccups, such as Face ID getting stuck and some apps taking a bit too long to load - all of which can be linked to software optimisation.

While iOS 26 brings interesting design elements, it misses out on the 'Apple' level of refinement

Apple, which was known for refinement rather than innovation, has traded the former for the latter. However, it hasn't quite delivered the iOS experience I hoped for, at least on the iPhone 17 so far.

Moving on, the stereo speakers complement the fantastic display and offer a balanced output with good clarity. Apple continues to provide the best haptics in the industry, and it is the case with the iPhone 17, too. I have no complaints with connectivity either, with the handset delivering a consistent 5G network, where available.

iPhone 17 Cameras: Meaningful Improvements

Cameras - 48-megapixel wide + 12-megapixel ultra-wide
Zoom options - 0.5x, 1x, 2x (optical)
Selfie - 18-megapixel

The camera is a department where incremental upgrades have been made on the iPhone 17. The 48-megapixel Dual-Fusion primary camera with sensor-shift stabilisation remains identical to the 16. However, this is the second consecutive year Apple has upgraded the ultra-wide camera, and it now features a 48-megapixel sensor.

Daylight and low-light primary camera samples at 1x (tap to expand)

The vanilla iPhone captures fantastic shots in the daylight using the primary sensor. Images have plenty of detail, excellent dynamic range, and sharp textures. Unlike Samsung and the Chinese brands, colours here remain as natural as possible. As last year, the 48-megapixel sensor captures 24-megapixel images by leveraging a process called Pixel Binning. Here, it effectively decides which pixels to save and which to discard during image shrinking. The same applies to low-light photography: solid shots have plenty of detail and low noise. The iPhone also manages to keep details intact and colours vibrant.

While the iPhone 17 does not have a dedicated telephoto sensor, it uses sensor-cropping to deliver 2x optical-quality zoom. This results in optical-quality zoom without any digital zoom. While it is a small step down in quality from the regular 1x mode, the handset can still capture fine details with natural colours and sharp textures.

Daylight and low-light primary camera samples at 2x (tap to expand)

While Apple claims that you can zoom up to 10x digitally on the iPhone 17, the results are often average. Zooming in should be best left to the Pro iPhone models, which offer up to 8x optical zoom courtesy of the telephoto shooter.

Daylight and low-light primary camera samples at 10x (tap to expand)

That said, portrait photos are great on the iPhone 17, although it still falls short of the capabilities of Oppo and Vivo flagships. Even then, portrait shots have accurate depth estimation and good separation between the finer details in the subject and the background.

I was surprised by the high-quality portraits the sensor captured in low light.

Daylight and low-light camera portrait samples (tap to ezpand)

On the other hand, the new 48-megapixel ultra-wide camera is finally competent, even in average lighting. It also uses the same pixel binning technology and captures decent details, while keeping barrel distortion at a minimum. Macro-shots also benefit from this upgrade, with more detail and texture. Daylight performance of the ultra-wide sensor is impressive, and it also marks a significant step up in terms of low-light performance.

While the ultra-wide sensor on the iPhone 16 was passable, shots captured with the iPhone 17 have significantly more details, less noise, and equally less barrel distortion.

Daylight and low-light ultra-wide-angle camera samples (tap to expand)

Another long-awaited upgrade has been made to the selfie camera. The iPhone 17, along with all the other models in the lineup, features an 18-megapixel Centre Stage front camera. What this means is that you can now take selfies in landscape mode while keeping the phone held vertically.

This, for me, is a bigger upgrade than the new ultra-wide sensor, as it makes it easier to capture selfie shots, especially when a large group is involved. A significant credit also goes to Apple for integrating support for third-party apps. This means that the Centre Stage feature, which keeps you in the centre of the frame, works not just on the default camera app and FaceTime, but also for video calls on WhatsApp and other social media apps.

Daylight and low-light selfie camera samples (tap to expand)

The larger sensor also results in selfies with much better detail and quality compared to the previous-generation iPhones.

As always, Apple remains the best smartphone for video. The iPhone 17 gets the same 4K 60fps video recording capabilities as last year, with the addition of a new Dual Capture feature. This allows the user to record from the front and rear cameras simultaneously—an extremely late but much-needed addition to the iPhone.

iPhone 17's video recording capabilties are superb

Overall, the iPhone 17 is a great point-and-shoot camera that captures incredible photos across all its cameras without requiring much fiddling.

On a side note, I switched from an iPhone 15 Pro to an iPhone 17, and this was my first time using the Camera Control button. In my few weeks of use, my preconceived notion that it was a gimmick quickly faded after a bit of a learning curve, and I found myself making the dedicated button the go-to for taking photos.

iPhone 17 Battery: Lasts Long, Charges Quick

Video Playback - Up to 30 hours (Claimed)
Charging - Up to 50% in 20 minutes

The iPhone 17 offers great battery life, especially if you've upgraded from an iPhone a few generations prior. It delivered about 7.5 hours of screen-on time with the always-on display enabled. During this time, the handset switched between Wi-Fi and 5G networks. The iPhone 17 should last you a full day of normal use without requiring a midday top-up.

The iPhone 17 now offers considerably faster charging, which is a nice addition

In Gadgets 360's HD video loop test, it lasted 29 hours and 15 minutes under test conditions. Apple has also improved the Achilles heel of the iPhone —the charging speed. The company claims that the iPhone can charge up to 50 percent in 20 minutes using a 40W or higher adapter. I noticed similar charging times: a 50 percent charge in about 24 minutes. The iPhone 17 took about one hour and 11 minutes to juice up from 0 to 100 per cent, until it showed the Fully Charged notification, which is considerably quicker than before.

iPhone 17 Verdict

The iPhone 17 addresses years of user frustration by adding several standout, much-needed features that were previously exclusive to the Pro models. Thus, it marks a pivotal moment in Apple's vanilla line of handsets, with its core strengths lying in display, cameras, and battery life. It gets the latest Apple chipset, a 120Hz ProMotion display, and a larger battery that charges quicker — upgrades that many of us have been crying out for years. With the integration of these features, it finally delivers a flagship-level experience without entering the price territory of the Pro models.

The iPhone 17 is one of the most sensible upgrades introduced by Apple in years, which pushes the vanilla iPhone ahead of many of its competitors, mainly the Galaxy S25 (review). It marks a monumental shift in Apple's product strategy and positions itself as the most value-for-money iPhone you can buy —and perhaps the only one you'll need.

iPhone 17

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Transformative and brighter ProMotion display
Powerful performance
Meaningful camera upgrades
More value-for-money
Great battery life

Bad
iOS 26 has glitches
Ineffective anti-reflective coating

Read detailed Apple iPhone 17 review

Display 6.30-inch

Processor Apple A19

Front Camera 18-megapixel

Rear Camera 48-megapixel + 48-megapixel

RAM 8GB

Storage 256GB, 512GB

OS iOS 26

Resolution 1206x2622 pixels

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Further reading: iPhone 17, iPhone 17 price in India, iPhone 17 specifications, iPhone 17 launch, Apple

Shaurya Tomer

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Shaurya Tomer is a Sub Editor at Gadgets 360 with 2 years of experience across a diverse spectrum of topics. With a particular focus on smartphones, gadgets and the ever-evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI), he often likes to explore the industry's intricacies and innovations – whether dissecting the latest smartphone release or exploring the ethical implications of AI advancements. In his free time, he often embarks on impromptu road trips to unwind, recharge, and ...More