The iPhone 17 is now official. Apple"s new "default iPhone" has debuted this year alone, with the iPhone Air taking out the Plus model. During the event, Apple focused the most on the iPhone Air and the iPhone 17 Pro/Pro Max, but the iPhone 17 also received a fair share of meaningful updates. If you have a previous-gen iPhone and you wonder whether you should update, here is our spec comparison detailing the difference between the iPhone 17, the iPhone 16/16 Plus, and the iPhone 15/15 Plus.
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The iPhone 17, unlike the iPhone 17 Pro/Pro Max and the iPhone Air, keeps the same design that Apple introduced in 2024 with the release of the iPhone 16 series. While new colors are the most obvious change, the most important bits are hiding inside. The biggest change in the iPhone 17 is its screen. Gone is the old 60Hz display. Now, we have a 120Hz ProMotion display with always-on support. The iPhone 17 is the first non-Pro device to get a "pro-grade" feature from its more expensive siblings.
Additionally, Apple bumped the base storage from 128GB to 256GB, upgraded the processor from the A18 to the A19 (do not expect massive gains, as Apple says a 50% performance increase is when you compare it with the A15 in the iPhone 13), and added the new N1 chip for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.
As usual, Apple paid a lot of attention to cameras in its latest iPhone. The iPhone 17 now has two 48MP Fusion cameras on the back, while the front-facing camera is a brand-new system with a square sensor and Center Stage support. This allows you to take portrait or horizontal images while holding your iPhone however you want it. Plus, the smartphone can expand the field of view when it detects another person in the viewfinder.
Other useful updates include a larger battery with up to 30 hours of video playback time (exact mAh is unknown yet) and faster charging with a 40W charger (up to 50% in just 20 minutes instead of 30 minutes like before).
Here are key changes summed up in a list:
- A bigger display with higher brightness, ProMotion, always-on mode, Ceramic Shield 2
- A more powerful A19 processor with faster CPU and GPU cores
- 256GB base configuration instead of 128GB
- A reworked rear camera system with two 48MP Fusion sensors
- A new 18MP front-facing Center Stage camera with a square sensor and the ability to record from both rear and front cameras at once
- Bluetooth 6.0 via the new Apple N1 chip
- Better battery life with 40W charging and 25W Qi2 support
- New colors
And here are detailed specs with changes highlighted in bold:
| iPhone 17 | iPhone 16 / 16 Plus | iPhone 15 / 15 Plus | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.3" 2,622x1206 3000 nits peak brightness Dynamic Island 120Hz ProMotion Always-on display Ceramic Shield 2 | 6.1" 2556x1179 2000 nits peak brightness Dynamic Island 60Hz Ceramic Shield | 6.7" 2796x1290 2000 nits peak brightness Dynamic Island 60Hz Ceramic Shield | 6.1" 2556x1179 2000 nits peak brightness Dynamic Island 60Hz Ceramic Shield | 6.7" 2796x1290 2000 nits peak brightness Dynamic Island 60Hz Ceramic Shield |
| Case | Aluminum Action Button Camera Control | Aluminum Mute Switch | |||
| CPU | 6-core A19 5-core GPU 16-core Neural Engine Hardware-accelerated ray tracing | 6-core A18 5-core GPU 16-core Neural Engine Hardware-accelerated ray tracing | 6-core A16 Bionic 5-core GPU 16-core Neural Engine | ||
| RAM | 8GB | 6GB | |||
| Storage | 256GB / 512GB | 128GB / 256GB / 512GB | |||
| Main Cameras | 48MP Fusion + 48MP Fusion ultra-wide Sensor-shift OIS | 48MP Fusion + 12MP ultra-wide Sensor-shift OIS | 48MP Wide + 12MP ultra-wide Sensor-shift OIS | ||
| Front Camera | 18MP Center Stage camera Photonic Engine | 12MP f/1.9 aperture Photonic Engine Photographic Styles Smart HDR 5 Cinematic mode up to 4K HDR at 30 fps | |||
| Video Recording | Cinematic mode with shallow depth of field at 4K HDR 30 fps Action Mode HDR video at 4K 60 fps Sensor-shift OIS Dual Capture | Cinematic mode with shallow depth of field at 4K HDR 30 fps Action Mode HDR video at 4K 60 fps Sensor-shift OIS | |||
| Connectivity | GSM/EDGE/UMTS/HSPA+ | GSM/EDGE/UMTS/HSPA+ 5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave) Wi-Fi 7 Second-gen UWB chip Thread Bluetooth 5.3 Emergency SOS via satellite Crash detection | GSM/EDGE/UMTS/HSPA+ 5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave) Wi-Fi 6 Second-gen UWB chip Bluetooth 5.3 Emergency SOS via satellite Crash detection | ||
| SIM | No physical SIM Dual eSIM support | ||||
| Battery | TBD mAh 30h video playback | 3561 mAh 22h video playback | 4674 mAh 27h video playback | 3349 mAh 20 h video playback | 4383 mAh 26 h video playback |
| Ports and charging | USB-C 2.0 25W MagSafe wireless charging 25W Qi2 Up to 50% charge in 20 minutes with a 40W adapter. | USB-C 2.0 25W MagSafe wireless charging 15W Qi2 Up to 50% charge in 30 minutes with a 20W adapter. | USB-C 2.0, MagSafe and Qi Up to 50% charge in 35 minutes with a 20W adapter. | ||
| Colors | Lavender, Sage, Mist Blue, White, Black | Black, Pink, Teal, Ultramarine | Pink, Yellow, Green, Blue, Black | ||
| Price | $799+ | $799+ | $899+ | $799+ | $899+ |
The iPhone 17 will be available for preorder on Friday, September 12. Shipments begin on Friday, September 19.
Are you buying one?