I went in this week's Apple iPhone 17 event convinced that the iPhone 17 Pro would be the device to get based on rumors about its camera improvements and Pro chipset. But as it turns out, the iPhone 17 got enough enhancements of its own to make this a worthwhile upgrade.
There were the changes that we were counting on, like upgrades to the display's size and refresh rate. But Apple also threw in a few unexpected improvements like a better camera setup and extra storage, all while keeping the starting price for its entry-level iPhone flagship unchanged from the iPhone 16.
That's not to say the iPhone 17 is a perfect device. I can think of a few reasons why you might not want to buy this phone — or at least hold off until we complete testing for a full review.
But with iPhone 17 preorders getting underway this Friday (September 12) ahead of the September 19 release date, we're getting to a decision point about Apple's new phones. So to help you figure out if the new model is right for you, here's six reasons why I'd get an iPhone 17 along with a trio of reasons to consider a different device.
iPhone 17: Reasons to buy
A ProMotion display at last
Apple is probably as tired of hearing us complain about the fixed 60Hz refresh rate on the base model iPhone's display as we are of bringing it up. But that old familiar diss of the iPhone's screen is no more, as Apple now includes a ProMotion screen with the iPhone 17, meaning the refresh rate can scale up to 120Hz when you're scrolling or playing a graphically intense game.
Even better, Apple didn't skimp on this feature, as you don't have to choose between 60Hz and 120Hz. Instead, the iPhone 17 offers an adaptive refresh rate that scales downward when on-screen activity is more static — all the way down to a 1Hz refresh rate, in fact, when the always-on display is enabled.
Yes, that's right: the ProMotion screen means the iPhone 17 has an always-on display like its Pro counterparts. And that further adds support for features like iOS's StandBy Mode, which turns your iPhone into a smart screen when you're charging it while in landscape orientation. Non-Pro iPhones supported that feature but would time out when the display went to sleep; the always-on feature keeps StandBy Mode visible at all times.
Oh, and while I'm heaping praise upon the iPhone 17's screen, I should note it's a bigger panel than before. Apple has extended the display from 6.1 to 6.3 inches, just as it did with the iPhone 16 Pro last year.
A more durable design
As someone who puts his phone through a literal beating, I've come to appreciate how tough iPhones can be. So I'm especially pleased to hear about Apple's plans to toughen up its iPhones with the iPhone 17's release.
As with the other models announced during Apple's event, the iPhone 17 comes with the new Ceramic Shield 2 coating that's supposed to be three times more scratch resistant than the original Ceramic Shield.
There's also a seven-layer anti-reflective coating that's supposed to cut down on glare and keep that display visible, which I appreciate as someone who not only soaks up the sunny California skies but also has a pair of aging eyeballs that have to squint a lot more than they used ot.
Dual 48MP rear cameras
Rumors ahead of the iPhone 17 launch forecast few camera changes for the base model beyond a new front shooter. That last part of the rumor certainly panned out as the iPhone 17's Center Stage camera leverages a wider view and square design to easily fit in more people when you're taking a selfie. You don't even have to flip the camera around to squeeze in more people.
But the more noteworthy improvement is on the back of the phone, where the ultrawide camera now offers a 48MP sensor, matching the 48MP Fusion camera that serves as the phone's primary shooter. Apple says the upgraded ultrawide camera offers four times the resolution of the 12MP sensor that powered previous ultrawide lenses on the base model iPhone. You're going to be able to take more detailed macro shots with that lens, too.
More storage at the same price
Can you believe that just five years ago Apple thought 64GB was adequate storage for one of its flagships? That was back with the iPhone 12, but the company is singing a different tune these days, as every new iPhone model now comes with 256GB of base storage — even the humble iPhone 17.
And you don't wind up paying extra for this storage upgrade, something that happened with the iPhone 17 Pro. That model also saw its storage increase to 256GB, but Apple's charging $1,099 for that phone, matching the price of the 256GB iPhone 16 Pro. The iPhone 17 costs the same $799 as the iPhone 16 did last year, but it now offers twice the capacity.
Potentially longer battery life
Apple doesn't talk battery sizes, but the iPhone 17 must be running on a bigger power pack than its predecessor. The new phone promises to deliver up to 30 hours of video playback time, which is an increase from 22 hours with the iPhone 16. We're going to guess a more efficient A19 chipset inside the iPhone 17 also helps with battery life, and Apple says iOS 26's Adaptive Power Mode will also help your phone last longer.
The iPhone 16 base model had the lowest time on our iPhone 16 battery test last year, running out of power after 12 hours and 43 minutes of surfing the web. The iPhone 16 Pro with its larger screen lasted more than 14 hours on the same test. We'll need to put the iPhone 17 through the same wringer to see how it compares, but we'd imagine a big improvement in longevity is coming.
Less divisive design
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I'm going to guess that not everyone's going to behold the same thing when they get a glimpse of the redesigned iPhone 17 Pro models (pictured above). Some will like the unibody look and extended camera array; others might wonder at what's going on within the halls of Apple HQ.
The iPhone 17 is less likely to divide opinion with its look, consider that it's not all that different from the iPhone 16 before it. Some might call that dull, but I think there's something reassuring about a consistent design year over year. And frankly, I find the iPhone 17's camera setup less obtrusive than the super-sized iPhone 17 Pro array.
iPhone 17: Reasons to skip
Surprisingly dull colors
In theory, I like the array of color options you get with the iPhone 17 — Black, Lavender, Mist Blue, Sage, and White. That's the most choice among any of the new iPhone models.
But watching both the live event from the comfort of my home and perusing Apple's own iPhone information pages, the colors struck me as kind of muted. They don't really pop off the page.
My colleague John Velasco was in Cupertino for the launch event, so I asked him if the colors looked brighter in person. While he think Sage looks pretty colorful in person, he agreed that the Lavender color came across as subdued. And he noted that Mist Blue is not as rich as the blue color option available for the iPhone 16.
Take this as the assessment of someone who adored the much maligned iPhone 5c, but I like my iPhones to feature brighter colors. If I want something subdued, I'll turn to the Pro lineup — though that orange shade for the iPhone 17 Pro puts the standard iPhone color options to shame.
No vapor chamber
You would expect the Pro models to enjoy a performance edge over the standard iPhone — they're the ones that get the Pro version of Apple's silicon after all. But this year, Apple is also adding a vapor chamber to help with temperature management for the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. The end result should be a Pro phone that's better able to deliver sustained performance when you're really hitting that chipset — like when you're playing games.
Again, going for the base model involves trade-offs, and this would be one of them with the iPhone 17. But if you're the sort who plays graphically demanding games, the lack of a vapor chamber on the iPhone 17 sounds like a good reason to consider upgrading to the Pro instead.
No new Apple Intelligence features
Last year, when the iPhone 16 came out, Apple introduced Visual Intelligence features as an exclusive to those models. Eventually, an iOS 18 update did bring Visual Intelligence to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, but for a time, people who upgraded to the new phone got to enjoy a feature other iPhone users didn't have access to.
There's nothing like that with the iPhone 17, which is going to offer the same Apple Intelligence capabilities as any other compatible phone that upgrades to iOS 26. (That's essentially the iPhone 15 Pro and later.) I understand Apple's motivation for making sure that its fledgling suite of AI tools is available to the widest possible audience, but if you've got an Apple Intelligence-compatible iPhone, there's no real incentive to pick up an iPhone 17, unless one of the other new features grabs your attention.
iPhone 17: Outlook
We're still working on testing the iPhone 17 ahead of its September 19 launch and will have more to say about the new enhancements and additions to Apple's flagship phone. But the number of features Apple has added make this a much more compelling phone than many of us thought it would be heading into this week's launch event.
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More from Tom's Guide
- iPhone Air hands-on review: I actually can't believe it
- iPhone 17 and 17 Pro colors — these are your options (and our favorites)
- iPhone 17 prices — here's what you'll pay for every model
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