Apple’s iPhone 17 Makes the Pricey 17 Pro Look Like a Bad Deal

The iPhone 17 series has finally arrived, and this time we’ve said goodbye to the beloved Plus variant. In its place is the new iPhone Air, which is neither bigger nor smaller; it’s thinner, sitting at just 5.6 mm. While this might appeal to some people, the biggest upgrade is actually with the regular iPhone 17, which retains the same $799 price tag, and makes the price-hiked 17 Pro series a bad deal.

Why Is the iPhone 17 a Big Upgrade?

For years, after every iPhone event, the internet was filled with memes and slanders about the base iPhone still being stuck at 60Hz. While I generally agreed with this resentment, Apple was correct in its stance that most people buying the regular iPhone didn’t care about a high refresh rate. The 120Hz was a Pro feature, and most of us thought it might never come to the base model.

But this time, the regular iPhone 17 supports ProMotion, and it’s a huge upgrade. Not only does it make using the phone twice as smooth, but it also unlocks the always-on display feature since the panel can go down to 1Hz. Plus, the phone gets the same anti-reflection coating as the Pro models, making it easier to read. Then there’s the new Ceramic Shield glass, which promises even more protection.

The display isn’t where the upgrades stop, though. That’s because there’s a new 48 MP UltraWide camera, up from the 12 MP, which means more detailed and clearer shots in both daylight and nighttime scenarios, as well as hugely improved Macro capabilities. Also, there’s a new 18 MP square front camera lens, which allows taking portrait and landscape selfies without rotating the phone, and there’s Center Stage, too.

There’s the new A19 chip that promises to be around 20% faster than its predecessor, and enables around 8 hours of extra battery life, which we look forward to testing. The iPhone 17 also charges faster, and finally starts at 256 GB of base storage.

Does the iPhone 17 Pro Make Sense?

After years of keeping features away from the base iPhone, Apple has finally listened to its consumers and given the regular iPhone all the requested features. Sure, with the Pro models, you do get a better camera setup and A19 Pro chip, but those phones come with a higher price tag. In comparison, the regular 17 retains the $799 price tag and offers 90% of the same experience.