The iPhone 17 lastly feels just like the cellphone everybody secretly needed from Apple

For years, the principle level of my base iPhone reviews has been that it is a stable, all-around cellphone that is good for the typical smartphone person, with one key lacking characteristic that is troublesome to excuse, any means you have a look at it — 120Hz ProMotion.

Whereas a better refresh fee show is the kind of characteristic not everybody notices instantly, as soon as you’ve got used a tool with a silky easy display, it is almost unimaginable to return. Add in the truth that most Android units, together with even these on the entry-level aspect, characteristic no less than a 90Hz show, and Apple locking ProMotion to its Professional iPhones has felt like a gatekeeping cash-grab for a very long time now.

Amongst different notable upgrades, with the iPhone 17, that is fortunately now not the case, making it certainly one of 2025’s prime smartphones for the value.

This yr, the iPhone 17 will get the largest improve

The enhancements do not stand out, however they matter

Whereas the iPhone 17 Pro gives top-tier digicam efficiency similar to in years previous, and the iPhone Air provides us a restricted however nonetheless compelling glimpse at Apple’s future iPhone plans, the iPhone 17 is arguably this yr’s most upgraded iPhone, regardless of being by far the least flashy. Apple has refused to deliver ProMotion to its base flagship since its launch again in 2022, even though even entry-level Android telephones have featured increased refresh fee shows for a number of generations, together with most not too long ago, Google’s glorious Pixel 9a and Pixel 10.

So what does ProMotion really do? It is a bit troublesome to explain and is the kind of improve you must see in individual to understand, however on a fundamental stage, the scrolling expertise on the iPhone 17’s 6.3-inch display is way smoother. The uneven motion that ruined the iPhone 16’s show for me simply is not an issue on the iPhone 17. All the things from quickly flipping between apps and doom-scrolling social media, to navigating iOS 26’s flashy Liquid Glass UI and its enjoyable animations (which I really actually like, by the best way), really feel extremely easy. As soon as you’ve got used a cellphone with a better refresh fee, you really cannot return.

Including to that is the addition of an always-on show for the primary time now that the cellphone now encompasses a variable refresh fee show, permitting the display to dip right down to 1Hz to save lots of battery and ratchet all of it the best way as much as 120Hz when obligatory. Which means that, just like the iPhone 17 Professional, whenever you set the iPhone 17 down, the display dims and, relying in your settings, a faded-out model of your wallpaper, widgets, and notifications seems. I turned off the wallpaper to save lots of a bit extra battery life, giving the cellphone a cleaner black and white look. Though I am not that huge on always-on smartphone screens, I’ve appreciated with the ability to look on the iPhone 17 to test the time and to see what number of notifications I’ve, and I feel others will, too.

Sadly, the cellphone nonetheless options sizable bezels in comparison with the iPhone 17 Professional, however that is the type of shortcoming I would anticipate from a base-level cellphone. On the plus aspect, the display is barely larger at 6.3-inches in comparison with 6.1-inches, although throughout my time with the iPhone 17 to this point, I have not actually seen the scale change.

The all-important selfie shooter will get an enormous bump

In a whole lot of methods, digicam efficiency is corresponding to the iPhone 17 Professional

Whereas the iPhone 17 Professional/Professional Max are higher suited to avid photographers due to their triple digicam setup, the iPhone 17 has stepped its recreation up this yr. Its important f/1.6 48-megapixel shooter nonetheless shines in relation to low-light, particularly within the context of a base cellphone, and the ultra-wide shooter has been upgraded to an f/2.2 48-megapixel sensor from the f/1.9 12-megapixel shooter within the iPhone 16, although the picture high quality enchancment is not substantial.

Extremely-wide pictures are a bit extra vibrant, however you actually need to look intently to see the distinction. I’d have most well-liked Apple ditched the ultra-wide for an optical zoom lens, although similar to final yr, the 2x sensor crop zoom supplied by the iPhone 17’s important shooter remains to be stable.

The Selfie shooter has additionally been up to date to f/1.9 18-megapixels with Middle Stage, similar to the remainder of the iPhone 17 collection, providing crisp and detailed pictures underneath all kinds of sunshine. Middle Stage makes use of a sq. picture sensor as an alternative of the extra conventional rectangle, permitting you to flip between portrait and panorama pictures on the fly and after you shoot the picture, all with out altering the cellphone’s orientation.

It is a minor addition, however I’ve discovered it to be a extremely helpful characteristic, particularly as I slowly admit defeat and begin snapping extra pictures in portrait orientation. I do not take selfies typically, however after I do snap them, I’ve grown to understand this versatility.

All the things else

The A19 chip, quicker wi-fi charging, and extra beginning storage

There are different minor updates, too, together with Apple’s highly effective A19 chip (the A19 Professional is saved for the iPhone 17 Professional and iPhone Air). Apple’s chips have been overkill for years, so the bottom A19 is greater than highly effective sufficient for most individuals. Wi-fi charging has additionally been kicked as much as 25W, permitting you to get to 50% in simply half-hour, making it straightforward to shortly prime up the cellphone’s battery life. And eventually, beginning storage is doubled to 256GB. Much like ProMotion, Apple has caught with 128GB with its base iPhone for years, a brutal quantity of storage by 2025 requirements, particularly in comparison with almost each trendy Android cellphone on the market. I do know most individuals seemingly subscribe iCloud storage at this level, however nonetheless, 128GB of bodily storage was laughably unhealthy.

For what you get with the iPhone 17 this yr, $800 is a stable value, and for the primary time, upgrading to the $1,100 iPhone 17 Professional does not really feel value it. To justify the fee, you actually must be into images or want the additional energy the A19 Professional chip gives. For the primary time, the bottom iPhone does not characteristic any notable compromises, making the iPhone 17 one of the vital full smartphone packages Apple has ever launched.