Apple announced four new iPhones at its September 9 event: iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Out of all, the improvements made to the regular iPhone 17 made me the happiest, and here are seven reasons why!
1. 120Hz ProMotion display
Apple first introduced 120Hz displays on the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max. It took them four years to add this amazing display technology to their base, non-Pro variants. And now that it’s finally here, it makes it so easy to recommend the iPhone 17 to nearly everyone.
Even inexpensive Android phones from the last couple of years, costing as little as $180, have 120Hz or even 144Hz displays. It was absurd that Apple’s regular and Plus iPhones, which aren’t inexpensive by any means, lacked this technology.
Now, diehard Apple fans have long argued that 60Hz on the iPhone is still comparable to 120Hz on Android. But that’s just nonsense. I’ve a cheap Android phone with a 120Hz display, and it’s significantly smoother than the 60Hz panel on my wife’s iPhone 16.
Apple’s 120Hz ProMotion HDR display on the regular iPhone 17, much like the new iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro/Pro Max, and previous Pro models, has adaptive refresh rates that can adjust automatically between 10Hz to 120Hz for a visually smooth yet battery-efficient operation.
2. Always On display
I don’t use Always On display, as it gives me the impression that I’m making my iPhone work unnecessarily hard and wasting battery life. Plus, I don’t like having to touch once to wake up the Always On display and then a second touch to interact with the screen.
That said, I know several people for whom Always On is a huge deal, as it allows them to keep track of the time, notifications, Live Activities, and more while the iPhone is on their work desk.
So, if you’re one of those who love an Always On display on Pro iPhones or Android phones, then this is going to be exciting for you.
The regular iPhone 17’s display can drop down its refresh rate to just 1Hz in Always On mode to show you the Lock Screen, without being a huge battery waster.
3. 256 GB of base storage
I created a tutorial last year on how to maximize space on a 128 GB iPhone. Such users no longer have to worry about space constraints, as all new iPhone models, including the base iPhone 17, start with 256 GB of onboard storage. This means you can store more photos, videos, games, music, and HD movies on the device. Plus, it also ensures you won’t feel hesitant about enabling Apple Intelligence, which can take around 15 GB of local space.
4. Improved battery life
Last year’s iPhone 16 had an Apple-advertised battery backup of 22 hours on a single charge when watching offline videos. Thanks to new and advanced battery technology, this number for iPhone 17 has increased by 36% to a respectable 30 hours. Who doesn’t like more battery without paying extra!
5. A pair of 48MP rear cameras
I’ve always disliked taking ultra-wide photos on my wife’s iPhone 16 or even my iPhone 15 Pro Max, as these models have a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera. As a result, the wide pictures in 0.5x zoom mode often turned out to be grainy and of lower quality compared to the main 48MP sensor.
But now, just like iPhone 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max, the ultra-wide camera on the regular iPhone 17 is also 48 megapixels for crisp, detailed wide shots.
6. Center Stage (It’s a big deal)
I like the Center Stage feature on my iPad during FaceTime video calls, and now all new iPhone models, including the base iPhone 17, have an improved 18 megapixel Center Stage front camera for taking photos and video calls.
Apple says that the sensor size in iPhone 17 is almost twice as big as the previous generation, and for the first time ever, this sensor is square compared to 4:3 sensors in earlier models. 4:3 sensors dictate tall and wide photos based on the orientation in which you hold the iPhone.
But since the new iPhone 17 has a square-shaped front shooter paired with Center Stage, it ensures you don’t have to physically rotate your iPhone in landscape orientation when taking wide group selfies; you can just tap the rotate button on the camera viewfinder, and your iPhone will adjust to take a crisp wide photo, all while holding your iPhone in portrait orientation.
Additionally, Center Stage uses AI to automatically adjust your camera as new people walk into the frame. It can even auto-rotate the shot for you to fit even more people.
Watch Apple’s keynote from 38:23 minutes to see it in action:
7. The same $799 starting price
In addition to the above major improvements, the new base iPhone 17 also gets faster wired and MagSafe charging, thinner front bezels, Bluetooth 6, Dual Capture for video recording from both the front and back cameras simultaneously, 3000 nits of peak outdoor brightness, precision dual-frequency GPS, and a better Ceramic Shield 2 front glass.
Despite all these upgrades, the iPhone 17 still retains its old price and starts at $799! Compare this with last year’s iPhone 16, where you were getting 128 GB storage, no 120Hz refresh rate, and no Always On display for $799.
Note: The base iPhone 17 has a slight price increase in some countries, such as India, where it costs approximately 3,000 rupees ($35) more than last year.
Due to these much-needed improvements, the iPhone 17 is the best smartphone of the year for me. It offers incredible features at a great value, making it one of my top recommendations for friends and family.
Also, check out: 9 features missing on the thin new iPhone Air