The iPhone 17 lineup officially launches on Friday, September 19, with preorders kicking off a week earlier on Friday, September 12. Selecting one among the four available models is more challenging this year due to the introduction of the ultra-slim iPhone Air. Priced at $999, customers receive Apple’s slimmest iPhone yet, designed to provide performance equivalent to the iPhone 17 Pro variants. Nonetheless, the iPhone Air has several trade-offs to achieve that slender form factor. This is precisely why the standard iPhone 17 could be a more suitable option than the Air, as it delivers a more adaptable camera experience, superior audio, enhanced battery life, and even a physical SIM slot in various international regions.
The entry-level iPhone 17 is priced at $799 ($829 without a carrier promotion) and features 256GB of storage. This is double the capacity of the base model of last year’s iPhone 16. In addition to the increased storage, numerous new features such as a high-end display and an updated selfie camera place the base iPhone 17 nearly in the Pro category — making it the top value iPhone this year. A significant drawback of the baseline iPhones over the years has been their 60Hz display. That changes with the iPhone 17. Both the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air possess the same display technology as the pricier iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max. The iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro boast a shared 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR display. Both devices come with the same 2622 x 1206 resolution, a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio, and can achieve up to 3000 nits of peak brightness.
The standout feature, of course, is that the standard iPhone 17 now supports the 120Hz ProMotion display and Always-On display — capabilities that were previously exclusive to the Pro models. When compared to last year’s iPhone 16 Pro, the iPhone 17 display provides enhanced peak brightness (3000 nits versus 2000 nits) and includes a seven-layer anti-reflective coating technology that minimizes glare. Apple has also bolstered the durability of the displays in the iPhone 17 series by incorporating a Ceramic Shield 2 screen coating that is twice as resistant to scratches and drops compared to the iPhone 16 series. This makes the $799 iPhone 17 more resilient than last year’s iPhone 16 Pro models.
It’s not solely the display technology that aligns the iPhone 17 with the iPhone 17 Pro. The $799 iPhone offers nearly the same camera capabilities. The device features two 48-megapixel cameras (main and ultra-wide) along with the new 18-megapixel Center Stage selfie camera. A quick look at Apple’s website highlights the primary advantages of the iPhone 17 Pro over the standard model. The Pro versions include a third 48-megapixel telephoto camera for improved zoom, and offer several modes like ProRaw photography, ProRes RAW video recording, Apple Log 2, etc., that creatives will appreciate. If these enhancements are not significant to you, the $799 iPhone 17 is the better option.
Another crucial aspect when selecting a new smartphone is battery endurance. Apple has significantly enhanced the iPhone 17’s battery life compared to the previous year’s model. Here’s how the iPhone 17 measures up against the iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 16, and iPhone 16 Pro, according to Apple:
Video playback:
– iPhone 17 – Up to 30 hours
– iPhone 17 Pro – Up to 33 hours
– iPhone 16 – Up to 22 hours
– iPhone 16 Pro – Up to 27 hours
Video playback (streamed):
– iPhone 17 – Up to 27 hours
– iPhone 17 Pro – Up to 30 hours
– iPhone 16 – Up to 18 hours
– iPhone 16 Pro – Up to 22 hours
Both the iPhone 17 and 17 Pro enable faster wired charging. A 40W power adapter charges the battery to 50% in just 20 minutes. The zoom camera, professional shooting modes, and enhanced battery longevity are three of the primary advantages of the $1,099 iPhone 17 Pro over the $799 iPhone 17. The iPhone 17 Pro is also equipped with a more robust chip — the A19 Pro instead of the A19 — so if you enjoy playing intensive games or editing videos on your smartphone, you will notice the performance boost. Additionally, it includes vapor chamber cooling to support that performance, a first for the iPhone. The bottom line is straightforward: The $799 iPhone 17 stands out as the best option for budget-conscious buyers searching for a new device.
