Why I’m Not Hesitating to Pick the iPhone 17 This Year

Every September, Apple announces a new iPhone lineup, and the familiar question comes back: Is this really an upgrade or just another small step forward? With the iPhone 17, it finally feels like Apple has delivered the changes that the vanilla iPhone should have had years ago. And, for once, it doesn’t feel like an afterthought in Apple’s lineup; it feels like the one most people should actually be looking at.

A Display That Was Long Overdue for an Upgrade

ProMotion is the real highlight. After years of restricting it to the Pro models, Apple has finally added 120Hz to the regular iPhone. Essentially, this should make scrolling through everyday apps like Instagram, Facebook, and emails should be much more smoother, and this also aids in a better overall gaming experience. And it’s not just a basic high refresh rate either — this is an LTPO panel that can scale down to 1Hz when nothing’s happening on screen, which should help with battery life.

It’s late, no doubt, considering budget Android phones have had this for a while, and Apple really had no excuse to hold it back this long. But I guess it’s one of those moments where you say, "Better late than never."

Why I’m Not Hesitating to Pick the iPhone 17 This Year

Photo Credit: In frame: iPhone 16 Plus Display

Always-On Display is also available on the vanilla iPhone. That means you can now keep track of things like food deliveries or match scores without waking the phone every time using Live Activities. Both these features were previously exclusive to the Pro models, but it’s good to see them finally trickling down to the iPhone 17, making it a very compelling choice. Besides this, Apple has also bumped the display size from 6.1 inches to 6.3 inches, giving you more usable screen real estate without making the phone feel drastically bigger in hand.

There’s a new Ceramic Shield 2 coating as well, which it claims offers three times better scratch resistance. In everyday use, this should help against scuffs when the phone shares a pocket with keys or coins, or when it’s constantly sliding in and out of jeans. On top of that, there’s now an anti-reflective coating, something we’ve already seen on Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Ultra and S25 Ultra, and it makes its way to the iPhone 17, too. It essentially reduces glare under harsh sunlight or strong indoor lighting.

Base Storage Starts at 256GB

The base storage on the iPhone 17 now starts at 256GB. Apple first got rid of 64GB a few years ago, and now it has dropped 128GB as the entry option, too. It’s the right move, especially for buyers in India who usually hold on to their phones for several years and need enough space for photos, videos, and apps.

This is also important in the context of iCloud. Apple has been nudging users toward paying for higher iCloud tiers, but those monthly costs add up quickly over the years. By starting with 256GB on-device, the iPhone 17 gives you more breathing room out of the box, and for many people, that means one less subscription to worry about.

Photo Credit: In frame: iPhone 16 Plus

What makes this even more convincing is how Apple has managed pricing. The iPhone 16 debuted at Rs 79,900 for 128GB. The iPhone 17, despite starting at double the storage, comes in at Rs 82,900. That’s a Rs 3,000 bump, while also adding ProMotion, Always-On Display, a larger screen, and camera upgrades. For once, the entry-level iPhone feels like it gives you enough from the start itself.

New A19 Chip

The iPhone 17 runs on Apple’s new A19 chip, built with a 6-core CPU (two performance cores and four efficiency cores) and a 5-core GPU. Apple’s focus this year is clearly on graphics. Compared to the iPhone 15, the company claims up to 40% faster CPU performance and as much as 80% faster GPU performance. And, against the A18-powered iPhone 16, the GPU gains are around 20%. On paper, these upgrades seem decent, especially for the GPU, so games like Genshin Impact, Wuthering Waves, and console-level games with ray-tracing should run well.

Photo Credit: Apple

But, that’s just the GPU. In terms of the CPU, Apple has very conveniently skipped out on including the iPhone 16 on the official site for comparisons. It feels like Apple is being deliberately vague here, choosing not to spell out how big (or small) the CPU jump really is this year.

On the Neural Engine side, Apple is clearly tying the A19 to its Apple Intelligence push. The chip comes with a 16-core Neural Engine that’s supposed to handle on-device AI more efficiently. That’s great on paper, but Apple Intelligence still remains a big question mark.

That said, the base iPhone has never been positioned as a raw performance play — but the A19 still has more than enough headroom for demanding workloads.

Cameras Finally Get the Right Kind of Attention

Apple has given the iPhone 17 cameras a proper lift this year. The Ultra-Wide sensor has been upgraded from 12MP to 48MP, which is a big step forward in terms of detail and versatility. It also doubles up for 12MP 1x macro shots, letting you capture close-ups. The 48MP Fusion main camera, meanwhile, continues to deliver 12MP telephoto shots at 2x, but yes, it still lacks a dedicated telephoto camera.

Photo Credit: In frame: iPhone 17

The front camera sees a bigger change. Apple has introduced an 18MP Center Stage camera, borrowing a feature we’ve seen on iPads and MacBooks. It keeps you in the frame during video calls, even if you move around. Apple says this is its widest field of view yet, with a sensor that’s twice the size of the previous models. The square, wider design also means you can shoot one photo and use it both horizontally and vertically, so the same shot can work as an Instagram Story and a post without having to reframe or rotate the phone.

The front camera can also record videos with better stabilisation, using the same tech that Apple applies in Action Mode on the rear cameras. This should make handheld selfie videos look steadier. The upgrades don’t make the iPhone 17 a camera powerhouse like the Pro models, but they do fix some of the weak spots that made last year’s model feel (much more) behind rivals.