iPhone 17 Pros and Cons: iPhone 17 is turning heads like every year, but is it really worth your money? While it brings some serious upgrades in performance, camera, and design, it also comes with a few drawbacks that might make you think twice. In this article, I break it down simply — 5 reasons why you should buy the iPhone 17 and 5 reasons why you might want to skip it, so you will be able to decide better according to your feature needs and financial condition.
Top 5 Pros of the iPhone 17
1. 120 Hz ProMotion Display
Finally, the 120 Hz ProMotion display is a major upgrade in the iPhone 17. It comes with a 6.3-inch Super Retina HDR screen, and it now features a 120 Hz adaptive ProMotion refresh rate. Before this, the feature was previously exclusive to the Pro models, but now you can get it even in the base model.
2. Double Base Storage at the Same Price
Apple has also increased the starting storage capacity from 128 GB to a more generous 256 GB while maintaining the same price. You can purchase the iPhone 17 in India at just ₹82,990.
3. A19 Chip
The iPhone 17 is powered by the new A19 chip, which is a major plus point for this smartphone. You get faster and more power-efficient performance than its predecessor. Most importantly, it is built to support Apple Intelligence.
4. Upgraded 48 MP Camera
The iPhone 17 features both main and ultra-wide cameras at 48 megapixels, offering higher-resolution photos with better detail and color balance than previous base models. It also has an upgraded 18 MP selfie camera with the Center Stage feature.
5. Enhanced Durability
The iPhone 17 also features a new tougher ceramic-shield front cover, which Apple claims offers three times better scratch resistance. It also boasts an impressive 3,000 nits peak outdoor brightness.
Top 5 Cons of the iPhone 17
1. Lacks Pro-Level Features
The iPhone 17 does not include some of the Pro-exclusive hardware like the new vapor chamber cooling system or the A19 Pro chipset. That means it won’t offer the same sustained performance during extremely demanding tasks like intense 4K video recording or prolonged AAA gaming.
Read More: Best Time To Grab 5G Phones Under ₹8,000 — More Than 5,000 mAh Battery & Powerful Processor Support!
2. Slower USB-C Speeds
The iPhone 17 has a USB-C port, but it still supports slower USB 2.0 transfer speeds. However, the faster USB 3 speeds — up to 20x faster transfers — are reserved for the iPhone 17 Pro models, which can be frustrating for customers who frequently transfer large video files.
3. Not a New Design
I have done complete research before adding this point because I am 100% sure that it does not feature a completely unique design. It looks nearly identical to the iPhone 16, which may be a drawback for those seeking a fresh aesthetic. Recently, some users also claimed that the Cosmic Orange variant of the iPhone 17 was changing to pink, so design is a major issue.
4. No Optical Telephoto Zoom
Like every time, true optical zoom remains a feature exclusive to the more expensive Pro models. The iPhone 17 relies only on an optical-quality 2x telephoto, which is a crop from the main 48 MP sensor. So, you will not get the same lossless zoom capabilities as a dedicated lens.
5. Battery Life Is Similar — Here’s How
If you think you will get a slightly larger battery capacity and one or two days of backup, then you should also know that the iPhone 17 has a more efficient A19 chip and the new 120 Hz display, which balances out the gains. That means the overall battery life is largely similar to the iPhone 16.