iPhone 17: The Truth After 2 Months

Two months testing the entire iPhone 17 range, and I did not expect this. I bought the whole line this year, my own money, to give you a properly rounded picture: the Air, the 17 Pro (which I was expecting to keep, like last year), and the 17 Pro Max, which I still use because, like it or not, it’s the industry reference every Android flagship gets compared against.

But the 17 Pro went back to Apple. And the phone I’ve actually enjoyed the most is this one, the regular iPhone 17. If you’re settled on Apple and buying before the end of the year, I think this is the model most people should be looking at. Not the Pros.

No unboxing, no spec dump. Respecting your time. Here’s what two months side by side actually taught me.

Why the 17 Pro went back

You get the pro camera system, the fancy chip, the vapour chamber, longer zoom, faster USB. But day to day, replying to messages, filming quick clips for socials, maps in the car, pictures of family stuff, I wasn’t seeing a big enough jump over the regular 17 to justify the extra money, especially with the early telephoto issues I was having. And once my comparison videos are done, I’m 99% sure the Pro Max goes the way of last year’s: given away. If I weren’t doing this job, the 17 is the one I’d buy. Guaranteed.

For context on the Pro Max: iOS 26.1 has finally sorted the weird camera flicker I made entire videos about, taking that phone from what looked like a disastrous camera back to okay. Usable, not perfect. The regular 17 never had any of that drama. No random bugs, no overheating, decent battery. Sweet, almost boring, in the best possible way.

The screen Apple finally didn’t hold back on

A 6.3” OLED with ProMotion (real 120Hz) and always-on. This matters more than it sounds: the 60Hz panel was exactly why I could never recommend the regular iPhone 16 at that price, whatever people say about nobody noticing. Now the normal-iPhone experience includes the things that made the Pros feel pro. Side by side with the Pro Max, it’s clearly not much of a trade-off anymore.

Sadly, you still get the Dynamic Island. You know my feelings. But the aluminium frame is lighter than the Pros, it takes one-handed use without feeling like a tablet, and I dropped it twice without a case (don’t). No scuffs. Durable, comfortable, premium.

Performance and battery: nothing to report, which is the point

The A19 has handled everything I’ve thrown at it: editing photos, social apps, games, 4K recording. It just gets on with it. Battery has been charge-overnight-and-forget, even on heavier days with lots of camera use and navigation. You miss a couple of settings in the camera app and video modes versus the Pros; I think it’s a fair compromise.

The camera gap has shrunk — a lot

No dedicated telephoto is the real hardware difference, and for kids’ sports day the digital zoom is going to be good enough for most people. But in the situations that make up 90% of real photography (daylight, portraits, family stuff indoors, 4K video at normal focal lengths), it’s so close to the Pro that I’ve had to check file names to see which phone took the shot.

Honestly, Apple might be shooting themselves in the foot with how good this is.

Value: the quiet headline

Same launch price as last year in most regions, but now with 256GB standard. That doesn’t sound like a lot; it’s a huge deal. No more storage anxiety every few months, and none of the little tricks Apple plays on the Pro tiers to upsell you.

To be clear about who the Pro is still for: if you’re a filmmaker or photographer using ProRes daily, if the telephoto is your lens, if you make money with the tool, get the Pro, be happy, no regrets. You’ll make it back. But that’s a professional purchase, not a default.

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The status tax

Here’s the key message. Strip away the status side of owning a Pro Max, the camera bump, the massive screen, the new colour, the idea that it’s “the proper flagship”, and look at what you actually do on your phone every single day. For a lot of people the iPhone 17 isn’t just enough. It’s the better choice: lighter, smaller, cheaper, feels premium, and the compromises you’re making this year are specific and small.

If you’ve been thinking “I have to get the Pro because it’s the top one, and my friends will think I cheaped out”, maybe this is the year to ignore them and buy the iPhone that makes sense for your life and your wallet. That’s my job here: recommending what I genuinely think is right.

Still torn between the Pros and an Android flagship? Hold on if you can. My S25 Ultra vs 17 Pro Max deep-dive is coming (I hired a shooter for a full day in London for it), and the S26 Ultra head-to-head is live on the site. The full video review is here.