iPhone 17 Debuts As Apple’s Biggest Base Model Upgrade In Years
Apple iPhone 17 display
Apple
For years, the standard iPhone variant has lagged behind its Pro siblings. Whether it was the display or the cameras, Apple seemed to reserve the best for the Pro models. But that’s changing with the iPhone 17. This year, the base iPhone is closer to the Pros than ever. Not only does it finally get a ProMotion display, but it also shares a surprising number of features with the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max.
Here’s why the iPhone 17 is Apple’s biggest base model upgrade in years.
Same Display As The iPhone 17 Pro
This upgrade has been a long time coming. The iPhone 17 now features the exact same display as the iPhone 17 Pro: a 6.3-inch OLED screen with ProMotion 120Hz refresh rate support. That means the standard model now brings features like Always-On display, 3,000 nits peak outdoor brightness, 1 nit minimum brightness, slimmer bezels, and the same contrast ratio as the Pro.
On top of that, the iPhone 17 gets the same Ceramic Shield 2 screen protection as the Pro models. Apple claims it is three times more scratch-resistant than before and includes a 7-layer anti-reflective coating. Unlike Samsung, which reserves its anti-reflective display for the $1,000+ Galaxy S25 Ultra, Apple is offering its latest screen advancements on its most affordable model.
iPhone 17 Gets Two 48MP Cameras
The iPhone 17 Pro lineup features three 48MP cameras: a main shooter with 2x “optical-like” zoom, an ultrawide camera doubling as macro sensor, and a telephoto lens for optical-like zoom up to 8x. The iPhone 17 doesn’t get the full set, but it still comes impressively close with two out of the three.
According to the Apple website, iPhone 17 packs the same 48MP Fusion Main and 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide cameras as the Pro. That’s a big shift from previous years, when the base model always meant compromising on the secondary lens.
That said, there may still be differences in sensor size, and unlike the Pros, the iPhone 17 doesn’t support ProRAW. Video recording tops out at 4K Dolby Vision at 60fps (compared to 120fps on the Pros, thanks to the A19 Pro chip versus the A19 on the iPhone 17).
Same Front Camera As The iPhone 17 Pro
Apple has also upgraded the front camera across its new iPhone lineup. All four iPhone 17 models get an improved 18MP Center Stage selfie shooter. That means you get ultra-stabilized video recording, Smart HDR 5 for photos, the latest Photographic Styles, and the ability to shoot 4K Dolby Vision videos at up to 60fps on both iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro. Both of them can also record Cinematic Videos in Dolby Vision 4K at 30fps — a feature you won’t find on the $999 iPhone Air.
The only missing front camera feature is the iPhone 17 Pro’s ability to record ProRes videos at 4K 60fps with external storage. Otherwise, the iPhone 17’s selfie shooter can do everything its more expensive sibling can.
Double the storage for same price
Storage has finally caught up with expectations. The iPhone 16, 16 Plus, and 16 Pro all started with just 128GB, which is barely enough for most people today. With the iPhone 17, Apple has bumped the base storage to 256GB across the lineup. While the iPhone 17 Pro models saw a price increase, the iPhone 17 still starts at the same $799.
This means, compared to last year’s iPhone 16, the new iPhone 17 gives you double the storage, better cameras, faster charging, improved durability, and a brighter display — all for the same $799 price tag. Oh, and like the iPhone 16, the new model supports Apple Intelligence, too.