The Apple iPhone 17 Pro remains Apple’s best-selling model despite the iPhone Air attracting more interest and views online. The Base iPhone 17 is considered the best deal for most buyers, but the Pro Max stands out as the most popular by sales.
iPhone 17 Pro: Camera and Upgrades
The Pro iPhone’s cameras remain its standout professional feature, offering three well-matched lenses rather than an excessive number. The primary and ultra-wide cameras are consistent with last year’s model, but the telephoto lens has been significantly upgraded to a 48-megapixel sensor with a 4X zoom, providing a more natural portrait focal length around 100mm. The zoom shots benefit from higher detail and less noise than older models, and also from the larger sensor.
Apple applies an enhanced image processing at 2X zoom increases to produce sharper images than a standard digital crop, though this is not the same as full optical zoom. The phone offers three reliable (in my opinion) 48-megapixel cameras suitable for both casual users and professionals, including content creators who rely heavity on smartphone photography.
iPhone 17 Pro: Video and Shooting
The changes from previous models, like the 15 and 16 Pro, are incremental but positive. The iPhone 17 Pro offers ProRes raw footage, allowing post-shoot adjustments to ISO and white balance in Final Cut Pro 11.2, though files are large. Genlock support, which provides synchronisation across many devices for intricate shots, is a noteworthy new feature. Although the phone’s selfie cameras have been improved and now seem more professional, point-and-shoot photography will remain the primary use case for the majority of customers.
iPhone 17 Pro: Design Changes
So the new iPhone 17 Pro design highlights its departure from previous models by becoming thicker and heavier to enhance durability and functionality. Unlike the thin Air model, the pro features a uni-body metal construction with glass cutouts only for wireless charging and millimetre wave antennas. This design change allows for a larger battery and the introduction of a vapour chamber cooling system. The top plateau is praised as a natural resting spot for the index finger, similar to Android phones, and the Ceramic Shield glass provides improved protection.
iPhone 17 Pro: Colour Options and Scratch Issues
My disappointment in the new iPhone 17 Pro is, it lacks a black colour option, a feature commonly expected given previous Apple products. Additionally, there is a concern about a reported issue called ‘Scratchgate’, where the anodization layer on the aluminium frame scratches off easily, exposing raw metal underneath. The colour options in this model are the popular colours Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue, and Silver.
iPhone 17 Pro: A19 Pro Chip and Cooling Tech
The iPhone 17 Pro features a notable redesign with an A19 Pro chip that is about 20% faster than previous generations, paired with iOS 26 and 12GB of RAM, resulting in a very responsive user experience. The increased thickness of the phone has allowed the inclusion of a vapor chamber, which significantly improves thermal management by keeping the device cool under load, which helps maintain higher frame rates during gaming and sustained display brightness when recording videos.
This improved cooling and performance approach is likened to the advantages seen in gaming phones, highlighting that enhancements like better speakers, bigger batteries, and improved displays benefit everyday users as well. The iPhone 17 Pro upgraded display, cameras, build quality, and thermal design provide a more enjoyable experience, demonstrating that a thicker phone can deliver better battery life and Better performance.
iPhone 17 Pro: Battery and Charging Improvements
The iPhone 17 Pro series features a 20% larger battery compared to last year, alongside 40-watt charging that achieves half battery in 20 minutes. While these improvements are modest compared to some Android Ultra phones with larger batteries and faster charging, the iPhone’s efficiency allows Up to
31 hours of video playback on iPhone 17 Pro
iPhone 17 Pro: Display and Satellite Updates
The first-generation iPhone to have a PWM dimming toggle, hidden in accessibility settings, offers improved screen features including a slightly better anti-reflective coating and a peak brightness of 3000 nits. The satellite connectivity now supports messaging and location sharing.