Why the iPhone 17 Design and Display Have Me Completely Hooked

The base model of the most recent iPhone family is the same as the previous one, except for a few details: the colors change, and its screen is brighter, as well as faster.

I’ve tested the iPhone 17, and I think it’s perfect for those who want to join the Apple ecosystem: it maintains the look of the previous generation, yes, but this time it carries it even brighter and expands the base storage space up to 256 GB. If we add to that its price — ₹99,480 INR (approximately $1,121 USD) — it becomes the reference mobile of this family.

It can also be placed at the same level as its siblings, Pro and Pro Max, due to its refresh rate, which has doubled to 120 hertz so that you don’t miss anything even if it gets direct sunlight. Just from details like this it is understandable that Apple has exceeded all of Apple’s forecasts and has been forced to increase its production by up to 40%.

I have had the opportunity to test this device for a few days, and I have to admit that I understand that its sales have skyrocketed: it is beautiful, simple, functional, and Apple-branded despite being the basic model and somewhat more manageable than the immediately previous one. Mainly because of the quality of its screen, although it has much more inside that places it as an initial option for those who want to debut (or stay) in the brand.

iPhone 17

The iPhone 17 proves it’s much more than Apple’s standard model. It comes with a 120 Hz refresh rate to match the Pro models, a base configuration of 256 GB of storage, and a more versatile selfie camera.

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Is the iPhone 17 worth buying?

In view of the fact that this year Apple has dispensed with the iPhone Plus, which was a step beyond the base format, this iPhone 17 is the only option if you are looking for a mobile phone from the brand with the bitten apple and you need to cut your budget without that entailing fewer features.

The most basic Pro model is priced at €1,359 (approximately ₹140,990 INR or $1,590 USD), compared to €959 (approximately ₹99,480 INR or $1,121 USD) for this one in its basic configuration, which includes 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal storage. Interestingly, that was the same price as last year’s 128 GB iPhone 16 — a storage option that has now been discontinued. This lower starting price is sure to attract many buyers.

The base is not exactly the model that has “aged” the best, since from one generation to another there are hardly any aesthetic differences. Nor does it offer the great change that the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max can boast, with their new back and camera module, which practically occupy the width of the device.

However, this iPhone has a slightly larger screen than its predecessor, a peak brightness 1,000 nits higher than this one outdoors, and twice the refresh rate, so the user experience will be not only smoother but also more satisfying.

iPhone 17 Features

Design and screen: those 120 Hz refresh rates are noticeable and a lot.

For the base model of the family, the iPhone 17 has chosen to repeat the format. At first glance, in fact, it is practically identical to the iPhone 16 and also its colors because, remember, one of the aspects that I like most about these phones is their variety of colors. This time, they have been made in lavender, sage green, mist blue, white, and black.

I had the opportunity to test the blue one, which actually offers two shades of this color, one darker for the camera module and one lighter for the rest of the device. It is true that most of the time I have used it with its transparent silicone case, compatible with MagSafe, but it is really enjoyable without it.

The reason is very simple: it is small; it measures less than a hand, so you feel that there is no device left over anywhere and that you can get it with one hand, which helps a lot to use it in spaces where there is no space to spare. For example, line 5 of the Madrid Metro at rush hour.

I come from an iPhone 16 Pro, and I think that there are hardly any differences between one and the other—this one measures 149.6 x 71.5 x 8.3 mm and weighs 199 grams, while the iPhone 17 is 149.6 mm high, 71.5 mm wide, and 7.95 mm deep, with 177 grams—but something is noticeable.

So much so that, in my already four years of experience in this sector, I can assure you that it is the most pleasant to hand by far. Also in sight, because we must applaud again that Apple bets on matte materials, with a recycled aluminum design, and forgets about the shines, both on the edges and on the back.

The result is that not a single trace is perceived, not even with oils and other types of liquid in the fingertips, which is appreciated now that the cold is coming and I usually use hand cream frequently. There are no problems for sweat either, and even less so for water droplets, as it has an IP68 rating, which makes it resistant to splashes and dust.

The design of the edges is the same, as they are rounded and include the previous generation buttons: on and off, one to increase the volume, another to lower it, and the quick action button, as well as the camera controller, on which to slide your finger to zoom or capture an image.

The top is smooth, with the usual iPhone stripe on the right side, while the USB-C port is once again centered at the bottom (which is complemented by WIFI 7, NFC, and Bluetooth 5.3 in terms of connectivity), with the microphone on one side and the speaker on the other. I take this opportunity to comment that it does not distort anything.

On the screen side, which introduces the dynamic island again, we have a larger panel than the previous generation, 6.3 inches, with a higher resolution and two important points, which are a peak brightness of 3,000 nits and a refresh rate of up to 120 hertz, when before it was only 60 hertz.

Not only does this make the phone respond faster to what is pressed on the panel—which also shrinks its bezels a bit to provide an even more immersive experience—but it will also show it more clearly. Thanks to that, you won’t need to look for a shadow to read a message or play content when direct sunlight hits it.

This is important considering that this phone comes with default Liquid Glass, that is, the transparent software design of iOS 26 that just a few days ago arrived on other smartphones of the brand that has caused a lot of criticism, including mine.

I admit that at first it can cause some rejection, mainly due to readability problems, but I must admit that this device suits it very well. If, in addition, you turn up the screen lighting, you have no excuse not to try it.

Performance and battery: too fair for a simple Candy Crush

The battery is an aspect that worries many users when they acquire a device, and in Apple mobiles it happens that it does not quite stand out. Not, at least, in this iPhone 17, which is not that far from the rest of the high-end devices, which require great autonomy due to the chips they mount.

In this case, we are talking about the A19, a self-developed chip that not only guarantees a fairly fluid user experience, with application downloads at full speed and zero interruptions in my daily activities (social networks, checking email, reading documents in PDF format with the new Preview application, which comes with iOS 26, etc.)

The processor also meets what is required of it when playing video games, and in some of the most common free-to-play games, such as Asphalt or Candy Crush, it performs well but, surprisingly, drains more battery than with any other task. Thus, in a journey of just over half an hour by subway and playing offline, it has absorbed almost 8% of battery in one go.

All brands aim to perfect their products from one year to the next, and although it has not made a great leap in this regard, it must be clarified that it has done so. While the iPhone 16 had a 3,561 mAh battery, this one rises to 3,692 mAh, which translates into a battery life that reaches the full day but is very tight.

Again, the charger does not come in the box and must be purchased separately, but the cable with USB-C port is included. However, it can also be charged wirelessly. To do it in a traditional way, it doesn’t take as much time as you thought at first. That’s what it takes to have gotten used to my 30 W charger.

With a 67 W capacity one, on the other hand, I only needed half an hour to go from 0% to 70% and it was completed in about an hour and a half. The last loading tranche, from 70% onwards, has taken around 10 minutes to charge 10%. That way, by plugging it in for a while in the morning, during breakfast and showering, I’ve had enough to get through the day, without demanding too much, of course.

Cameras: not the best, but enough to get you through

I admit that it is not easy to get by with two cameras when you come from the iPhone 16 Pro, which integrates a triple camera, but that has not prevented me from seeing the great virtues of what is probably the most striking section of any smartphone. There are many in terms of color fidelity and depth of field.

It is worth remembering first that the iPhone 17 has the following camera layout:

• 48-megapixel Fusion main lens, with f/1.6 aperture value, optical stabilization, and integrated 12-megapixel x2 telephoto lens.
• Wide-angle fusion of 48 megapixels with macro mode, with an aperture value of f/2.2 and a field of view of 120º.
• 18-megapixel Center Stage front camera, with f/1.9 aperture, autofocus, and dual capture.

The iPhone 17, which debuts a simplified and more modern photography interface thanks to iOS 26, has three defaults: wide, 0.5x, native focal length x1, and optical zoom x2. I have no complaints about the normal mode, and I think, in fact, that it is the best achieved of the three, although its results are very close to x2.

Although I have missed an x5 a lot that, for example, the Pro models have, I think that with the x2 Apple has done a good job, and I recognize that if you push it up to an x10, its maximum, it is not as serious as you would expect.

However, I haven’t loved Wide Angle: not only does it round the edges too much, but it also darkens the photographs a little when they get dark.

About the Portrait Mode I will say that I really liked that it identifies if there are two people in front of the selfie camera and that it respects the color and tonality of the light, since usually these lenses make me paler than I am, in addition to the fact that it softens skin imperfections very well.

In fact, it incorporates a kind of warm filter into the image. It also does it with the hair, which makes it homogeneous, without dividing strands without rhyme or reason or putting a few strands where it shouldn’t, as has happened to me with other mobiles.

The problem I find in this one is that I feel that it has little definition. We are talking about an 18-megapixel lens, which is not going to give you bad results, but not the best either, because it has much more noise than it should, although it is passable.

When taking any photograph, the result seems to be of lower quality than it finally is, so that after processing, the images have a higher resolution and very natural colors, even in Night Mode, which is automatic when the camera understands that it must activate it.

However, it can be easily deactivated, from the six-dot button on the upper left side, next to the flash button. This option also appears by accessing the Photo option, where the rest of the alternatives (styles, exposure, timer…) are.

However, on certain occasions I have felt that it was not necessary to press it, because both the normal photography mode and the one presented as night are practically identical, although it has also depended a lot on the setting, because sometimes it has cleared the sky.

In these circumstances I have noticed the presence of points of light when I have taken photographs at night in a street with little direct lighting of lampposts but different reflective signs and car headlights. Changing the position of the mobile phone has disappeared, but it has been a long time since I found these annoying reflections.

The Video Action Mode, on the other hand, I liked it more, and I think it is very successful. Let’s remember that it is a format that stabilizes the image when you record in motion.

So, at a fast pace you can record good shots without much movement. However, it is better with natural light than at night, as it has sometimes darkened the shot. Interestingly, the more artificial light it has, the less effective it has also proven to be.

In this way, as I have approached shop windows and illuminated premises, I have noticed a greater movement in the camera, even though the pace I was taking was the same.

On the other hand, it should be remembered that Apple has always boasted of being the brand that many creators choose to work on their videos and content, but, until now, it did not have an essential functionality for many of them: the dual camera. Thanks to this, it is possible to record a normal video and, at the same time, record ourselves as a selfie.

This feature, which has been on Android for some time now and, therefore, has nothing new; comes as standard, that is, it has not been incorporated with iOS 26, since, in that case, the previous generation of iPhones updated with Liquid Glass should have it and does not have it among the options dedicated to recording videos.

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