Is there a perfect smartphone? As days pass by, I see smartphones flooding our collective consciousness. With each new phone, the question remains: does it serve all my needs? And rarely do I find a phone that aligns perfectly with all that fires up my neurons. The iPhone 17 feels like a breath of fresh air and is one device that ticks all the right boxes for me. A great display, incredible cameras, a powerhouse chip, and soothing colours. Ignore the gush of unfettered feelings; as much as I adore Apple, I do get riled by their sheer lack of pragmatism at times. The iPhone 17 is Apple’s latest non-Pro model to hit the shelves. Every year, Apple brings out the vanilla iPhones with just enough features, making the Pro models more compelling. The regular iPhones would miss out on advanced cameras, the lucid display from the Pros, and a couple of features here and there. Each year, iPhone screens would be downgraded from not only the Pro models but also from pretty much the best of the Android devices. But this year, Apple has caused a stir by endowing some of the Pro features to the vanilla models. This pretty much makes the iPhone 17 one of the best iPhones for anyone planning to get a new phone this year. Before I share my experience, I would like to inform you that my primary phone since 2021 has been the iPhone 13 Pro. I have reviewed the iPhone 15, and I am currently using the iPhone 16. Not proclaiming to be the best judge of iPhones, but I have my fair share of days with iPhones. Look and feel For starters, the iPhone 17 looks very similar to the iPhone 16. It sports the same minimalist design, is slightly taller at 6.3 inches, and weighs a little over 7 grams. The packaging is pretty much the same. One thing Apple manages to be consistent with is its forthright design on packing – you’ve got the usual USB-C charging cable, SIM ejector tool, and usually overlooked literature. The iPhone 17 also dons the same packaging elements. This year, Apple has introduced five new refreshing shades on the iPhone: Lavender, Sage, Mist Blue, White, and Black. For the review, I got the iPhone 17 in Sage, and I am absolutely in love with the colour. We are not new to green iPhones; the iPhone 11 in midnight green was a sight for sore eyes, and the sophisticated alpine green on the iPhone 13 lineup could cause a traffic jam. While Apple brought in some peppy colours in the iPhone 16 lineup, with the iPhone 17s, the phone-maker opted for slightly muted, if not pastel, shades. Regardless, the sage green iPhone 17 is a stunner. The colour is mushy and has a cooling effect on the eyes, and the thin, shiny aluminium bezels add to the overall aesthetics. I am among the majority who love their phones in black with a matte finish, but surprisingly, the sage green has caught my eye. It is not just easy on the eyes but also comforting to hold. Apple has introduced Ceramic Shield 2, which it claims has three times more scratch resistance than its predecessors. I must admit that in blistering weather or light rains, this is a sturdy device that lets you be carefree and worry about things that matter the most. Overall, the design of the iPhone 17 has a touch of serenity—a stark contrast to the bold and aggressive visage of the iPhone 17 Pro models. Display and performance The most attractive feature of the iPhone 17 is probably its display. This time, there are visibly thinner bezels and 3,000 nits peak brightness—the highest ever in a regular iPhone. Apple has finally done away with the 60 Hz screen and now offers a 120 Hz ProMotion display. Looking at a picture, watching a movie or a show, or playing games, the display is sheer brilliance. It has got vibrant colours, deep blacks, and performs exceptionally during darker scenes–a problem that persists with many flagship displays in the market. Since it has an adaptive refresh rate, the display adapts according to the content, ensuring better motion and visual fidelity. Besides, the display has impeccable colour accuracy, making it ideal for image editing and getting a realistic colour representation. The phone comes with a new anti-reflective coating, adding a kind of depth to the visuals on screen. iPhone 17 is powered by Apple’s latest A19 chipset, which is claimed to be more powerful than the A18 Pro on the iPhone 16 Pros. On the surface, there may not be any noteworthy differences, but there are subtle additions that add to the ease of use. The iOS 26 is super snappy, allowing you to dabble with multiple apps. The iPhone 17 can do most resource-heavy tasks with ease. For those into Lightroom or video editing, the A19 chipset performs well. The iPhone 17 runs smoothly, no matter what task you throw at it. It does get warm with intense gaming and extended photography sessions. Even though it lacks the new Apple vapour chamber seen on the Pro phones, the heat dissipation is decent on the regular iPhone. When it comes to GPU, the iPhone 17 comes with over 40 per cent better scores and benchmarks than the iPhone 16. Gaming, especially Genshin Impact and Wuthering Waves, can be played without being hindered by frame drops or stutter. Game lovers distraught about titles that cannot be played on a 60 Hz display can now enjoy them with the fluidity of the 120 Hz ProMotion. Superior cameras The most standout feature of any iPhone is the superior image processing with remarkable outputs. The iPhone 17 boasts some big camera updates; it retains the same pill-shaped island from the iPhone 16 with the same main 48 MP lens. However, the ultrawide lens is this time a 48 MP lens, up from last year’s 12 MP ultrawide lens. The output from these cameras is incredible, as they capture rich details, rendering almost a life-like quality to images. Both cameras produced great colours and dynamic range; however, they are not that much different from the iPhone 16. The ultrawide, however, is a notable upgrade, offering more detail and sharpness. Below are some unedited pictures clicked using the iPhone 17 cameras: On the front-facing camera, Apple has introduced an 18 MP camera with a square lens, which allows you to shoot both portrait and landscape photos and videos without rotating the device. It also features a centre stage that auto-aligns the camera based on your position. The pictures from the selfie camera are exceptional. The video capabilities in both daylight and nighttime are outstanding, offering remarkable stability. How is the battery life? The iPhone 17 offers 30 hours of video playback on a full charge, a significant hike from 22 on the iPhone 16. I have been using the device for whole days where my usage ranged from social media, Netflix, gaming, messaging, and calls. The phone lasted for the whole day with fairly heavy use. On lighter days, when I did not use Facebook or Instagram or did not play any games, the iPhone 17 was left with around 30 per cent of battery at the end of the day. The battery is decent, just do not expect to be light years ahead of the iPhone 16 lineup. The verdict The iPhone 17 is undoubtedly the most advanced regular iPhone in years, with insane value for money. With the array of upgrades, Apple has seemingly closed the gap between its regular and its top-of-the-line models. If you are someone planning to buy a new phone, this is your device. Considering the new features and pricing at Rs 82,900, this is perhaps the device that would act as an entry point to the Apple ecosystem for many new users. The new iPhone is hands-down the best investment for a value-conscious consumer.
