Apple’s self-dubbed ‘awe dopping’ September 9 event brought no big surprises, but it still left us with some thoughts. It also brought some nostalgia back to our hearts for the good old times when we collectively held our breath in excited anticipation of what Apple’s new iPhone would be.
The last few years have been sort of lackluster on the iPhone front, to be honest, and it was high time for Apple to bring back the excitement. We think it did. Here’s what we think of the new iPhone 17 series.
The base model iPhone is no longer a second-class citizen
What we found most unexpected was just how good the iPhone 17 is. Apple always kept the base iPhone far enough away from its Pros, stubbornly refusing to give it any sort of high-refreshing screen, and keeping its camera system a few years behind the Pros.
It all changed with the iPhone 17, which is now truly worthy of its price and its market status as one of the most bought and used phones in the world. It got a bigger, high-refresh-rate screen, 256 GB base storage, and it costs the same as its predecessor in major markets.
The base model gets the new 18 MP Center Stage selfie camera as well and it even got the upgraded 48MP Fusion ultrawide-angle camera.
Apple iPhone 17
The iPhone 17 has the same display as the iPhone 17 Pro – WOW
This is the thing that left us most impressed. It’s so un-Apple to give the base phone the same 6.3-inch 120Hz ProMotion (LTPO) display. Apple didn’t even throttle the screen’s brightness to give the Pros some kind of an edge – the iPhone 17 gets the same up to 3,000 nits peak brightness.
You’d think that Apple would’ve at least kept the anti-reflective Ceramic Shield 2 panel as a Pro exclusive as Samsung does. But no, the iPhone 17 gets the anti-reflective, harder-to-break new glass as well!
New Center Stage selfie camera is Apple innovation at its finest
Using a square image sensor so that you can have both portrait and landscape selfies without rotating the phone is something old Nokia did. And now Apple.
The iPhone has always had a stellar selfie, and we’d expect the new 18 MP Center Stage unit to be no different. It’s a nice touch that Apple gave the new camera to all the new iPhones.
An instant classic design for the Pros
Whether it’s the new Cosmic Orange colorway or the precision-milled aluminum unibody, the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max catch the eye.
The new design also makes the new iPhone Pros instantly recognizable as the new best iPhone, something that was missing on the last few iPhone Pro models. They all pretty much look the same from the iPhone 12 to the iPhone 16.
We have a feeling that the new design will also make the new iPhone Pros feel better in the hand.
We expect the new anti-reflective screens to add to the premium feeling of the new iPhones as well.
Apple iPhone 17 Pro
The iPhone Pro was always fast, but it’s finally also cool
The new design goes deeper than the surface. Apple brought innovation to the inside of the iPhone as well. The new vapor chamber, which is a long overdue first for an iPhone, will make sure the A19 Pro’s excellent performance will be matched by efficient cooling as well.
Honestly, Android flagships have been using VCs for years, and there’s a good reason for it.
New 4x zoom camera sounds great
We love it when phone makers improve on camera hardware. Apple was typically laconic when it came to the camera hardware on the new iPhones, but it made it clear at the keynote that the iPhone Pro models are getting a new 4x 100mm zoom camera to replace the 5x 120mm unit on the old phones.
And, if early reports are correct, the new 48 MP sensor should also be larger than the old 12 MP, which is always great to hear!
The iPhone Air is like the MacBook Air
When Steve Jobs unveiled the MacBook Air, famously revealing the svelte laptop from a manila envelope, it was all about the laptop’s thinness. That’s the main focus of the new iPhone Air as well.
Like the MacBook Air in relation to the MacBook Pro, the iPhone Air has fewer features than the Pro. And in the same fashion, the Air is cheaper than the Pros.
Apple iPhone 17 Air
But the Air is also its own thing
However, whereas the MacBook Air is the entry into the world of MacBook laptops, the iPhone Air is more than an affordable iPhone; that’s what the iPhone 17 is for.
The iPhone Air is a fashion iPhone. It will cater to the non-tech-savvy crowd that wants an iPhone but doesn’t want care about all the specs.
It’s a bold move by Apple, and we’re not sure it will pay off. The Air may go the way of the Plus and the mini – a good idea on paper, but one that didn’t work out in the financial sense.
iOS 26 looks interesting
Apple’s iOS 26 is the boldest design change in years, and it will likely polarize iPhone users. Liquid Glass and Visual Intelligence may grab the headlines, but there are improvements that fly below the radar that will make the nineteenth iOS a solid update.
There’s a new camera app, which streamlines photo and video modes. A new Adaptive Power mode will manage the battery better, and Apple Intelligence is more intelligent. And there are other, smaller quality of life improvements that will add up for iPhone users.
Where’s the iPhone Fold already!?
Finally, there were rumors that Apple would finally tease the iPhone Fold as some sort of “one more thing” at the end of the event, but it wasn’t to be.
At this point, iPhone users are getting a bit restless for a foldable iPhone. We’ve been hearing whispers and rumors of the prodigal folding iPhone since 2016! Samsung announced the original Galaxy Fold in 2019. It’s 2025, Apple! For one of the biggest smartphone companies ever, you’re really slow at this.
