Apple’s latest iPhone 17 is the easiest iPhone to recommend yet. The standard iPhone has always inherited a handful of features from the “Pro”, but this one matches the current 17 Pro (and the new Air) in so many areas that it’s hard to see where you’re making any compromises.
If you’re ready to update your old iPhone, it’s the perfect pick. It has an upgraded display, a higherresolution camera system, more storage, longer battery life, and it’s both faster and more efficient.
After using the iPhone 17 for two weeks, I can confirm it’s a comprehensive stepup – and it’s the iPhone I’ll be recommending to everyone this year. Read on for my full, handson review.
Apple iPhone 17: At a glance
Apple iPhone 17
Cons
No charger in the box- Some rivals now have a zoom camera at this price
- No larger “Plus” variant any more
Features at a Glance
| Display | 6.3inch OLED |
|---|---|
| Storage | 256GB, 512GB |
| Cameras | 48MP main camera, 48MP ultrawide, 18MP front camera |
| Weight | 177g |
What I like about the iPhone 17
There’s a lot to like about the iPhone 17. Compared to the “regular” series releases in previous years, it’s the biggest upgrade yet. It includes almost every one of the features on the Pro model, and almost matches it for speed and battery life.
What are my favourite upgrades? The best one has got to be the new selfie camera. As one of the most used cameras on your phone, it was overdue an improvement!
It now has a big sensor for clearer photos, and can take horizontal selfies without you needing to turn the phone sideways. It will even autodetect when you’re taking a group picture and expand the frame to fit everyone in.
The rear camera setup now features a new ultrawide as well. This highresolution sensor captures more detail and is better at night, too. I took several “lowlight” ultrawide photos and can see the difference. For your everyday photos and as a travel camera, the iPhone 17 has everything you need. The Pro does get a much longer zoom, though.
iPhone 17 camera sample photos
One big change I’m noticing in everyday use is the extra battery life. Apple’s managed to get even more efficiency out of this new handset. It says it gets six more hours than the iPhone 16 in its video playback tests. In the past two weeks, I’ve never found I’m getting to the end of the day with the battery even close to exhausted.
Even if charge is low, it now has faster wired charging and wireless charging. With a USBC cord and 40W adapter, it will restore up to 50% charge in 20 minutes, and there’s a boost to the MagSafe speed, too.
The iPhone 17 also has the display of the iPhone 16 Pro. It’s a larger 6.3inch screen, which is brighter and has a higherrefresh rate. Don’t worry if you don’t know what that is. It just means that animations and effects will look much smoother.
It also has alwayson capabilities. That means the display can “dim” when not in use, allowing you to see your clock, notifications and widgets. It’s a neat feature that’s been on the Pro models for the past three years.
The front glass is also more durable and scratchresistant, too. The phone also comes in my favourite selection of colours in recent years. It hits a sweet spot between the 15’s pastels and the 16’s vibrancy. You can keep it simple with black or white, or you can pick “Mist Blue”, “Sage” green, or “Lavender” – all lovely shades.
This is a seriously fast phone, too. The new A19 chip offers speedy graphics and multitasking, along with better efficiency. And it has a new wireless chip for more stable Bluetooth and wifi connections.
The last great feature to mention is that all iPhone 17 models now start with double the storage. And on the standard 17, that’s without a price increase. You may or may not use 256GB, but it’s great to have loads more space for files, photos, videos and music!
What I don’t like about the iPhone 17
The new iPhone is the ideal upgrade for anyone with an old handset, so it’s no surprise that there’s very little to dislike.
But, some of the best cheap phones these days now include a third zoom lens, such as the Nothing Phone (3a). And the latest Google Pixel 10 (a key rival to the iPhone 17) now has a zoom, too – although, its camera sensors aren’t as good as the iPhone 17’s. While no previous “standard” iPhone has had a zoom, it is something a few competitors offer.
Do you find the camera reach of your current phone limiting? And feel that a 2x zoom (which the iPhone 17’s highresolution main camera has) isn’t enough? Then you’ll need to go with the much more expensive Pro model.
Also, if you have an iPhone 15 or 16, the 17 will still feel quite similar. But that’s only because it’s worth waiting a few years between upgrades to make sure you’re getting more than small refinements. As with other phones in recent years, it’s worth nothing that there’s no charger in the box, too.
Other than that, I’ve got no real complaints. The iPhone 17 offers great upgrades in almost all areas.
My verdict on the iPhone 17
After testing the iPhone 17 thoroughly, I can say that it feels like the most “highend” of any standard iPhone released in the past few years, with hardly any compromises compared to the Pro for those who don’t need a third camera.
It has an excellent display, superb cameras, a fast processor, more storage, speedier charging and a great selection of colours. It’s so impressive that it makes recommending an iPhone for most people very simple. As long as you know that you don’t need a long zoom camera or massive screen – just get this one.
Simon Cocks is Good Housekeeping UK’s Technology Editor, overseeing tech shopping content and strategy for the title. He previously also worked across other titles including Esquire UK, Digital Spy, Men’s Health UK and Women’s Health UK.
Simon specialises in testing the latest smart gadgets, home entertainment gear, headphones, speakers, portable chargers, radios, ebook readers and smartphones. He’s reviewed top tech products from brands including Google, Apple, Amazon, JBL and Bose.
A magazine journalism graduate from Kingston University in 2014, Simon also worked on the Discovery and Silkroad inflight magazines. He then gained experience writing about entertainment at SFX and Total Film. He also contributed reviews and interviews to TwitchFilm (later ScreenAnarchy), CultBox and Frame Rated.
He joined Good Housekeeping UK as the Editorial Assistant for Special Projects and was part of Good Housekeeping’s Consumer Affairs Team between 2014 and 2019. In this role, he conducted price comparison research, wrote detailed household and moneysaving advice guides and edited thousands of indepth reviews for the Good Housekeeping Institute.
He has focused on technology and gadgets since 2020, where he started by testing out power banks and instant cameras. He writes reviews, roundups, news articles and deals updates, and also covers top tech deals during sales like Amazon Prime Day, Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
When not testing out the latest gizmos, you’ll find Simon either catching up with the newest releases at his local cinema or out shooting with his beloved compact camera.
You can follow Simon on Instagram, on Bluesky, on LinkedIn and on Threads.
