We have been fairly underwhelmed by the iPhone 16e when it debuted earlier this 12 months, principally resulting from its $599 price ticket, which makes it a poor substitute for the budget-oriented iPhone SE. And now that the iPhone 17 has debuted, the 16e makes even much less sense. For $200 extra, you get a bigger and higher display screen with ProMotion, assist for MagSafe wi-fi charging, a zippier processor, two cameras as an alternative of 1 — and double the storage. Positive, that worth distinction hurts a bit, however I believe the iPhone 17 remains to be a greater deal since it isn’t practically as limiting because the iPhone 16e, which ought to have been priced nearer to $500 to tackle one thing just like the Pixel 9a.
Final fall, I argued that the vanilla iPhone 16 was a wise purchase given its revamped CPU and assist for Apple Intelligence, and I believe that is still true for the iPhone 17 with its many new options and similar worth level. Whereas I am certain Apple would love for extra clients to leap to the $999 iPhone Air or $1,099 iPhone 17 Professional, it is nonetheless arduous for lots of people to abdomen spending 4 figures on a smartphone. The ultra-thin Air will doubtless be a success with influencers and the style-obsessed, and energy customers could have a ball with the iPhone 17 Professional’s extra succesful digicam array. For everybody else, the iPhone 17 stays a stable gadget that may serve you properly for a few years.
The addition of ProMotion assist alone removes one of many function gaps between the plain iPhone and the Professional fashions. It permits for a variable display screen refresh fee of as much as 120Hz, in comparison with the 60Hz restrict of earlier years. In apply, that signifies that scrolling by way of web sites and your social media feeds will look smoother and fewer headache-inducing. You will discover the distinction instantly — 60Hz screens look unbearably uneven and sluggish as soon as your eyes have gotten used to one thing quicker.
And earlier than Android followers soar in to brag — sure, we all know that mid-range Android telephones have provided excessive refresh fee screens for years. Apple is undoubtedly sluggish to react right here, however the improve remains to be value celebrating. The iPhone 17’s display screen is not simply smoother than earlier than, it genuinely seems higher, in line with Engadget Senior Reporter Billy Steele. “The distinction between this new mannequin and my iPhone 16 Plus was instantly obvious,” he wrote in his hands-on. “Colours are extra vivid, particulars are sharper and it is simply extra nice to take a look at.”
iPhone 17
(Sam Rutherford for Engadget)
In the case of cameras, the iPhone 17 improves its ultrawide shooter to 48 megapixels, becoming a member of the 48MP fundamental sensor. However the huge digicam improve is definitely on the entrance of the telephone, because of the brand new Middle Stage digicam. It has been bumped to 18MP from 12MP, however extra importantly, Apple additionally launched a sq. sensor that allows you to soar from panorama to portrait orientations with out rotating your telephone. I’ve already gone deep on why the sq. selfie sensor (which is accessible on all iPhone 17 fashions) is a giant deal, however here is one key takeaway: “By making it simpler to take selfies, it follows that you’re going to begin to take much more of them, in the end tying your self into Apple’s ecosystem even additional.”
And talking of options obtainable on the entire new iPhones, the vanilla iPhone 17 additionally helps Twin Seize, which helps you to document video utilizing the entrance and rear cameras on the identical time. Middle Stage retains your face in the midst of the body throughout these pictures as properly, which could make Apple’s implementation of Twin Seize simpler than what we’ve seen from Samsung and different telephone makers. I may have seen Apple gatekeeping this function for the extra highly effective iPhone Air and 17 Professional fashions, but it surely’s good to see it on the vanilla entry. Much like selfies, it solely advantages Apple in case you’re utilizing your units extra to provide content material, and I may see Twin Seize footage turning into a giant deal on Instagram and TikTok.
Whereas Apple is conserving the iPhone 16 round at $699, it genuinely makes extra sense to leap straight to the $799 iPhone 17 for the entire causes talked about above. (However in case you discover a whole lot on a refurbished iPhone 16, that’s one other story. It’s nonetheless a really succesful telephone, and it’s appropriate with Apple Intelligence options as properly.) Apart from reducing the worth – one thing I don’t see Apple ever doing – there’s not a lot else the iPhone 17 is lacking. And for anybody who wants one thing extra trendy or highly effective, the iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Professional are proper there.
The one lacking gap within the iPhone lineup is a price range choice that’s cheaper than the $599 iPhone 16e – hopefully, that’ll be one thing a future iPhone 17e would possibly be capable of clear up.
