The iPhone 17 lineup has something for everyone

This looks like one of the more significant generations in some time

Another year, another iPhone event. But the iPhone 17 line’s introduction was one of the more significant in some time, with Apple making major hardware changes that look to have resulted in a competitive, highly differentiated lineup.

The higher-end models will grab most of the headlines, but some of the biggest upgrades have come to the base iPhone 17, as well as new features that apply across the entire range. I would not have considered using an iPhone 16 as my daily driver, but the 17 looks like a great buy for $799.

The top upgrade is ProMotion, or 120Hz variable refresh rate, which enables smooth on-screen motion that’s impossible to go back from once you’re used to it. Apple first introduced it on the iPad Pro before bringing it to the iPhone and MacBook Pro, but a high refresh rate has long been table stakes for Android phones that cost well below the iPhone 17, so its introduction at this level is both overdue and welcome. The feature uses LTPO screen technology, which also enables an always-on display on the 17.

Other upgrades for the iPhone 17 include a 48-megapixel ultrawide camera, in line with the Pro models. Storage on the base model has also been doubled to 256GB without a corresponding increase in price.

The whole iPhone 17 lineup is getting new features that trickle down to the base iPhone 17. Charging speeds have been boosted, the Ceramic Shield 2 glass promises to be sturdier, and the screen has an anti-reflective finish. The addition that will get the most use is undoubtedly the new 18-megapixel Center Stage selfie camera, which uses a square sensor to intelligently switch between portrait and landscape photos without you needing to physically rotate the phone.

While the iPhone 17 might not be all that exciting, I think I’d be fine using one as my main phone, which I couldn’t have said about its predecessor. Apple has ticked off a lot of boxes here, making the iPhone 17 much more competitive with similarly priced devices like the Google Pixel 10.