CALIFORNIA: Apple has formally unveiled its iPhone 17 range during the “Awe Dropping” event, bringing a blend of new designs, improved cameras, and additional power within.
The firm also came as a shock to many by not raising the price points too far above last year’s iPhone 16 handsets, rendering the new models particularly appealing for buyers looking to upgrade.
This year’s range has four models: the regular iPhone 17, the entirely new iPhone Air, and the top-of-the-range iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max.
In addition to the phones, Apple released new watches and AirPods, but the protagonist of the event was undoubtedly the iPhone range.
The iPhone Air, Apple’s thinnest phone yet at a mere 5.6mm, received the most applause. Built with a titanium frame and tipping the scales at just 165 grams, the Air is perceptibly lighter and thinner than other iPhones.
It has a 6.5-inch OLED screen and can power through up to 27 hours of video playback, just short of the standard iPhone 17’s 30 hours.
However, Apple made a bold move by equipping the Air with a single 48-megapixel main camera instead of the dual-camera setup found on the standard model.
The sacrifice seems to be deliberate, as the Air is being marketed as a slender lifestyle device over a photography beast. At $999, it usurps the position of last year’s Plus model but brings a slender build over a bigger body.
The standard iPhone 17 now features a bigger 6.3-inch screen with ProMotion support, offering smoother refresh rates up to 120Hz. It also receives a new redesign at the back, where the two cameras are now vertically stacked in an oval-shaped housing.
On the camera side, the upgrades are notable. The new device has a 48-megapixel ultrawide lens and an enhanced 18-megapixel selfie front camera.
Selfies receive a major upgrade with a new sensor that’s bigger, enabling people to take horizontal selfies without having to turn the phone around.
Under the hood, the iPhone 17 is driven by Apple’s A19 chip, which is both faster and more efficient than the A18 used in the iPhone 16. The base model also begins at 256GB of storage, doubling the starting point of last year’s model. Even with these improvements, prices don’t change at $799.
Apple’s most significant upgrades were in the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max. Both of these models now have the A19 Pro chip and a reworked cooling system with a vapor chamber to manage heat more effectively.
Apple says this enables 40 percent improved sustained performance compared to the Pro models of last year.
Cameras, too, have made a giant leap. Both Pro devices now feature enhanced 48-megapixel ultrawide and telephoto cameras, with the telephoto supporting up to 8x optical zoom at 12-megapixel resolution. Digital zoom extends up to 40x.
The front cameras, too, have been enhanced to 18 megapixels with better “Center Stage” technology that ensures the subject remains within the frame.
The Pro Max continues to be the biggest, with a 6.9-inch screen and the longest battery life in the range at up to 39 hours of video streaming.
Storage capacities now extend as far as 2TB on the Pro Max, though that model incurs a sizable $2,000 price. Base prices for the Pro are $1,099 and for the Pro Max at $1,199.
Apple has revamped the colour scheme throughout the line. The iPhone 17 is available in lavender, light blue, dark grey, silver-white, and green.
The Air is seen in light blue, gold, black, and white. The Pro and Pro Max, however, are seen in white, dark blue, and a vibrant bright orange.
All the models feature brighter displays that max out at 3,000 nits for easier outdoor visibility. A new Ceramic Shield 2 coating provides added strength, and even the Pro models receive tougher glass-ceramic backs.
All iPhone 17 models come with iOS 26, bringing a new “Liquid Glass” redesigned interface, a new Camera app, a clearer lock screen, and a cleaner look on central apps like Safari, Photos, and Music.
Apple’s collection of AI apps under the “Apple Intelligence” banner also follows on, although there were no fresh AI-related announcements this year.
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