At a special event this morning Apple revealed the new iPhone 17 and the super thin and lightweight iPhone Air.
iPhone 17 Pricing and Availability
Pre-orders begin this Friday, September 12th at 5:00 a.m. PT. The phones will ship a week later on Friday, September 19th.
The good news is that prices have not gone up from last year. On Apple’s site, you can now purchase an iPhone using financing from Apple or through special financing offers from carriers.
Meet The New iPhone Air
The iPhone Air is 5.5mm thin, weighs only 165 grams, and has all-day battery life.
Body – Lightweight titanium. Ceramic shield provides 4x more crack resistance and 3x better scratch resistance.
Display– 6.5-inch Super Retina XDR with ProMotion up to 120Hz. Best ever 3000 nits peak outdoor brightness. Always-On functionality.
Processor – A19 Pro. The fastest CPU in any smartphone.
Connectivity – N1 chip allows Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.
Cellular – C1X modem designed by Apple is even faster than the modem in iPhone 16 Pro, while using 30 percent less energy.
Front Camera – All-new 18MP Center Stage camera features a square sensor that lets users take photos and videos in portrait or landscape while holding their iPhone vertically. Center Stage also enables ultra-stabilized video in 4K HDR.
Rear Camera – Super-high‑resolution 48MP fusion camera for phenomenal detail. 2x optical-quality telephoto provides exceptionally clear images. Large quad-pixel sensors excel in low light. Equivalent focal length of 4 lenses – 26mm, 28mm, 35mm, 52mm.
Dual Capture – Users can record the front and rear cameras simultaneously.
eSim – No physical Sim card needed.
Color – Space Black, Cloud White, Sky Blue, or Light Gold.
iPhone 17
Display – 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR. 3000 nits peak outside brightness. ProMotion up to 120Hz. 7 layer anti-reflective coating gives 2x better outdoor contrast and 33% fewer reflections.
Processor – A19 delivers powerful performance, efficiency, and speed boost. 6-core CPU is up to 50% faster, and the 5-core GPU is more than 80% faster than the chip used in the iPhone 15.
Front Camera – Appears to be the same camera used in the iPhone Air that is described above.
Rear Cameras – Both rear cameras are 48MP for the first time. 48MP Fusion Main camera has an integrated optical-quality 2x Telephoto. 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide camera captures up to 4x the resolution compared to the previous generation.
4K60 fps Dolby Vision video with Cinematic mode and Action mode. Spatial Audio capture for immersive listening.
Connectivity – N1 chip allows Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.
Cellular – Faster 5G C1X modem designed by Apple.
eSim – Supported by 500 global carriers. Perfect for traveling.
Battery – All-day battery life. Up to 30 hours of video playback — eight more hours than the previous generation. Quick 10 minute charge gives you up to 8 hours of video playback.
Colors – Black, White, Sage, Lavender, and Mist Blue.
iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max
iPhone Pro includes almost all the features of the standard iPhone, with the following improvements:
Body – First aluminium unibody design maximizes cooling ability, battery capacity, and durability. Ceramic Shield makes the back of the phone 4x more resistant to cracks.
Display – Pro 6.3-inch and Pro Max 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR display is protected by a Ceramic Shield that provides 3x better scratch resistance and a 7 layer anti-reflection coating to reduce glare. ProMotion up to 120Hz. 3000 nits of peak outdoor brightness with 2x better outdoor contrast.
Processor – A19 Pro delivers up to 40 percent better sustained performance than the previous generation. 6-core CPU is the fastest CPU in any smartphone. 6-core GPU works in tandem with the new 16-core Neural Engine to power Al models, stunning graphics, and AAA games.
Front Camera – Uses the same advanced new design as the iPhone 17 detailed above.
All rear cameras are now 48MP fusion cameras for sharper, more colorful images, and better low light photography.
Main Lens – 24, 28, 35, and 48 mm focal length (1x/2x)
Ultra Wide Lens – 13 mm focal length (.5x/macro) – Capture incredible wide-angle shots, and try your hand at macro photography.
Zoom Lens – Longest iPhone Telephoto lens ever, with an equivalent 200 mm focal length. 56 percent larger sensor. Digital zoom is now up to 40x for photos.
Video – Pro video features include ProRes RAW and 4K 120 fps Dolby Vision.
Battery – Best battery life ever in an iPhone, providing up to 39 hours of video playback. Both models can charge 50 percent in 20 minutes
Why Bother Upgrading?
- Only the iPhone 15, 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max, and all 17 models can use Apple Intelligence.
- Articles online listing new and improved features of the iPhone 17, only factor in changes from the prior model. If you’re upgrading from an iPhone 12, you’ll have missed everything that came with the 13, 14, 15, and 16.
- Apple and phone carriers offer trade-in plans. In most cases, the longer you wait the lower the value of your old phone.
- If you like to take pictures, the increased resolution, and the 8x optical zoom in the iPhone 17 Pro Max may make an upgrade worthwhile.
