iPhone 17: Everything you need to know
Apple has announced the iPhone 17 range, including the brand new iPhone Air model. The Air is the slimmest iPhone ever made.
Like Apple’s MacBook Air and iPad Air, the iPhone Air has slimness as its main selling point. At just 5.6mm thick, it’s over 2mm slimmer than the other handsets in the range.
Its 6.5-inch screen is only a fraction of an inch smaller than that on the iPhone 16 Plus that it replaces.
Other models in the iPhone 17 range follow in the footsteps of their predecessors. But improvements include better screens, better cameras and some design tweaks.
iPhone 17: Bigger, brighter, better
The base model of iPhone 17 is again probably the best option for most people. It’s smaller than the iPhone 17 Air, less powerful than the iPhone 17 Pro, and smaller and less powerful than the iPhone 17 Pro Max. But it has it where it counts, and is also the most affordable phone in the new range.
Its 6.3-inch screen is 0.2 inches bigger than the iPhone 16’s, and the same size as the iPhone 17 Pro’s. It’s also the first non-Pro model with a 120Hz refresh rate. A higher refresh rate means the screen is better able to react quicker to the information it’s fed in order to render images on screen quicker. That means less blurring during fast action like games, sports and action movies.
The 120Hz refresh rate is double the iPhone 16’s 60Hz.
It’s also the first non-Pro model with an always-on display. That means you can use your phone as a bedside clock using a compatible wireless charger, and not have to ‘wake’ the phone in order to see the time. It’s also handy for other at-a-glance notifications like email alerts and the weather.
The iPhone 17’s screen has a higher peak brightness than its predecessor, which should make it easier to read outside in bright sunshine.
It has the new A19 processor for more power, and extended battery life of up to 30 hours of video watching. It comes in five colours: Lavender, Sage, Mist Blue, White and Black.
The iPhone 17 starts at £799.
iPhone Air: Slimmer than ever
The iPhone Air is the newest member of the iPhone family. At just 5.6mm thick, it’s the slimmest iPhone ever, and over 2mm slimmer than the other handsets in the range.
Its 6.5-inch screen is only 0.2 inches smaller than the iPhone 16 Plus’ that it replaces. But like the other members of the iPhone 17 range, it has a 120Hz refresh rate (the iPhone 16 Plus’ was only 60Hz).
Amazingly, it has the same A19 Pro processor as the iPhone 17 Pro. Which should mean an absolute ton of power at your disposal.
There are some compromises, however. Because of the limited space, the iPhone Air has less battery life than its stablemates – 27 hours of video, compared to 30 hours for the iPhone 17 and 37 hours for the iPhone 17 Pro Max. It also only has a single rear camera, whereas the iPhone 17 has two and the Pro models three.
The iPhone 17 Air comes in four colours: Sky Blue, Light Gold, Cloud White and Space Black.
It’s more expensive than the standard iPhone 17. It starts at £999.
iPhone 17 Pro: More Pro than ever
Like its predecessor, the iPhone 17 Pro packs a lot of power into a device that’s not as supersized as the Pro Max variant. Its screen is the same 6.3 inches as its predecessor’s, and again offers a 120Hz maximum refresh rate.
It features the same Ceramic Shield back as the iPhone Air, which should make it more hardwearing. And it packs 31 hours of video playback before needing a recharge.
Inside is the new A19 Pro chip – the same as in the Pro Max and Air variants. And it has a new 48MP telephoto lens with an 8x optical zoom. That will get you closer to your subjects and offer more detailed snaps.
The iPhone 17 Pro comes in three colours: Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue and Silver.
Prices start at £1,099.
iPhone 17 Pro Max: The ultimate iPhone
As ever, the Pro Max variant is the biggest, most powerful iPhone in the range. This year’s model has a much better camera than last year’s. Its rear arrangement comprises three 48MP lenses for the first time – these are wide-angle, ultra-wide angle and telephoto lenses.
The boost in megapixels should make for clearer, crisper photos.
Its 6.9-inch screen is marginally bigger than its predecessor’s, and again has a 120Hz refresh rate (what Apple refers to as a ProMotion display). It also offers always-on technology, for at-a-glance viewing without compromising the battery life. And it has a marathon battery life of up to 37 hours of video playback – four hours more than its predecessor.
Its new design promises to make it more hardwearing than its predecessor while still enabling wireless charging. And it comes in new colours: Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue and Silver with a new camera bump design on the back of the phone.
As ever, the iPhone 17 Pro Max is the most expensive of the range. It starts at £1,199.
iOS 26
All four handsets run iOS 26, which is the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system. This has a new Liquid Glass look that makes everything look more shiny and see-through. It will also be consistent with the operating systems on Apple’s other gadgets like Mac computers and iPads.
It brings some new features that Apple announced back in the summer. These include the ability to ‘hold’ your place in a phone queue like customer services and then alerts you when it’s your turn to speak to them. It can even screen your calls for you, asking callers from unknown numbers why they are calling and using AI to decide whether to let them through or not.
iOS 26 will also come to older iPhones, so you don’t need to upgrade to get some of these features (though some features will only be available on the latest handsets).
iPhone 17: early verdict
Apple’s iPhones are often the standout smartphones of the year, and the iPhone 17 range looks like keeping that tradition alive.
As the newest member of the iPhone family, the iPhone 17 Air is the most exciting of the new range. But given its relatively high price, and shorter battery life, it might not be the most practical option for most people. There’s no doubt it’s a glimpse at the future, though – one day, all phones will be this slim.
On paper at least, the standard iPhone 17 stands up to the best phones around like the Google Pixel 10 and Samsung Galaxy S25. And the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max provide more power than most people will need – but that’s not stopped a lot of buyers in the past.
Stay tuned for a full review coming soon.
