Product test
iPhone 17 Pro review: a no-nonsense upgrade
by Samuel Buchmann
iPhone 17 review: are my Plus days over?
30.9.2025
Translation: Elicia Payne
Pictures: Florian Bodoky
Apple’s iPhone 17 goes beyond expectations: more display power, better feel, and clever camera features. Anyone who thinks the basic model is a compromise will be proven wrong this year.
Apple took its time, but did it right: 120 hertz!
The resolution is 2622 × 1206 pixels. For a 6.3-inch screen size, that gives you a pixel density of 466 ppi. Texts appear razor-sharp, photos show fine lines and details. The LTPO AMOLED panel delivers rich black tones and a high contrast.
Don’t underestimate it: the surface feels great
When you pick up a device dozens of times a day, its feel is super important. For me, there’s quite an obvious difference to the Plus series. Even though the display of the base model has grown from 6.1 to 6.3 inches, it still feels smaller than my 6.7-inch iPhone 16 Plus.
The case of the iPhone 17 is made from an aluminium frame, and its front and back are made of tempered glass. Glossy finishes are a thing of the past. This back is matte, and I’m not sad about it because the device is less prone to fingerprints and offers noticeably more grip. The look and feel of the back is also nice.
Cameras just can’t match the Pro
Even when the main camera’s fitted with 48 megapixels (MP), the standard shot’s 24 megapixels – because of pixel binning. Here, four pixels are joined to make a larger one. This enables detail-rich photos with less noise, even in bad light. Tiny things like leaves, wood or similar are clearly recognisable. Colours are neutral too: a blue sky doesn’t turn turquoise and skin tones are authentic.
When it’s dark, the aperture of the camera automatically opens up to (f/1.6), capturing a lot of light. The shutter speed automatically increases, ranging from a quarter to one full second. Objects that move are very difficult to photograph. Still life, on the other hand, turns out well: the camera could capture lots of details in my lantern scene.
In complete darkness with only isolated points of light, the software even extends the exposure time to three seconds. With a tripod, the iPhone 17 almost becomes a night vision device: cracks in the asphalt, structures in facades, even stars in the sky become visible.
Vlog mode: dual capture for commenting on a video
During the day, the front camera takes razor-sharp selfies. With the 18 MP resolution, hair, skin structures and even small reflections in your eyes can be captured in great detail. Your face is clearly depicted, the software works in the background and adjusts something. Exposure time increases at night, the image becomes somewhat «noisier» despite the longer exposure time in night mode.
Nevertheless, the quality’s still good enough to rub your friends’ noses in beach pictures via WhatsApp or to make your Insta followers happy. Filming is also fun, especially the new dual-capture function. I can film my surroundings and myself at the same time in 4K and up to 30 fps. This is cool for vlogging or simply commenting on certain events. There’s no jerking and it doesn’t cut out.
My new favourite feature: horizontal selfies
If you take a selfie horizontally, it always requires a good deal of finger acrobatics. You have to hold the phone and press the button with one finger. But don’t apply too much pressure, otherwise the phone will shift. Now, you’re able to hold the device vertically in your hands and still take a horizontal selfie. All you have to do is press «rotate automatically» option, thanks to the square sensor.
A19: why choose a Pro? I don’t know
Where you’re more likely to notice a difference is in comparison with predecessor models. In the CPU Geekbench 6 benchmark, the iPhone 17 achieved 3,703 points in single-core (iPhone 16 Basic: 3265) and around 9,343 points in multi-core mode (iPhone 16 Basic: 7894). In the GPU test, the phone achieved 37,194 points (iPhone 16 Basic: 28;061).
Battery: lasts a long time, still charges a little slowly
Where Apple’s still hesitating and dithering is the charging speed. When using a USB-C power adapter, the device needed just under 100 minutes from 0 to 100 per cent in my test. It takes less than half an hour for the first half, while the iPhone takes longer for the second 50 per cent.
For the first time, wireless charging works with the Qi2 standard at a theoretical peak power of 25 watts. On classic first-generation Qi pads, it’s only 7.5 to 15 watts. So this is more for when you’re sitting at your desk all day and have your iPhone lying next to you anyway. The good thing about the Qi2 standard is that it has magnets in, so the iPhone sits firmly on the mat.
In a nutshell
Trust me, you want the standard iPhone
With the iPhone 17, Apple is demonstrating that «basic» by no means equals «downgraded». The new 120 Hz display is a real game changer – smooth, sharp, and so bright that you can still read everything, even in full sun. You also get nice extras like the always-on display or white point reduction. The feel is spot on: light, grippy, and finally free from fingerprints. The camera takes great photos during the day, is surprisingly fun at night, and brings a fresh breeze with dual capture or horizontal selfies. Thanks to the A19 chip, the smartphone runs like a Pro without the extra cost. The only drawback is that charging still takes a while. All in all, the iPhone 17 is a strong statement – you get a premium feeling without the «Pro» label.
Pro
- 120 Hz display
- Strong cameras with dual capture
- Solid battery
Contra
- Charging is quite slow
- Loading speed rather slow
Header image: Florian Bodoky
I've been tinkering with digital networks ever since I found out how to activate both telephone channels on the ISDN card for greater bandwidth. As for the analogue variety, I've been doing that since I learned to talk. Though Winterthur is my adoptive home city, my heart still bleeds red and blue.
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