Apple has officially unveiled the iPhone 17 – and while it might not look all that different, it’s a massive update for the entry-level iPhone.
Not only is the iPhone 17 larger than the iPhone 16, with a 6.3-inch OLED screen, but it also finally boasts a smoother 120Hz refresh rate that’ll make everything feel a little faster and more responsive. Throw in big camera upgrades, a new processor and even better battery life, and it sounds like the entry-level iPhone is more tempting than ever.
Here’s everything you need to know about the iPhone 17, from release date and pricing details to all the key features and specs of this year’s flagship.
Check out iPhone 17 vs iPhone 17 Pro to see how the two models differ, and we’ve also compared the iPhone 17 to the iPhone 14 to help you decide if it’s worth the upgrade.
iPhone 17 in summary:
- Bigger 6.3-inch screen with slimmer bezels and 120Hz ProMotion
- Ceramic Shield 2 protection
- Apple A19 chipset
- 8 hours more battery life than iPhone 16
- Upgraded dual 48MP rear cameras
- 18MP Center Stage Selfie Camera
- Pre-orders on 12 September, release on 19 September
- Starts at £799/$799
iPhone 17 release date and pricing
Apple confirmed at its launch event that the iPhone 17 is set to go up for pre-order this Friday, 12 September, with the phone due to go on sale next Friday, 19 September.
Despite rumours of a higher price tag, the iPhone 17 comes in at the same price as its predecessor, starting at £799/$799 with a boosted 256GB of storage.
iPhone 17 colours
The base model iPhone always offers more vibrant colour options than Pro variants, and that’s just as true with the iPhone 17. It’s available in five colour options, including Lavender, Mist Blue, Black, White and Sage.
iPhone 17 features and specs
While the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max sport a new look that synchronises well with the new iPhone Air, the regular iPhone 17 looks… well… familiar.
Look a little closer, however, and you’ll see a range of updates that add up to a pretty significant year-on-year change. It mainly centres around the screen; not only is it bigger at 6.3 inches and brighter at 3000nits with slimmer bezels to better match its Pro siblings, but it finally offers 120Hz ProMotion display tech.
This should allow the iPhone 17 to better compete with the Android competition, the vast majority of which have used 120Hz panels for years at this point.
It’s also more durable with Apple’s new Ceramic Shield 2 protection, with 3x better scratch resistance than the first-gen glass protection. Topping that off is a new seven-layer anti-reflective coating – similar to that of Samsung’s top-end Galaxy S25 Ultra – to reduce glare and distractions.
Flip the phone over and you’ll once again find a dual camera setup, though it has been upgraded to a dual 48MP offering comprised of a primary and ultrawide lens, with both boasting Apple’s ‘Fusion’ branding. This essentially means that the primary lens can double up as a 2x telephoto, and the ultrawide can handle macro shots pretty well too.
Arguably, the more interesting camera update happens on the front of the device. A new 18MP Centre Stage selfie camera replaces the outgoing 12MP module, but it’s more than a megapixel bump. Not only does it offer Apple’s Centre Stage tech, which keeps your face in frame at all times, but it also features a square sensor that allows it to take both landscape and portrait shots without rotating your phone.
Elsewhere, the iPhone 17 is powered by the A19 chipset that Apple claims is 20% faster than the A18 chipset in the iPhone 16, along with more AI-focused optimisations to make Apple Intelligence run faster.
With the combination of a battery-friendly screen and an efficient chipset, Apple has managed to squeeze an additional 8 hours of video playback out of the iPhone 17 compared to the iPhone 16, which should translate to a notable jump in battery life.
It should also charge faster with upgraded 40W charging support – Apple claims that this can deliver 50% charge in 20 minutes – and there’s also slightly faster 25W MagSafe charging too.
