PLANNING TO BUY IPHONE 17 OR 17 PRO?

Here are our thoughts and recommendations.

- RAKESH KUMAR @ New Delhi

APPLE introduced four new iPhone models at its annual launch event in Cupertino on September 9.

The company unveiled the iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Notably, Apple replaced its traditional 'Plus series' with the new iPhone Air, which it calls its thinnest iPhone ever. We used the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro for more than ten days.

iPhone 17

The base, but the best

Apple launched the iPhone 17 in India for a starting price of ₹82,900. Yes, it is slightly more expensive than its predecessor, the iPhone 16, but it comes with double the storage - 256GB compared to last year's 128GB on the base model.

One of the standout features during our usage was the new A19 chip, built on 3-nanometer technology.

This chip makes the iPhone 17 faster, more power-efficient, and capable of handling heavy tasks with ease. Throughout our testing, the phone ran smoothly without any performance issues. The camera performance is another area where the iPhone 17 shines - more on that below.

Design and display

Design-wise, there's not much difference compared to the iPhone 16. It looks almost the same, but Apple has made small improvements, including the new Ceramic Shield 2, which is said to offer three times more scratch resistance.

Now, let's talk about the display. Apple has finally added a 120Hz refresh rate, which makes scrolling, animations, and gameplay super smooth - something users have been requesting for a long time.

It features a 6.3-inch OLED display with HDR10 and Dolby Vision support, and a resolution of 1206 x 2622 pixels (~460 ppi). You'll notice lifelike colors and crisp detail when watching videos or gaming. The screen also offers a 90.1% screen-tobody ratio, meaning it feels immersive but still compact and comfortable to hold.

Performance