When Apple announced its new iPhones as usual this autumn, the iPhone Air was the attention-grabber: slim, light – everything that you wanted in an iPhone – but with some sacrifices too, such as battery life.
But the iPhone 17 Pro has plenty going for it, too. It has had a bit of a redesign, both on the inside and the outside, which makes it stand out from last year’s Pro models.
It has a brushed aluminium unibody design and Apple has upgraded its Ceramic Shield protection. Not to forget the new A19 Pro chip that powers the whole thing, which Apple says is also more power-efficient.
After a more extended test, the iPhone 17 Pro has cemented its place as my favourite iPhone. There is the excellent camera, easily the best in the line-up, even if there isn’t as big a leap as from the previous generation as you might hope.
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And there is the improved battery life, helped in no small part by Apple’s new thermal management system for the iPhone 17 Pro series, which ensures your device won’t get uncomfortably hot even when you put it under serious pressure. It enhances heat dissipation through a sealed chamber that contains deionised water to help move the heat away from the chip and into the aluminium unibody. That then distributes the heat more evenly, so you can hold the phone comfortably, even when it is working hard.
[ iPhone Air review: Apple promises a lot but can it deliver?Opens in new window ]
The unibody design not only helps to manage the heat, but also gives Apple a little more space for a larger battery. Win-win.
That thermal management system really comes into its own when you are putting the phone under serious pressure, such as playing games that call for a lot of power. Apple has put a lot of emphasis on the 17 Pro’s prowess here, with advanced graphics capabilities such as hardware-accelerated ray tracing.
Will you notice a huge jump between the 16 Pro and the new version? Last year’s model was powerful enough, but those upgrading from earlier models will certainly see a jump.
Other than that, Apple has improved things across the board. The display is brighter than before, with the 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR screen getting peak brightness of 3000 nits. So when you are outdoors, you are more likely to be able to see the device clearly.
The Pro model also comes with Apple’s advanced ProMotion display, with up to 120Hz refresh rate for buttery-smooth scrolling.
The 17 Pro also upgrades the screen protection to Ceramic Shield 2, with the rear of the phone getting Ceramic Shield. It is designed to minimise scratches, if you decide not to cover your phone in a protective layer, and also cut down on glare. It isn’t something we have to worry about too often in Ireland, but we do get the occasional sunny days that may test the limit of the display.
The camera has always been the Pro model’s standout feature, giving people a compelling reason to upgrade from the standard iPhone, and the iPhone 17 Pro is no different.
[ Apple’s new iPhone software is here. So what does it do?Opens in new window ]
The camera system is a 48 megapixel triple camera, using Apple’s Fusion technology to give you the equivalent of eight lenses. The optical zoom for the full sensor tops out at 4x; the 8x option is an “optical-quality” zoom that crops the centre of the 48-megapixel sensor to create an 8x zoom with a 12-megapixel resolution. I was a little sceptical, but its results are impressive – clear and detailed.
The front camera is an 18-megapixel Centre Stage that keeps you properly framed for video calls. I’ve been using the technology on the iPad for some time, and more recently on the MacBook. Given how often meetings are held over video these days, Centre Stage is a logical addition to the iPhone.
That selfie camera can also take photos and videos in portrait or landscape without having to rotate the phone awkwardly; the front-facing camera has a square sensor with a wider field of view. It’s a small change but a useful one.
Aside from the impressive still images you can get with an iPhone, the video capabilities are also noteworthy. The Pro models have always pitched at a higher-end market, using Dolby Vision HDR recording, 4K footage at 120 frames per second and support for ProRes Log. The new iPhone 17 Pro supports ProRes RAW, Log 2, and genlock, which is a technique used to synchronise video across multiple cameras and inputs.
Most people won’t even touch the sides of this particular capability, but it is useful for those who want to shoot professional quality footage on the phone.
Good
The new camera gets you even closer to the action, with an 8x zoom, and a selfie camera that makes it easier to record group shots. It also supports more pro-level video technology.
Battery life is better, and the thermal management system makes the phone less of a hand warmer than its predecessors.
Bad
No real difference between the Pro and the Pro Max, bar the size, so the price difference may see the smaller phone suffer in demand.
Everything else
Apple has added a new colour, with the 17 Pro now coming in an eye-catching orange.
The battery life may have been improved, and using a higher-wattage USB C power adapter – Apple sells a 40W dynamic power adapter – can get you to 50 per cent in 20 minutes.
Verdict
The iPhone 17 Pro may not have the instant wow factor of the iPhone Air, but it earns its price tag.
