iPhone 17 Review:Every September, Apple does its usual “we’ve reinvented the rectangle” dance. But this year, the confetti’s not just for the Pro crowd. The iPhone 17 (yes, the standard one) finally grows up and gets the glorious 120Hz screen it should’ve had three years ago.
As always, I’m joined by my overenthusiastic colleague, GennieGPT, ABP Live‘s in-house AI chatbot, who doesn’t use phones but sure knows how to drool over specs. I try to curb Gennie’s excitement with my takes and learnings from using the gadgets in real life and putting them through the hoops.
Let’s dive into this shiny slab of Cupertino engineering and see whether the hype, or Gennie, survives.
iPhone 17 Review: Quick Pointers
What Works:
- Finally, a 120Hz OLED display. Butter-smooth and bright
- Reliable dual 48MP cameras with upgraded ultrawide
- Excellent battery life (up to two days for regular users)
- Premium design and great build quality
What Doesn’t:
- Still no telephoto zoom
- Design barely changed
- Not as featherlight as the new iPhone Air
- Pricey for what’s technically “non-Pro”, I’d wait till sales hit
The 120Hz Awakening
✨ GennieGPT: “120Hz OLED screen! Finally! It’s like Apple just discovered motion blur was optional! So smooth, so shiny, so… Pro!”
Shayak:Well, well, Apple finally remembered what Android users have been bragging about since, oh, 2019. The 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR panel is indeed gorgeous, bright, vibrant, and fluid. Scrolling through Twitter (sorry, X) feels like gliding on silk.
And yes, the “ProMotion” tag is marketing fluff, but the execution is top-notch. It’s still funny how Apple calls something “new” when everyone else’s been doing it for years.
Still, credit where it’s due. It’s one of the best displays in the game right now.
✨ GennieGPT: “A19 chip! 8GB RAM! Super-duper performance! Apple says it’s faster than ever, so it must be true!”
Shayak:Gennie, if Apple told you it made water wetter, you’d believe it. But yes, I must admit that the A19 is absurdly fast. It smirks at multitasking, barely warms up under stress, and runs every app like it’s auditioning for a speed run.
For most people, it’s overkill, and that’s the beauty. You’re not buying the iPhone 17 because you need this power. You’re buying it so it’ll stay snappy four years from now when your Android friends are pleading for updates.
Design Déjà Vu, But Commendable Battery Life
✨ GennieGPT: “44 hours of battery life! Two days of non-stop Instagram and Taylor Swift reels! And it charges to 50% in 21 minutes! Genius!”
Shayak: Alright Swiftie, you need to calm down (see what I did there?). Yes, the battery life is impressive, solid two-day endurance for regular users. Apple’s silicon efficiency continues to be witchcraft.
The only sore spot? That 20W charging cap. In 2025, that’s practically medieval. Still, the USB-C transition makes life easier, especially when your iPad, MacBook, and even your friend’s Android phone all share the same cable.
✨ GennieGPT: “So sleek! Same legendary iPhone design refined! 7.95mm thin and 177 grams! Aluminium elegance, matte glass, Apple perfection!”
Shayak:You forgot “samey”. Because, yes, it looks exactly like last year’s iPhone 16, which looked like the 15, which looked like… I could go on.
That said, it’s still one of the best-feeling phones in hand, premium, sturdy, and beautifully balanced. The slimmer bezels make it feel fresh, even if your non-tech friends would ask, “Didn’t you already have this phone?” Pinches hard, certainly!
Camera:Familiar, Reliable, & Still No Zoom
✨ GennieGPT: “Dual 48MP cameras! 10x zoom! Center Stage selfies! Who even needs a Pro anymore?”
Shayak: You, apparently, need math lessons. The “10x zoom” is digital, not optical, so don’t expect moon shots. But yes, the iPhone 17’s camera system is comfortably excellent.
The main sensor is reliable in all lighting, the ultrawide upgrade brings sharper detail, and the new 18MP selfie camera handles group shots like a social butterfly. Portraits look cinematic, though low-light photos still flirt with grain occasionally.
But until Apple adds that telephoto lens, the iPhone 17 will remain the almost-Pro in the photo game.
✨ GennieGPT: “30% recycled materials! Greenest iPhone ever! Apple loves the planet!”
Shayak:True, though it’s hard to clap too loudly for a trillion-dollar company still selling chargers separately.
Still, credit where it’s due, the phone uses more recycled materials than ever, feels durable, and has one of the best longevity promises in the industry. Expect 5-6 years of updates before it starts feeling ancient.
iPhone 17 Review: Final Verdict
iPhone Air vs iPhone 17 stacked side-by-side. The vanilla model’s slim enough, but the Air stands out.
Apple’s iPhone 17 is the most quietly confident phone the company has made in years. It doesn’t try to shock you with gimmicks. It just nails the fundamentals.
The 120Hz screen? Finally here. The performance? Unbeatable. Battery life? Dependable. Cameras? Reliable, if not revolutionary. For once, the base iPhone doesn’t feel like a compromise: it feels like the one you’d actually recommend to your family without caveats.
Starting at Rs 82,900 for the 256GB model (and going up to Rs 1,02,900 for 512GB), the iPhone 17 offers a lot of flagship flavour without the Pro-level premium. The White variant I used for three weeks felt effortlessly elegant, and the new Lavender, Sage, Mist Blue, and Black options make it one of the best-looking iPhones in years.
If the iPhone 17 were a band, it’d be Coldplay: consistent, crowd-pleasing, and maybe a little predictable. Now that Chris Martin has announced that their 12th album (originally expected this year but now seems uncertain) would be the last before retirement, you can’t help but miss that able ‘predictability’ that Coldplay delivered every time they took to the stage. If iPhone 17 is the sign of things to come at Apple, where base models are concerned, I can’t wait to see what iPhone 18 has in store.
Should You Buy iPhone 17?
- Yes,if you’ve been waiting for Apple to finally give the base model a high-refresh screen and flagship stamina.
- Maybe,if you already have the iPhone 16, it’s an upgrade, but not earth-shattering.
- No,if you can’t live without a telephoto zoom or crave the flashy Pro look.
