iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are reportedly already selling exceptionally well. Despite personally opting for the iPhone Air, the 17 Pro’s success is no surprise to me. Why? Because Apple’s three top new features are exactly what users have been asking for.
#1: Best battery life ever
Ask the average person what improvements they want from their smartphone, and almost certainly battery life will be near the top of the list.
The iPhone has become an essential tool for most of us. Increasing usage, and more powerful (and power-draining) apps mean battery life gains are always a crowd-pleaser.
But this year, Apple didn’t just slightly bump battery life: it brought huge increases.
Here are Apple’s estimated video playback times:
iPhone 16 Pro: 27 hours
iPhone 17 Pro: 33 hours
iPhone 16 Pro Max: 33 hours
iPhone 17 Pro Max: 39 hours
Apple’s Pro Max models have always been king in the battery department. But somehow, Apple managed to make this year’s 17 Pro match (and even exceed, per other metrics) the battery performance of last year’s 16 Pro Max.
The Max got bested by the smaller Pro. It’s very impressive.
Which of course means the iPhone 17 Pro Max reaches exceptional heights of its own. The Pro Max isn’t my model of choice this year, but I can only imagine how incredible that battery life will be.
#2: Truly new and distinct design
iPhone designs have been mostly stagnant for a long time. This year that’s changed in a big way. Joining the new iPhone Air, Apple has brought noteworthy design changes to the iPhone 17 Pro too.
Ever since the iPhone 11 Pro debuted the first triple-camera array in 2018, iPhone designs haven’t changed too much. There was the shift to flatter sides with the iPhone 12 line, and the addition of titanium in iPhone 15 Pro. Plus ever-increasing camera bumps, of course.
In many ways though, it’s been hard to spot “the new iPhone” out in the wild for years.
This year, the iPhone 17 Pro is going to be hard to hide.
By opting for bold, more limited colors in the iPhone 17 Pro—especially Cosmic Orange—and launching the new camera plateau, alongside material and size changes, the new iPhone looks like a brand new iPhone.
It’s hard to match the swaying power of a new visual design in motivating upgrades. And Apple delivered on this front in a big way.
#3: Camera upgrades that will make a real difference
Apple always makes the iPhone cameras better. But many years, those changes can be more niche in their usefulness.
For example, Apple has regularly added new camera modes—especially video improvements in recent years—that I simply never use. And the recent upgrades to 48MP sensors haven’t always brought users gains that are easy to identify.
But with the iPhone 17 Pro, the new camera system includes:
the Center Stage front camera, which should prove very popular
a new Telephoto camera with 4x and 8x zoom, and best-ever digital zoom
and improvements to the now-‘Fusion’ Ultra Wide lens
There are several smaller, more niche improvements too. But the above changes, especially the upgraded front camera, should offer meaningful every day benefits for users.
iPhone 17 Pro’s top features: wrap-up
Battery life, design, and cameras are all extremely important to the average iPhone user. Two of these three are why the new iPhone Air may struggle to take off with users initially.
Fortunately though, Apple is offering Pro users a trio of strong feature improvements that should make the iPhone 17 Pro a hit. The Air may tempt some, but for most users I suspect the iPhone 17 Pro will prove a very enticing upgrade.
Are you upgrading to the iPhone 17 Pro? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments.
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