This photo of the iPhone 17 Pro Max in Cosmic Orange was taken with the telephoto lens on an iPhone 17 Pro Max. Jason Hiner/ZDNET
The idea of "tyranny of choice" says that having a set of good choices is supposed to let everyone find exactly what makes them most happy, but the reality is that having so many good choices can often lead to anxiety, indecisiveness, and discontent. If we apply this concept to the iPhone 17 lineup, then Apple is quite the tyrant this year.
After all, the base model iPhone 17 is more pro than ever and offers the best value-for-money in 2025. The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max have addressed the two biggest weak spots of last year's Pro models. And the iPhone Air gives you a chance to use tomorrow's technology today.
Also: I tried Apple's 2 big AI features announced at the iPhone 17 event - and both are game changers
I've upgraded my iPhone every year since the first iPhone in 2007 and I've spent hands-on time with all four of this year's iPhone models. And yet, my buying advice this year is wildly different than any other year in the past. And there are several reasons why.
Let's unpack it by looking at each of the product lines, as well as who I'd recommend as the ideal upgrader for each one.
The $799 iPhone 17 suits more people than ever
Do not sleep on the base model iPhone 17 this year. In recent years I mostly relegated my recommendations of the base model iPhone to kids, teenagers, first-time iPhone users, and people who just needed a phone that would work because their old phone had a cracked screen or a battery that wouldn't hold a charge -- and they wanted to limit how much they spent on a phone.
Not so this year.
The fact that Apple poured so many upgrades into the iPhone 17 was the surprise of the 2025 Apple Event for me. First of all, Apple finally did a major facelift to the iPhone 17's screen technology, kicking it up to 6.3-inches (from 6.1 last year) with thinner bezels, 120Hz ProMotion display, 3000 nits of peak brightness, an anti-reflective coating, and an always-on display.
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