Every iPhone 17 model compared: Should you buy the base model, Air, Pro, or Max?

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Apple's iPhone 17 lineup is officially here, bringing 4 caller devices to the table. As expected, the bid consists of upgrades to past models specified arsenic the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. But this procreation is shaking things up by introducing the iPhone Air -- a caller summation that Apple says is "the thinnest iPhone ever made." And for the archetypal clip successful respective generations, determination volition not beryllium a "Plus" model.

Also: How to wide your iPhone cache (and wherefore you should bash it earlier upgrading to iPhone 17)

Beyond the iPhone Air, the bid besides brings successful sweeping upgrades crossed the board. The iPhone 17 bid volition person higher-quality displays, greater wide performance, and refined camera systems for amended photography and video capture. Each of the 4 smartphones shares galore of these improvements; however, each 1 offers its ain distinctive features that let it to basal retired from the others.

Interested buyers person plentifulness of options. This raises the question: which iPhone 17 exemplary is close for you? The reply isn't straightforward since each instrumentality offers thing unique. So to chopped done each the noise, I've breached down the large features of each iPhone 17 option, highlighting the advantages they connection and explaining wherefore you mightiness privation to prime 1 implicit the others.

You should bargain the iPhone 17 if…

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1. You privation a ProMotion show without paying Pro exemplary prices.

For the archetypal time, Apple is bringing its ProMotion show exertion to a basal iPhone. This volition let the iPhone 17 to location a notably vibrant surface with an adaptive refresh complaint of up to 120Hz. A diagnostic similar this enables "supersmooth scrolling, immersive gaming, improved efficiency." Its solid is protected by Ceramic Shield 2, a caller diagnostic that provides amended absorption to harm and reduced glare. Another payment of ProMotion is that it has an adaptive refresh complaint of up to 120Hz.

Up until now, ProMotion was reserved for higher-end models. With this upgrade, the iPhone 17 is simply a large prime for radical who privation a premium viewing acquisition without needing to wage a premium price.

Also: Apple iPhone 17 Pro vs. iPhone 16 Pro: I compared some models, and present are the differences

2. You similar a accepted design

I'll get into this successful item later, but each different iPhone 17 exemplary has seen drastic changes to its design. The iPhone Air, for example, is incredibly thin, portion the iPhone Pro models present a "plateau" that houses important components.

If you privation the accepted iPhone plan of raised camera rings connected the backmost and sleek, contoured edges, instrumentality with the basal iPhone 17. It keeps the aged benignant that radical person grown to emotion implicit the years. Also, it's the aforesaid size arsenic the iPhone 16 Pro. So if you're utilized to the aged Pro model, the modulation to the iPhone 17 volition beryllium seamless.

You should bargain the iPhone Air if…

Apple/ZDNET

1. You privation the thinnest iPhone ever made

The iPhone Air is Apple's boldest plan determination successful years. It has an ultrathin smartphone, measuring conscionable 5.6 millimeters heavy -- astir a 3rd thinner than the iPhone 16 Pro. It is Apple's slimmest iPhone ever made and cleanable for anyone who values ultraportable devices. Despite its slim frame, the iPhone Air doesn't skimp connected the hardware due to the fact that the instrumentality comes with, not one, not two, but 3 chips inside.

Also: The champion iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, and iPhone 17 Pro cases you tin buy

You person the A19 Pro, a fast-performing 6-core processor. Then there's the N1, which is simply a "new Apple-designed wireless chip" enabling enactment for Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and the astute location modular Thread. Finally, the iPhone Air has the C1X, a "new cellular modem designed" to beryllium doubly arsenic accelerated arsenic the C1 and much vigor efficient.

2. You don't caput trading successful immoderate features.

To execute specified a bladed signifier factor, Apple had to gut immoderate cardinal iPhone features. The iPhone Air lone comes with a azygous rear camera, a 48 Fusion lens. This azygous camera lets users instrumentality photographs successful some 28mm and 35mm focal lengths, arsenic good arsenic sprout high-quality macro photos. It besides relies solely connected eSIM for cellular connection. You won't beryllium capable to insert your aged SIM paper successful the Air model. If you tin unrecorded with these sacrifices, the iPhone 17 Air provides a bully equilibrium of benignant and show that the others can't provide.

You should bargain the iPhone 17 Pro if…

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1. You privation precocious camera upgrades.

Every azygous exemplary nether the iPhone 17 umbrella has received important camera upgrades. For instance, each 4 person a caller Center Stage selfie camera. This upgraded lens houses a "square beforehand camera sensor," delivering a "wider tract of presumption and higher resolution" images. It adjacent lets you instrumentality scenery selfies without needing to rotate the smartphone horizontally.

Also: Apple iPhone 17 Pro vs. iPhone 16 Pro: I compared some models, and present are the differences

But the iPhone 17 Pro takes things adjacent further by lodging 3 48MP Fusion cameras for taking sharper photos and highly elaborate images. This is acknowledgment successful portion to the "updated Photonic Engine," which uses artificial quality to "preserve earthy detail, trim noise, and provide" amended colour accuracy. Additionally, Apple's smartphone houses a "new 48MP Telephoto camera" with a larger sensor for improving low-light photography.

2. You privation a caller design

Apart from a fewer plan tweaks implicit the years, iPhone Pro models person efficaciously looked identical since the iPhone 12 Pro. But for the iPhone 17 Pro duo, Apple has seen acceptable to present much important changes. Both the 17 Pro and Pro Max person a "brushed aluminum unibody," allowing the smartphones to beryllium lightweight and present amended thermal performance. Inside this framework is simply a vapor enclosure carrying de-ionized h2o to determination vigor distant from its A19 Pro processor. 

Around the backmost is simply a raised plateau providing other abstraction for cardinal components, including a bigger battery. Apple says the iPhone 17 Pro tin past up to 39 hours of video playback connected a azygous charge.

You should bargain the iPhone 17 Pro Max if…

Apple

1. You privation the champion imaginable performance

Like the iPhone 17 Pro, the iPhone 17 Pro Max runs connected the A19 Pro chipset, a almighty portion of hardware consisting of a 6-core CPU and a 6-core GPU with "Neural Accelerators built into each GPU core." Alongside these components is Apple's caller 16-core Neural Engine for powering AI models, delivering stunning graphical fidelity, and ensuring precocious frames. A spot similar this volition undoubtedly tally hot. Luckily, the iPhone 17 Pro Max has the aforesaid vapor enclosure arsenic the 17 Pro to support it cool.

Also: You tin preorder Apple's caller devices this week: iPhone 17, Watch 11, AirPods Pro 3 and more

Similar to the iPhone Air, Apple's flagship instrumentality houses the N1 networking spot to alteration enactment for Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread. Something that I didn't notation earlier is that the N1 improves the reliability of features similar AirDrop.

2. You privation the champion iPhone display

Out of the full series, the iPhone 17 Pro Max has the champion screen, boasting a monolithic 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR display. Support for Apple's ProMotion tech provides a velvety-smooth refresh complaint of up to 120Hz. Plus, the iPhone 17 Pro Max is overmuch brighter than the iPhone 16 Pro arsenic it present hits a brightness level of 3,000 nits, "as good arsenic 2x amended outdoor contrast." And again, conscionable similar the iPhone Air, the high-end smartphone has a surface protected by Ceramic Shield 2 for exceptional toughness.

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