During the same trip that I tried the new iPhone Air, I also spent a few minutes with the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max.
The biggest difference from last year’s iPhone 16 Pro is the material and design.
Although the iPhone Air’s new design has received the most attention from media and consumers, my previous post mentioned it didn’t excite me much. The iPhone 17 Pro, however, feels noticeably better in hand. It’s not just lighter than last year — the curvature between the frame and back panel transitions more smoothly, making the phone more comfortable to hold.
As for the “new” aluminum, it’s well known to be less scratch resistant than titanium, while the new back glass should be more durable. Still, when I got to the store around 3 PM — about six hours after opening — many demo units already showed scratches, as if they’d been used for over a month.
I took two photos, and you can clearly see the scratches below.
Noticeable scratches (even on the lens) in just 6 hours on iPhone 17 Pro
The iPhone 17 Pro also upgrades the camera system with a more versatile front camera and a 4x telephoto lens with better low-light performance.
The new Center Stage front camera works great. It feels smoother than before, especially when more people are in the frame or when rotating the phone for a new angle. The transition is fast and smooth, more importantly, intuitive. It’s a meaningful upgrade that Apple delivered well.
At first, I thought the new Dual Capture video feature was tied to Center Stage and exclusive to the iPhone 17 series for that reason. I assumed the front camera would keep faces centered during recording. I was wrong. And that frustrates me — Apple limited this feature to the 17 series even though it shouldn’t perform worse on older iPhones.
The 4x telephoto on the back, in terms of zoom level, is actually a downgrade from last year’s 5x zoom. In the bright Apple Store lighting, you can’t really notice, but in tougher settings like concerts, I expect the improved low-light video will matter. I’ll wait for more in-depth reviews before forming a final opinion.
There are also a few internal upgrades — a faster processor and better heat dissipation — which sound good, but their real benefits will only show over long-term use.
Overall the iPhone 17 Pro is a bit boring this year.