One thing I’ve learned in my 17 years of reviewing phones for a living is that you can’t truly appreciate a device unless you spend time using it daily – and that’s exactly what I did with the iPhone 17. While my week of use managed to scratch the surface, using the iPhone 17 for over a month gives me a better understanding of what makes this phone a true upgrade to long term.
For example, I tested the iPhone 17’s new Center Stage camera against other top phone competitors. There are also the surprising results I discovered with my iPhone 17 vs. Pixel 10 head-to-head, like how the iPhone’s camera zoom performance compares to its rival. But there were also some disappointing things I encountered during this time. Now that I’ve spent a lot of time using Apple’s latest version as my daily driver, here’s what I really think of the iPhone 17.
120Hz refresh rate makes a huge difference
This is a long-overdue upgrade, but the 120Hz refresh rate now supported by the iPhone 17 display makes a huge difference. For years, Apple refused to give this treatment to its base flagship model, especially when the feature became more common among the best cheap phones on the market, like the Pixel 9a.
Scrolling through the interface on the iPhone is much more satisfying, as the higher refresh rate makes it look smoother. I tried using the iPhone 16 to test something, and it’s hard for me to overlook its jerkier movement. Once you go to 120Hz, you really can’t watch anything slower.
iOS 26 lock and home screen customizations
Even though Liquid Glass takes credit for a lot of things in the look and feel of iOS 26, I’m still blown away by the level of customization it offers with the Home and Lock screens. With the latter, I enabled photo shuffle to constantly change my lock screen wallpaper with my photos.
But what really brings my iPhone screen to life is how I turned on the depth effect to give my lock screen wallpaper that 3D effect. Plus, I like how the digital clock dynamically adjusts its size based on the wallpaper. These new additions all take the iPhone 17 to a new level of customization that makes it feel personal.
The main camera is a low-light master
Camera performance is arguably the area I look forward to the most when testing a new phone. While one could argue that the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max are more creator-friendly thanks to their triple-camera systems, I can tell you that the iPhone 17’s 48MP main camera performs just as well, especially in low light.
I’m always amazed by what the iPhone 17 can achieve in pitch darkness, as its night mode doesn’t need much time to gather in the light and make pitch darkness appear like day. I’ve put Apple’s phone to the test against other top camera phone competitors, including the Galaxy S25 and Pixel 10, but none of them come close to the low-light magic that is the iPhone 17.
Camera control could benefit from real camera controls
Apple has kept Camera Control’s functions unchanged since introducing the feature with the iPhone 16, which is disappointing because, like my colleague Tom Prichard, there are a lot of things I just don’t like about Camera Control. I shoot photos and videos professionally, but nothing drives me crazier than a dedicated button specifically for camera controls that doesn’t give me access to the actual camera controls.
Apple’s implementation relies on gestures to change zoom modes and levels. I understand how Apple wants camera control to be as simple as possible, but I wish there was another “pro” mode that could be unlocked to give me controls over things like shutter speed, ISO, aperture, and focus.
The latter is particularly annoying when trying to take astrophotography photos at night, as the camera is constantly trying to find the correct focus – rather than giving me control to set it manually.
A missed opportunity with Apple Intelligence
Nothing touches me more deeply than the fact that there are virtually no new Apple Intelligence features with the iPhone 17. I thought Apple would have at least revealed a few new tricks since the phone’s release, but there has been some zippo.
Apple’s competitors are ahead of it in every aspect of AI, from productivity-focused elements to AI tools for photo editing. The iPhone 17 doesn’t have the tools I need, like how the Pixel 10 can do complex photo edits when I just describe what I want using Ask Photos. Tools like this prove AI’s time-saving capabilities, which is something I can’t say about Apple Intelligence at this point with the iPhone 17.
The best value for money of any iPhone
Ask me a few years ago which model in the range offers the best value for money, I would have said something like the iPhone SE. But that changed this year with its spiritual successor, the iPhone 16e, given its higher price of $599. The iPhone 17 costs $799, but it’s still much better value due to the bigger upgrades, including a dual-camera system and that new Center Stage camera.
On the other side of the spectrum, there’s the $999 iPhone Air. While I’m fascinated by its ultra-thin build, everything else about the phone falls flat for me. I really wouldn’t pay more for the slim design and unique camera, I would much rather pay less and get more, as well as longer battery life.
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