Apple Releases the New iPhone 17 Series

Note: The iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max were unveiled on September 9th, 2025 at the annual Apple Event, and will be available for preorder on Friday, September 12, 2025.

September is an exciting time of the year if you’re an iPhone fan, since that’s when the details of the new models are announced. This year, that’s the iPhone 17, a follow up to the popular, if not especially groundbreaking, iPhone 16 series. 

Apple says this new iPhone 17 series is the most powerful lineup of devices yet—they say that every September—and this year’s phones do offer some interesting firsts. Namely, a more powerful 18MP “Center Stage” selfie camera on all of the new phones, and the introduction of the remarkably thin iPhone 17 Air. 

But that’s not all. In this article, we’ll break down the notable new features offered across the series, to help you decide whether it’s worth springing for the upgrade. 

Apple iPhone 17 Air

The rumors of a thin new iPhone model were all but confirmed in the months leading up to the release of the iPhone series, but the actual unveiling of the new iPhone 17 Air revealed some interesting details about the device. 

Namely, that its thinness belies its durability. Apple claims the iPhone 17 Air is its most durable phone yet, encased as it is in a ceramic shield. It’s also remarkably light at 162 grams, undoubtedly earning its “Air” moniker. 

As one of the market leaders in smartphone manufacturing—the other being Samsung—Apple has a tendency to inspire a lot of imitators. It will be interesting to see whether some of the competing phone makers follow suit in building lighter, thinner phones. 

Battery Life Upgrades

As a long-time iPhone user, I’ve suffered through many generations of iPhones offering middling to poor battery life. So it’s encouraging to hear that Apple has supercharged its new lineup with the longest-lasting battery life so far. 

The iPhone 17 promises an impressive 30 hours of uninterrupted video playback before requiring a charge; the iPhone 17 Pro ups this to an incredible 39 hours. It remains to be seen whether these stats match reality, but there'll surely be no shortage of YouTubers testing the devices in the coming weeks and months. 

Center Stage Front-Facing Cameras

Each of the new iPhone 17 models comes equipped with a versatile and powerful 18MP “Center Stage” front-facing camera. This lens offers square formatting as opposed to the standard 4:3 aspect ratio typically found in selfie cameras. This orientation will not just lend itself to better-looking photography from the front, but more natural-looking videos, FaceTime calls, and Zooming. 

Again, where Apple goes, the industry tends to follow, so don’t be surprised if other phone manufacturers follow suit with their own selfie cameras. 

Supercharged Rear-Facing Cameras

Apple is a longtime leader when it comes to camera technology, but the iPhone 17 takes things to even greater heights—and in the case of the iPhone 17 Pro, perhaps even rivaling real, dedicated camera equipment. 

The standard iPhone 17 features dual 48-megapixel sensors, while the Pro lineup offers a triple 48MP Fusion lenses and an 8x optical-quality zoom. Apple called it “like carrying eight lenses in your pocket,” and for once, the marketing feels earned. Videographers get new dual-capture modes and Dolby Vision at 4K60—tools that would’ve seemed absurd in a phone just a few years ago.

Richer Displays

While Apple’s never exactly been a slouch when it comes to the displays in its iPhone models, the recent phone releases from Samsung (the Galaxy S25 series) and Google (the Pixel 10 series) have pushed display brightness and brilliance to unbelievable heights. 

Apple has tried to follow suit with the new iPhone 17 series, as all four models (the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max) feature rich Super Retina XDR screens that offer up to 3,000 nits of peak brightness. If true, this actually exceeds the brightness levels offered from both the Samsung S25 and Google Pixel 10. 

Storage Adjustments

There’s nothing worse than running out of storage on your phone—this is something I’m living with my iPhone 14 Pro—and Apple has aimed to alleviate that by upping the storage thresholds in the new iPhone 17 series models. Namely, the standard iPhone 17 starts at 256GB instead of 128GB, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max is available in a massive 2TB variant. Of course, the latter of these models is insanely expensive at $1,999. 

Apple iPhone 17 Prices

When the Trump administration announced tariffs earlier this year, the thought was that consumers would feel the pinch in the form of higher-priced electronics, including Apple products. 

The standard iPhone 17 model, thankfully, is priced identically to last year’s iPhone 16. However, the iPhone 17 Pro costs $100 more than the iPhone 16 Pro did with a starting price of $1,099. The iPhone 17 Air, meanwhile, starts at $999. 

Here are the full list prices at launch for all of the iPhone 17 models: 

The Bottom Line

The iPhone 17 series sees Apple doing what it does best—improving on an already pretty stellar smartphone. The new iPhone 17 devices offer better cameras, better displays, faster processing, and different storage options than the iPhone 16 series. What’s more, Apple has introduced an intriguingly thin new model to its lineup, the iPhone 17 Air, designed to appeal to those who favor a more pocket-friendly handset. 

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the iPhone 17 available?

The iPhone 17 is available for preorder starting Friday, September 12, 2025, at 5 a.m. PT. It officially launches on Friday, September 19, 2025.

What are the standout features of the iPhone 17?

The iPhone 17 boasts a 6.3-inch OLED display with a 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate, a 48MP dual fusion rear camera system, and an 18MP front camera with a larger square sensor. It's powered by the new A19 chip and includes Apple's in-house N1 networking chip, supporting Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread.

How much does the iPhone 17 cost?

The iPhone 17 starts at $799 for the base model with 256GB of storage. Apple is offering trade-in discounts, with up to $700 off when you trade in an iPhone 13 or newer, regardless of condition.