Apple’s iPhone 17 lineup: a true generational leap with bold new Pro models 📱

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Apple likes to surprise — and this time, it went all in. The iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max completely rethink the Pro lineup’s identity, blending raw performance with refined design. The result? A smartphone built for 2025… and beyond.

A radical new look 🎨

For the first time in years, Apple is making a dramatic design shift. Titanium is out. In comes an aerospace-grade aluminum frame — and, more strikingly, a horizontal camera bar across the back, nicknamed “the plateau.”

It’s not just about aesthetics. Aluminum dissipates heat up to 20 times better, giving Apple’s new processors room to stretch without throttling. It also makes the phones lighter yet tougher. Add to that a fresh color palette — deep blue, cosmic orange, and silver — and this is Apple at its boldest in years

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Brighter screens, fewer compromises 🌞

On the display side, Apple’s pushing boundaries again. The iPhone 17 Pro packs a 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR panel, while the Pro Max goes up to 6.9 inches. Both feature slimmer bezels and a record peak brightness of 3,000 nits — the highest ever on an iPhone.

Durability also gets an upgrade with Ceramic Shield 2 on both front and back, now three times more scratch resistant. Apple claims it cuts glare significantly, a long-standing frustration for outdoor users and drop-test worriers alike.

Photography goes fully Pro 📸

Photography is where the 17 Pro lineup makes its biggest play. Apple has gone all-in on 48MP sensors across the board: wide, ultra-wide, and a new 8x periscope telephoto. Together, they span a focal range from 13mm to 200mm.

Selfies also get an upgrade with a new square 18MP front camera, enhanced by AI-powered group mode. And for vloggers, a “Dual Capture” feature lets you record with front and rear cameras simultaneously.

On the video side, the iPhone 17 Pro now supports ProRes RAW across the lineup, up to 8K at 60fps — a spec clearly aimed at professional creators.

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AI power meets all-day endurance ⚡

At the heart of it all is Apple’s new A19 Pro chip, built on a 3nm process. Every CPU and GPU core now integrates neural acceleration for real-time AI workloads, tuned for iOS 26 and the growing wave of AI-native apps.

Heat management has been rethought too, with a vapor chamber cooling system more akin to gaming laptops. The goal: sustained peak performance without overheating.

Battery life is another highlight — Apple promises up to 37 hours of video playback on the Pro Max. Charging speeds also jump: 40W wired, 25W wireless, plus reverse wireless charging for AirPods or an Apple Watch.

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Why aluminum, why now ?🛠️

So why walk away from titanium? According to Apple, aluminum frees up internal space and handles the thermal load of the A19 Pro far better. And while prices are climbing, Apple points to 256GB as the new storage baseline, next-gen camera tech, and “Pro-first” positioning as the rationale.

The message is clear: this isn’t a phone for everyone, but a precision tool for power users and creators who want no compromises.

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Pricing and availability 💶

Preorders open September 12, with shipping on September 19. Prices rise across the board:

• iPhone 17 Pro: €1,329 (256GB), €1,579 (512GB), €1,829 (1TB)
• iPhone 17 Pro Max: €1,479 (256GB), €1,729 (512GB), €1,979 (1TB), €2,479 (2TB)

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iPhone 17: the real generational leap? 🧬

The iPhone 17 marks a sharper break from the past than last year’s timid iPhone 16, signaling that Apple wants to pick up the pace again. The most obvious change: no more 60Hz displays. The standard 17 now comes with a 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR panel running at 120Hz with ProMotion, a peak brightness of 3,000 nits, slimmer bezels, and an Always-On mode — delivering a far smoother and more immersive experience than before. The design remains close to last year’s, but it’s thinner, tougher, and gains the same Ceramic Shield 2 coating as the Pro models, which Apple says is three times more scratch resistant.

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The cameras also get a serious bump: the ultra-wide lens now hits 48MP, and the selfie camera — a new square-shaped sensor with Center Stage — jumps to 18MP. It supports dual capture for vlogging and records stabilized Dolby Vision video at 4K/30fps. On the back, Apple refined the frame-to-glass transition for a sleeker, more premium hand feel. Storage now starts at 256GB, with the 128GB option gone for good.

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Under the hood, the iPhone 17 is powered by the A19 chip (though the Pro-exclusive A19 Pro remains a differentiator), with a beefed-up Neural Engine for AI tasks. Battery life is improved, charging hits 40W, and connectivity steps into the future with Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread support for smart home and AI integrations.

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All told, this is no longer a modest yearly refresh — it’s a genuine leap forward at roughly the same entry price as the iPhone 16, €969, or even less when you compare storage tiers.

The end of the iPhone Plus ❌

Apple is also shaking up its lineup in another way: the iPhone 17 Plus is gone, replaced by a brand-new model called the iPhone Air. The move reflects lackluster sales of every Plus variant so far, which never really found their place between the feature-rich Pro Max and the more affordable standard iPhone. The Plus was often seen as neither affordable enough nor premium enough. The iPhone Air is Apple’s answer: a slimmer, lighter model that leans on titanium design and portability rather than screen size. It aims to capture the middle ground with a distinct identity, instead of trying to stretch the Plus concept that never fully clicked with buyers.

With the iPhone 17 lineup, Apple is closing the gap between entry-level and Pro while reshuffling the family tree. The standard model finally gets a true generational leap with 120Hz displays and upgraded cameras, while the Pro models double down on raw power and creator-first features. At the same time, the death of the Plus and the birth of the iPhone Air show Apple tightening its portfolio, betting on clear, well-defined categories.

Apple’s message is clearer than ever: each device is built for a specific type of user — but compromises are disappearing from the equation.

So what do you make of this shift? Is the iPhone 17 finally a worthy upgrade, or do the Pros remain the real draw despite their rising prices? And do you see the end of the Plus as a smart strategic move — or a mistake? Let us know what you think.