Should you upgrade your iPhone?

The transition from the iPhone 15 to the iPhone 17 signifies a major two-year advancement in performance, display technology, and AI integration for Apple's standard smartphone series. The iPhone 15 introduced features like the Dynamic Island and a 48MP camera, providing a solid starting point, while the iPhone 17 enhances this foundation with more "pro" features in the base model. Notable improvements include a significantly brighter 120Hz ProMotion display, a faster A19 chip, upgraded ultra-wide and selfie cameras, and full access to Apple Intelligence.

Table of contents

1. The display: A brighter, smoother viewing experience

   
   

2. Performance and software: A19 chip and Apple Intelligence

   
   

3. Camera system: Sharper photos and advanced features

   
   

4. Battery and charging: Longer life and faster speeds

   
   

5. Design: Subtle refinements and a new action button

   
   

6. The final verdict: Is the upgrade worth it?

The display: A brighter, smoother viewing experience

Perhaps the most noticeable upgrade for users coming from the iPhone 15 is the display.

• ProMotion comes to the base model: The iPhone 17 finally brings ProMotion technology with a variable refresh rate of 1-120Hz to the standard model, a feature previously exclusive to the Pro series. This results in significantly smoother scrolling and a more responsive feel, especially during gaming. The iPhone 15 was limited to a standard 60Hz display.

• Brighter and better visibility: Outdoor viewing is dramatically improved on the iPhone 17 . Its peak outdoor brightness reaches up to 3,000 nits, compared to the iPhone 15 's 2,000 nits. The new model also features a seven-layer anti-reflective coating to further reduce glare.

• Always-On Display: The iPhone 17 introduces the Always-On display feature, showing users at-a-glance information without having to wake the device. This is made possible by the 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate.

• Slightly larger screen: The screen size has increased slightly from 6.1 inches on the iPhone 15 to 6.3 inches on the iPhone 17 , with thinner bezels for a more immersive, edge-to-edge look.

  
  

Performance and software: A19 chip and Apple Intelligence

Two years of chip development bring a notable performance boost, particularly concerning AI capabilities.

• New A19 Bionic chip: The iPhone 17 is powered by the A19 chip, built on a more efficient 3nm process. This provides a significant speed jump over the iPhone 15 's A16 chip, making multitasking and graphically intensive apps much faster.

• Full Apple Intelligence support: The iPhone 17 offers full integration with Apple Intelligence, the company's suite of on-device AI tools. Due to hardware constraints, the

  iPhone 15 can only access a limited set of these AI features. Features like Writing Tools, Genmoji, and advanced visual search are fully unlocked on the iPhone 17.

• Increased RAM and storage: The iPhone 17 comes with 8GB of RAM, up from 15's 6GB, and a higher starting storage capacity of 256GB, compared to the iPhone 15 's 128GB base model.

  
  

Camera system: Sharper photos and advanced features

The iPhone 17 significantly upgrades the ultra-wide and selfie cameras, enhancing photo and video capabilities.

• Upgraded ultra-wide camera: While both phones have a 48MP main sensor, the iPhone 17 upgrades the ultra-wide camera from 12MP to 48MP. This allows for sharper and more detailed ultra-wide shots and improved macro photography.

• Improved selfie camera with Center Stage: The front-facing camera sees a bump from 12MP to 18MP. It also introduces the Center Stage feature, which uses AI to keep you in the center of the frame during video calls, and a wider, square sensor for capturing more in horizontal selfies.

• Dual Capture video: The iPhone 17 can simultaneously record video with both the front and rear cameras.

  
  

Battery and charging: Longer life and faster speeds

• Longer battery life: Thanks to a new stacked battery design and the A19 chip's efficiency, the iPhone 17 provides a noticeable boost in battery performance. Apple rates it for up to 30 hours of local video playback, a significant increase over the iPhone 15 's 20 hours.

• Faster charging: Wired charging speed has increased from 20W on the iPhone 15 to 40W on the iPhone 17 , while MagSafe wireless charging is now 25W, up from 15W.

  
  

Design: Subtle refinements and a new action button

• Thinner bezels and slightly larger screen: The iPhone 17 features slimmer bezels and a 6.3-inch screen, up from the iPhone 15 's 6.1 inches.

• Action button and Camera Control button: While the iPhone 15 brought the USB-C port and the iPhone 16 introduced a Camera Control button, the iPhone 17 includes both features, along with the customizable Action button that arrived on the iPhone 15 Pro series.

• Dynamic Island remains: The Dynamic Island notch remains for housing the front camera and Face ID sensors.

  
  

The final verdict: Is the upgrade worth it?

For those who own the iPhone 15, the iPhone 17 provides compelling reasons to upgrade. The display represents a significant advancement, incorporating the popular ProMotion and Always-On features into the base model. The performance enhancements from the A19 chip and the addition of comprehensive Apple Intelligence support make the phone more capable and future-ready. Along with notable improvements in the camera system and battery life, the iPhone 17 offers a more premium and powerful experience that fully justifies the two-year technological leap.