Apple’s new iPhone 17 is the best iPhone to buy this year! For years, buying a new iPhone meant facing a tough choice: do you save money with the “base” model and accept major compromises, or do you shell out an extra $300+ for the “Pro” features you really want?
In 2025, Apple has finally ended this dilemma.
The base model iPhone 17 is, without question, the best-value flagship Apple has ever released, and it’s the model you should almost certainly buy today. It’s not just a minor update; it’s a fundamental shift in the lineup, absorbing the most critical “Pro” features while holding its $799 price tag.
Here’s why the base iPhone 17 is the undisputed value champion.
1. The “Pro” Display is Finally on the Base Model
This is the upgrade we’ve been begging for. For the first time ever, the base iPhone 17 features:
- A 120Hz ProMotion Display: The single biggest reason to upgrade to a Pro model in previous years is now standard. The silky-smooth scrolling and fluid animations are transformative, and once you use 120Hz, you can never go back.
- Always-On Display: Thanks to the new LTPO panel, the base iPhone 17 also gets the Always-On display, letting you see your widgets and notifications at a glance.
- 3,000 Nit Peak Brightness: This screen is brighter than ever, matching the Pro models for outdoor visibility.
In previous generations, the 60Hz display on a base iPhone felt like a deliberate punishment for not spending more. With the iPhone 17, the display is no longer a compromise; it’s a truly “Pro” experience.
2. Double the Storage for the Same Price
The starting price for the iPhone 17 remains $799, the same as the iPhone 16. But there’s a huge catch (in a good way): the base model now starts with 256GB of storage, up from 128GB.
This is effectively a $100 price cut. In an era of high-resolution 48MP photos and spatial video, 128GB was becoming a bottleneck. 256GB is the comfortable, practical sweet spot for most users, and you no longer have to pay extra for it.
3. A Camera System That’s Pro-Grade in All But Name
The iPhone 17 Pro still has one more lens, but the gap in quality has never been smaller. The new dual-camera system on the base iPhone 17 is a powerhouse.
- 48MP Main Camera: A new, upgraded 48MP main sensor (ƒ/1.6) delivers incredible detail and low-light performance.
- 48MP Ultra Wide Camera: This is a massive leap. The ultra-wide lens is no longer a 12MP afterthought; it’s a high-resolution 48MP sensor that also enables stunning macro photography.
- 18MP Front Camera: The front-facing camera gets a major upgrade to 18MP with autofocus and the all-new Center Stage feature, resulting in far sharper selfies and group calls.
P.S. The new 18MP Center Stage camera brings significant improvements to video calling. Center Stage is Apple’s AI-powered technology that utilizes the camera’s ultra-wide lens and a large, square non-traditional sensor area to automatically track and frame subjects. This is the digital canvas the software uses to intelligently crop, pan, and smoothly follow you or zoom out to include another person, making group and single calls feel much more natural and engaging.
You also get the 2x “optical-quality” telephoto zoom by cropping from the main 48MP sensor. Unless you are a professional who needs a 4x or 10x periscope zoom lens, this camera setup is more than powerful enough for 99% of users.
4. What You Don’t Get (And Why It Doesn’t Matter)
The entire value argument hinges on the $300 price difference between the base iPhone 17 ($799) and the iPhone 17 Pro ($1,099). So, what does that extra $300 get you?
- A 48MP Telephoto Zoom Lens: This is the biggest difference. If you absolutely need long-range optical zoom, the Pro is your only choice.
- The A19 Pro Chip: The base 17 has the new A19 chip. The Pro has the A19 Pro. For real-world use like browsing, social media, and gaming, the standard A19 is already one of the fastest chips on the planet. You will not notice a speed difference.
- USB 3.0 Transfer Speeds: This is the Pro’s most practical, non-camera feature. It offers 10Gb/s transfer speeds over USB-C, while the base 17 is still on USB 2.0. However, if you use Airdrop, iCloud, and wireless charging, this is completely irrelevant.
For the average person, these features are simply not worth $300, especially not when the base model has finally fixed all of its historic compromises.
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The Verdict: The iPhone 17 is the New “Pro” for Most People
In 2025, the iPhone 17 is the new default. It’s the smart buy. It’s the “iPhone 16 Pro” for $200 less than last year’s model, but with a better chip and double the base storage.
By bringing the 120Hz ProMotion display, Always-On, and a 48MP ultra-wide camera to the standard model, Apple has created a device with no obvious flaws. The “Pro” model is now only for a tiny niche of photographers and videographers who need that specific telephoto lens.
For everyone else, the base iPhone 17 is the easiest recommendation in years. It’s the best-value flagship on the market today.
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