Once again, Apple dispatches its “Pro” iPhone into the world with the intent to not simply iterate, but to make a quiet statement: this is where flagship ambition goes next. The iPhone 17 Pro isn’t about flashy gimmicks — it’s about refinement, power, and polish. For users who demand the best camera, strongest performance and longest life from an iPhone, this model makes a compelling case — with a few caveats.
Design
The new iPhone 17 Pro model breaks a few familiar patterns. The titanium frame has bowed out, replaced by an aluminium unibody with Ceramic Shield 2 protection on both the front and the rear panel. The result is a phone that feels premium and fairly resistant to daily wear. The smartphone weighs about 204 grams but somehow feels quite dense. In hand, the aluminium frame feels smooth and sturdy, though the switch in materials brings a slight uptick in weight and width. It’s not unwieldy, but it’s noticeable if you’re coming from a lighter device. Of the three finishes — Deep Blue, Silver, and Cosmic Orange — that last one is the viral, bold, playful addition to Apple’s otherwise restrained palette. Although personally, I love the blue!
The full-width camera plateau across the back is another design shift, and it looks like it is here to stay!
The iPhone 17 Pro flexes its lenses, which include a triple 48 MP “Fusion” setup — wide, ultra-wide, and a new tetraprism telephoto
Multimedia
Apple continues to ace the multimedia experience. The 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR panel with ProMotion (up to 120Hz) and 3,000 nits of peak brightness is simply stunning to shoot outdoors. The new anti-reflective coating makes it much easier to use under direct sunlight, while colours stay rich and balanced without veering into over-saturation.
Audio performance is equally refined — the stereo setup delivers depth and clarity whether I’m binging Boots on Netflix or checking out an old 2000’s RnB playlist on Spotify. As far as daily entertainment goes, the iPhone 17 Pro nails the essentials.
Camera
Any iPhone worth its Pro tag isn’t going to disappoint with its camera prowess. The iPhone 17 Pro flexes its lenses, which include a triple 48 MP “Fusion” setup — wide, ultra-wide, and a new tetraprism telephoto. This combination ends up capturing some stunning, crisp colours in the daytime, and also overall performs decently in low-light conditions. The over-processing might be a bit more evident in snaps with compromised or limited lighting. And, stills taken with anything beyond 8x zoom start to get noise and soft in terms of the details captured.
Shooting while toggling through the different photographic styles is fun, somehow reminiscent of the early Instagram photo filter era.
The new 18 MP Center Stage front camera also deserves mention. The wider field of view, square sensor, and AI-assisted framing make group selfies and video calls feel smoother and more professional. Dual Capture, which records from both front and rear cameras simultaneously, is a neat, creative touch for vloggers and storytellers.
Tech Specs
The Apple iPhone 17 Pro features the latest A19 Pro chip, which performs like a powerhouse. The 6-core CPU, new GPU architecture with Neural Accelerators, and vapour-chamber cooling translate into a tangible performance bump. Apple claims it’s about 30–40 per cent faster in terms of output compared to the previous generation. Intensive tasks such as 4K video editing or graphics-heavy gaming feel smoother and more seamless.
The N1 chip brings support for Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread — meaning it’s future-ready for faster wireless networks and connected devices.
Battery endurance also gets a lift. I get almost a full day of use on the days I end up taking photos and videos as well, apart from streaming music and scrolling through videos!
One minor trade-off: the aluminium chassis might be conducting heat a bit more perceptibly than titanium did. I felt it at times while using the camera outdoors during the daytime, and also for a bit during the initial setup process.
New AI Features
Running on iOS 26, the iPhone 17 Pro debuts Apple’s new “Apple Intelligence” suite — its most ambitious AI integration yet. It’s built around the principle of being privacy-first, on-device processing rather than constant cloud dependence.
Live Translation works impressively in Messages and FaceTime, converting audio and text in real time. Visual intelligence lets you screenshot anything and instantly search or act on it. However, this still feels like the groundwork phase of Apple’s AI evolution. The tools are reliable, subtle, and designed for everyday convenience rather than flashy tech demos. If you’re expecting an AI assistant that radically changes how you use your phone, you’ll have to wait a generation or two! But if you appreciate seamless intelligence that quietly makes tasks easier — this delivers.
The refreshed “Liquid Glass” user interface design adds fluid transitions and depth to the interface without straying from iOS’s familiar simplicity.
Verdict
The iPhone 17 Pro doesn’t scream innovation — but it definitely glides into upgraded territory. It’s the kind of flagship that focuses on perfecting what already works rather than reinventing the wheel.
Upgrading from a three-year-old iPhone will feel like a leap: the display, the camera system, the battery, and the overall polish make it worth it. But if you’re coming from an iPhone 16 Pro or an Android premium phone from last year, the improvements may not feel significant.
Price:₹1,34,900 (256 GB)
Pros: Premium build, brilliant display, striking colour options, robust camera setup, powerful performance, base storage bumped to 256 GB
Cons: Expensive, AI features may not be of actual use to all
Published on November 12, 2025
