The iPhone 17 Pro is the new hotness, but is it truly worth the upgrade? Here’s how I made my decision, as a former iPhone 14 Pro user.
As a former iPhone 14 Pro Max user, I still felt like my three-year-old iPhone gave me everything I needed when I traded it in for an iPhone 17 Pro Max late last year. Sure, it still had a Lightning Port and didn’t support Apple Intelligence, but I overcame those minor inconveniences by using a MagSafe charger and ChatGPT.
Truth be told, the Apple Intelligence features haven’t wowed me enough to justify spending $1,000 on a newer iPhone.
However, a few notable features, such as the improved camera array for group selfies and distant photos, an A19 Pro chip, and enhanced scratch resistance to beat the roughness of children and pets, made upgrading to the newer model well worth it — both for my family and my own sanity.
If you’re also wondering whether it’s time to upgrade from your now three-year-old iPhone 14 Pro, here’s how to decide. You should buy the iPhone 17 Pro if.
The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max appear to be exceptional tools for content creators. All three cameras on the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max have been upgraded to 48 MP, and the telephoto lens offers up to 8x optical zoom, which is the longest on an iPhone.
Apple also refreshed its front-facing camera to 18 MP and added support for Center Stage, which automatically frames your selfies. This uses AI to expand the field of view, enabling the inclusion of more subjects. The selfie camera’s sensor is also square, instead of having a 4:3 aspect ratio, allowing you to take selfies in either portrait or landscape mode without rotating your phone.
