Observe ZDNET: Add us as a most well-liked supply on Google.
ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Apple simply launched its iPhone 17 Professional.
- The brand new mannequin contains some engaging upgrades.
- I’ve had the 16 Professional for one 12 months, and may commerce it in.
Whereas most individuals select to attend a number of years earlier than upgrading their iPhones, that is a bit more difficult for tech aficionados like myself. I actually wished to carry out on upgrading my every day driver, the iPhone 16 Professional, however after watching the launch occasion and studying in regards to the latest iPhone 17 Professional launch in specs, I’m practically satisfied to make the improve.
Whereas the flashiest announcement from this week’s product launch is the extremely anticipated iPhone Air, the corporate’s lightest and thinnest telephone up to now, the iPhone 17 Professional acquired some vital upgrades that make it one to look at. With a refreshed design, daring colours, and under-the-hood upgrades, it is likely one of the most succesful iPhone fashions up to now.
Listed here are the three main causes I may half methods with my iPhone 16 Professional (with the final cause being my greatest motivator).
1. Digital camera upgrades
The most important cause to buy any of the Professional fashions is that you’re an avid photograph taker, reminiscence capturer, or content material creator, and want the superior digital camera system that these phons provide. This 12 months, that cause looms massive.
The iPhone 17 Professional and iPhone 17 Professional Max characteristic “Apple’s best-ever digital camera methods with higher-resolution sensors back and front – equal to having eight professional lenses in a consumer’s pocket,” in response to Apple. Let me break down the precise specs.
For the primary time, the three-camera array contains three 48MP Fusion cameras, together with the brand new 48MP Telephoto digital camera, which has a sensor that’s 56% bigger than the earlier era. This could contribute to sharper, crisper photographs in each lighter and darker environments, and assist it higher compete with smartphones that do notably properly with long-distance, such because the Google Pixel 10 Professional.
The declare that there are eight professional lenses in a consumer’s pocket comes from the truth that now they will flex between varied zoom ranges, for instance, 4x optical zoom at 100mm vs 8x optical zoom at 200mm (which Apple says is the longest on an iPhone). On the entrance, the iPhone 17 Professional additionally options an improve with Heart Stage, which provides it a wider visual field for group selfies and higher decision, as much as 18MP.
ZDNET’s Editor in Chief Jason Hiner did level out a possible pitfall: “All three iPhone 17 Professional cameras are actually 48MP and Fusion cameras, which means they’ve a number of efficient lengths. So the zoom digital camera is now 4x with an 8x ‘optical-quality’ zoom. Meaning Apple has really downgraded the optical zoom from 5x to 4x.”
Nonetheless, the brand new specs look promising, and you’ll actually solely understand how properly the digital camera performs whenever you use it, however my curiosity is piqued. Maintain a watch out for an in-depth digital camera system evaluate just like the one I did final 12 months for the iPhone 16 Professional.
2. Battery life
In yet one more daring declare from Apple, the corporate says that the iPhone 17 Professional has the very best battery life in an iPhone. Apple attributes this feat to the unibody design, which permits for the inclusion of a bigger battery, iOS 26 battery-optimizing options, and the brand new A19 Professional chipset. Whereas Apple does not provide the precise battery specs, the corporate says that the telephone helps 33 hours of video playback. By comparability, the iPhone 16 Professional gives as much as 27 hours of video playback.
Although I’m happy with the efficiency of the iPhone 16 Professional’s battery life, possible as a result of it has solely been a 12 months, I’m a textbook definition of what you’ll name an influence consumer. I’ll concurrently be on FaceTime, and enhancing a video, whereas toggling to a distinct window to reply texts. Even my bedtime routine contains hours of doomscrolling, and consequently, I can at all times profit from a greater battery.
3. Strictly aesthetics
Whereas I want I have been kidding, the brand new look and colours of the iPhone 17 Professional play a big position in my choice to improve. With this iPhone 17 lineup as a complete, it was refreshing to see Apple take extra inventive liberties. Whereas this was exemplified in its most original type issue, the iPhone Air, the iPhone 17 Professional reveals off this pattern too, particularly due to its extra enjoyable colours.
Whereas I’m not an orange particular person and personal not one ounce of orange in my wardrobe or equipment, the Cosmic Orange shade is totally gorgeous. As we mentioned within the workplace, the hands-on footage makes it evident that the colour is way much less of a visitors cone orange and far more of a copper-like shade. Even the Deep Blue shade, whereas much less eye-catching, remains to be a ravishing shade. Final 12 months, the three Professional fashions have been all totally different shades of neutrals, various between 4 very primary and boring colours.
There’s additionally a slight variation within the precise type issue. The digital camera bump extends throughout your complete prime of the telephone, just like that of the Google Pixel fashions. There’s additionally a two-tone panel on the again of the telephone, including some visible selection.
