The iPhone 17 is a smartphone developed by Apple and announced on September 9, 2025, with initial retail availability beginning September 19. It succeeded the standard iPhone 16. Its principal changes included a larger display with ProMotion adaptive refresh rates, an A19 processor, a 48-megapixel ultrawide camera, and an 18-megapixel Center Stage front camera. The standard iPhone 17 is distinct from the separately named iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max models. (apple.com)
Design and display
The iPhone 17 has an aluminum enclosure, a glass back, and a Ceramic Shield 2 front cover. It measures 149.6 × 71.5 × 7.95 millimeters and weighs 177 grams. Its five finishes are black, white, mist blue, sage, and lavender; storage configurations are 256 GB and 512 GB. (support.apple.com)
The 6.3-inch OLED display, marketed as Super Retina XDR, has a resolution of 2622 × 1206 pixels at 460 pixels per inch. ProMotion supports adaptive refresh rates up to 120 Hz, while the always-on display can reduce its refresh rate to 1 Hz. Apple specifies peak outdoor brightness of 3,000 nits, rather than a brightness maintained under all conditions. Dynamic Island provides an interface around the front sensor area for alerts and ongoing activities. (apple.com)
The device carries an IP68 dust- and water-resistance rating, tested at a maximum depth of six meters for up to 30 minutes. This is a laboratory rating, not a guarantee of permanent waterproofing: resistance can decrease with wear, and Apple excludes liquid damage from its standard warranty. (support.apple.com)
Processing and software
The A19 chip incorporates a six-core central processing unit, with two performance cores and four efficiency cores, a five-core graphics processing unit, and a 16-core Neural Engine. It supports hardware-accelerated ray tracing and includes neural accelerators in its GPU cores. (apple.com)
The phone launched with iOS 26, Apple's mobile operating system. That release introduced the Liquid Glass interface and additional Apple Intelligence capabilities. These included live text and audio translation and visual intelligence functions for searching or acting on screen content. Apple Intelligence encompasses generative artificial intelligence features, but individual functions depend on language, region, and software version. (apple.com)
Cameras and imaging
The rear camera system contains two 48-megapixel cameras: a main camera with sensor-shift optical image stabilization and an ultrawide camera supporting macro photography. The main camera also supplies a 12-megapixel, 2× view described by Apple as “optical-quality.” This is a capability of the main camera rather than a separate rear telephoto camera. (apple.com)
The 18-megapixel front camera uses a square sensor. Its Center Stage functions can widen or reorient the framing for group selfies and keep subjects positioned during video calls. It permits landscape selfies while the handset remains vertically oriented. Video features include 4K Dolby Vision recording at up to 60 frames per second and Dual Capture, which records the front and rear cameras simultaneously. (apple.com)
Connectivity and controls
Apple's N1 wireless chip provides Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread networking. The phone also supports 5G cellular connectivity, ultra-wideband positioning, and NFC. Cellular bands and service availability depend on the regional model and carrier. The United States model uses eSIM rather than physical SIM cards. (apple.com)
Physical controls include a configurable Action button and Camera Control. The USB-C connector supports charging and DisplayPort output, but wired data transfer remains limited to USB 2 speeds, up to 480 megabits per second. (apple.com)
Battery, charging, and materials
The built-in lithium-ion battery is rated by Apple for up to 30 hours of local video playback or 27 hours of streamed playback. With a suitable 40-watt-or-higher adapter, Apple's testing indicates charging to 50 percent in approximately 20 minutes. MagSafe and Qi2 wireless charging support up to 25 watts. Actual endurance and charging times vary with usage, settings, accessories, and environmental conditions. A USB-C cable is included, but a power adapter is not. (support.apple.com)
According to Apple's launch environmental disclosures, recycled materials account for 30 percent of the device's mass, excluding packaging and supplied accessories. Reported material figures include 85 percent recycled aluminum in the enclosure and 100 percent recycled cobalt in the battery. The packaging is entirely fiber-based. (apple.com)
References
- Apple debuts iPhone 17 — Apple (GQ)apple.com
- iPhone Archive — Appleapple.com
- iPhone 17 — Tech Specs — Apple Supportsupport.apple.com
- iPhone 17 — Technical Specifications — Apple (CA)apple.com
- Apple debuts iPhone 17 — Apple (UK)apple.com
- iPhone 17 — Technical Specifications — Appleapple.com