Apple’s new iPhone 17 includes two headline improvements for its mainstream line: a ProMotion display that finally offers a 120Hz refresh rate on the basic model, and a meaningfully improved front-facing camera centered on a bigger sensor.
Coupled with a new design and speedier silicon, it’s easily a more ambitious update than the year-over-year tune-up that’s become the norm.
ProMotion arrives on the standard iPhone
Apple had kept high-refresh displays as a Pro-only perk for years. The iPhone 17 changes that tradition with a 6.3-inch panel that seamlessly adjusts up to 120Hz for smoother scrolling, more responsive gameplay and clearer motion rendering across the board. Variable refresh also aids in power consumption by scaling back when static content is on the screen.
Its peak brightness is rated at 3,000 nits, which should help out with high-falutin’ readings in direct sun and help those specular highlights pop in HDR video. Independent testing labs such as DisplayMate have directly correlated increased APL brightness and accurate tone mapping with better outdoor legibility for many years, so there’s more riding on this spec than it might sound like for real-world use.
A smarter, bigger selfie camera
That front camera gets a significant boost. Apple says the sensor is almost twice the size of last year, along with a higher megapixel count and a wider field of view. In real-world terms, the size of the pixels and the amount of glass usually translate to cleaner low-light selfies, less noise and better subject separation for bokeh effect portraiture.
Autofocus and face detection are a staple of recent iPhones, but the additional sensor space should help the group selfie and video calls in mixed lighting in particular. As the imaging analysts at DXOMARK has demonstrated time and time again, bigger sensors lead to better signal-to-noise ratios and texture retention—two factors where front cameras traditionally tend to struggle.
Sleeker design and twin 48MP rear cameras
Apple has also redesigned the camera housing, adopting a wider, horizontal island that visually de-emphasizes the bump and provides space for improved optics. On the rear, the iPhone 17 combines a 48MP wide with a 48MP ultrawide, for higher-resolution snaps and more fine detail in your crops, meaning no need for a dedicated telephoto.
Colorways are muted but fresh — Lavender, Mist Blue, Black, White and Sage. The palette skews toward modern, minus the candy gloss of previous generations, and looks good with the sophisticated camera shelf and flatter lines.
Core specs and real-world impact
The iPhone 17 is powered by Apple’s A19 chip coupled with 8GB of RAM, with onboard storage available in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB options. Battery size is mentioned as 3,600mAh. So milliamp-hours aren’t the whole story, but adaptive refresh on the iPhone combined with Apple’s power management should lead to more consistent all-day endurance, especially for heavy messaging and social feeds.
Software-wise, iOS 26 brings a visual refresh Apple is calling Liquid Glass—more muted translucency, smoother transitions and iconography that sticks together better. Core apps such as Photos and Phone boast cleaner interfaces, and Apple Intelligence functionality is more deeply integrated across the system for on-device assistance, image suggestions and more contextual actions — all without funneling as much data to the cloud.
Why this update matters
Mainstreaming ProMotion is the tipping point so many potential buyers have been waiting for. Counterpoint Research has also reported a steady rise of 120Hz adoption among midrange Androids and Apple’s move finally eliminates a key longstanding gulf which made cheaper rivals feel smoother day to day. For gaming, touch input synchronized to a higher refresh can minimize perceived latency, something competitive titles such as Call of Duty: Mobile and Genshin Impact are already harnessing.
The selfie improvement is just as practical. Front cameras are used far more often than most rear lenses for video calls, creator content and social posts. It’s the sort of behind-the-scenes change that pays dividends without any learning new stuff — clearer faces, more natural skin tones, steadier exposure in tough indoor lighting.
Early take
If you’ve skipped a couple of upgrades and waited for the standard iPhone to feel “Pro enough,” the iPhone 17 finally ticks the big boxes: a high-refresh display, brighter screen and more competent front camera, along with a reimagined camera island and updated software. Testing from independent labs and reviewers are still required to fill in the fine print — namely, color accuracy, sustained brightness and low-light performance — but on paper this is the most meaningful base-model refresh in years.
