Every year, Apple’s ritual unfolds with religious precision: unveil the flagship Pro model packed with cutting-edge features, introduce an Air variant promising svelte design, and quietly update the base iPhone. This time, however, the iPhone 17 is quietly stealing the show, and might well be the smartest pick from the lineup.
While everyone chases the latest and greatest, and the tech world buzzes about the iPhone 17 Pro’s advanced camera array and the striking form factor of the iPhone Air, it’s the modestly priced iPhone 17 that arguably offers the best balance of performance, design, and value. Priced at ₹82,900 and available for pre-order, the iPhone 17 doesn’t feel like a compromise. On the contrary, for most users, it delivers exactly what they need, and then some.
The display has long been a key differentiator between base and Pro models. That gap has narrowed significantly this year. The iPhone 17 now boasts a 6.3-inch screen with Apple’s ProMotion technology, enabling an adaptive refresh rate up to 120Hz. What this means for you is that scrolling through social feeds, playing games, or simply navigating the OS feels fluid in ways previous non-Pro iPhones never managed.
More impressively, Apple has equipped the display with a peak brightness of 3,000 nits for excellent outdoor visibility and an always-on display feature. Scratch resistance has also improved significantly, courtesy of Ceramic Shield 2 with a new Apple-designed coating. In fact, Apple confirms that the display is identical to the one in the 17 Pro.
Storage, often a pain point for everyday users, has also seen a thoughtful upgrade. The base iPhone 17 now starts with 256 GB of storage, a meaningful increase over the 128 GB that was standard just last year. This change reflects Apple’s understanding of how much media and apps a modern user consumes, without having to shell out extra for a Pro model. The generous storage, combined with the ability to seamlessly handle the latest apps, makes the iPhone 17 an appealing choice.
The front camera now carries an 18-megapixel sensor with Apple’s eye-catching Center Stage tech. The system dynamically adjusts the field of view, allowing selfies and video calls to capture everyone in the frame without you having to awkwardly reposition the phone. It’s a modest but handy upgrade, elevating everyday usability and video call experiences.
Connectivity doesn’t fall short either. The iPhone 17 is equipped with Apple’s new N1 wireless networking chip, supporting Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread protocol for smarter device interconnectivity. Battery life sees an improvement too, promising up to 30 hours of video playback, compared to 27 hours on the iPhone 16 Pro.
True, the iPhone 17 lacks some of the more advanced features of the 17 Pro. The Pro still wins if photography is your obsession, thanks to its additional telephoto camera and the A19 Pro chip for superior performance under intense workloads. And for those who value the sleekness of the Air model, the thinner frame and lighter weight may be the clincher, although the Air’s massive rear camera bump is hardly subtle.
Yet for the average user—read as someone who checks social media, snaps photos occasionally, streams videos, and expects a snappy phone that doesn’t lag—the iPhone 17 fits the bill. It hits a sweet spot between affordability and capability, offering nearly all of the headline features of the Pro without the price tag or unnecessary extras.
There’s also something to be said about the psychology of choice here. Apple often makes customers feel compelled to reach for the Pro, even when the base models are perfectly adequate. This year, that calculus shifts. Unless your daily routine demands the extra camera precision, or you simply revel in having the absolute fastest chip in your pocket, or the latest launch in your hand to show off, the iPhone 17 emerges as the pragmatic choice. Or maybe you just really, really like Cosmic Orange (the author is guilty of this).
In an era when every tech release tends to raise the bar of consumer expectations, the iPhone 17 stands out by cutting through the noise. It makes a compelling argument that smartphones don’t have to chase novelty or gimmick to be excellent. Sometimes, they just need to get the fundamentals right.
Apple’s little sweeteners don’t hurt either. Leading credit card services such as American Express, ICICI Bank, and Axis Bank are offering an INR 5,000 cashback on pre-orders. That brings the entry price down further, making the iPhone 17 an even more attractive proposition for price-conscious users seeking reliability without compromises.
For Apple, the strategy seems clear. While they will continue to push users toward ever pricier flagship models, they’ve ensured the baseline iPhone is competitive, well-equipped, and sensibly priced so that it brings in those sitting on the fence or balking at the Pro lineup’s price. In doing so, the iPhone 17 doesn’t just serve the entry-level market; it sets the benchmark for what a well-rounded smartphone should be in 2025 (even if Siri is, amazingly, still garbage).
At the end of the day, the iPhone 17 is more than just the ‘budget’ option. It is arguably the most thoughtful choice in this year’s lineup. While some will still splurge on the Air’s form factor or the Pro’s extended battery life, camera prowess, and sheer orangey-ness, the base iPhone 17 stands tall as a remarkably balanced phone, ready to handle whatever a typical user throws at it. And it’s proof that sometimes, less is indeed more.
