Apple's iPhone 17 Is Official With A 120Hz Display, Massive Battery Life, And 256GB Of Storage

Apple on Tuesday hosted its annual iPhone event, with the iPhone 17 models being the obvious stars of the show. After months of rumors and leaks, the iPhone maker has confirmed most of the reports that floated online since the iPhone 16 launch, as it unveiled the four new iPhone 17 versions.

The iPhone 17 Air might have stolen the show with its incredibly thin profile, but the standard iPhone 17 model is undoubtedly a highlight of Apple's "Awe dropping" event. The base model might not have received a design makeover like the three more expensive iPhone 17 flavors, but it still got a few key upgrades this year, including the 120Hz ProMotion displays so many iPhone users have been asking for.

The best part about the base iPhone 17 model is that it still retails for the same $799 starting price as its predecessor. Considering the higher price tags of the iPhone 17 Air and iPhone 17 Pro models and the standard iPhone 17's upgrades, the base model might be the phone to buy this iPhone season.

The iPhone 17 features the same design as the standard iPhone 16. While the Dynamic Island hasn't shrunk, the bezels have. The OLED panel on the iPhone 17 measures 6.3 inches and supports 120Hz refresh rate just like the Air and Pro models, which means the refresh adapts automatically to the content you're viewing, going all the way down to 1Hz. On the back, the phone has a two-lens Dual Fusion camera module, featuring 48-megapixel and 12-megapixel sensors. The selfie camera got a big upgrade this year. It features a larger, square-shaped Center Stage sensor that lets you take landscape selfies while holding the phone in portrait mode. The photos go up to 18-megapixels. The Camera Control, Action button, and USB-C port complete the design story for the base iPhone 17 version.

YouTube

On the inside, there's a new A19 chip powering the iPhone 17 model. As expected, it's faster and more efficient than the A18 inside the iPhone 16. The iPhone 17 comes in  256GB and 512GB storage options, with the RAM likely set at 8GB. Apple will never mention memory tiers during iPhone events, but teardowns will probably confirm it. The storage upgrade is surely something buyers will appreciate.

YouTube

Apple will also not talk about battery sizes during iPhone launch keynotes, but it will detail battery life gains. The standard iPhone 17 will offer even better battery life than its predecessor thanks to the more efficient A19 chip and the larger battery. Apple says the phone will last 8 hours longer than the standard iPhone 16's 22 hours battery life estimate. Also notable is the wired charging speed upgrade. The iPhone 17 will reach 50% in just 20 minutes.

The standard iPhone 17 will be available to preorder on Friday, September 12th, starting at $799 for the 256GB version. The price includes the $30 carrier promo discounts. Buy the handset unlocked and you'll have to pay $829. The iPhone 17 will be available in Lavender, Mist Blue, Black, White, and Sage. The iPhone 17's release date is September 19. That's when the new iPhone 17 series will start selling in Apple retail stores and other locations, and when the preordered units will ship to buyers.

Apple will continue to sell several iPhone 16 versions alongside the four iPhone 17 versions: The iPhone 16e, iPhone 16, and iPhone 16 Plus.