Apple today unveiled the iPhone 17, featuring an improved display, a powerful camera setup and the new A19 chip. With optimized efficiency, more memory than ever before in the standard version and a robust Ceramic Shield 2, Apple is focusing on user-friendliness, durability and performance. The iPhone 17 should now offer significantly more for everyday applications, mobile photography or gaming.
- 6.3″ Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion and 3,000 nits brightness
- A19 chip with 6-core CPU and 5-core GPU for more performance and gaming
- New 48 MP camera systems + Center Stage front camera with 18 MP
- Ceramic Shield 2 with triple scratch resistance and reduced glare effect
New camera system with more details and flexibility
With the iPhone 17, Apple is significantly expanding the possibilities of mobile photography. For the first time, all rear cameras are equipped with 48 MP: The Fusion main camera offers an integrated telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom, while the new 48 MP ultra-wide-angle camera delivers four times the resolution of its predecessor. This means that both detailed close-ups and wide landscape shots can be captured with precision. The revised Photonic Engine significantly improves colors, contrasts and skin tones, complemented by the new “Bright” photo style, which makes portraits more vivid.
A special feature is the new Center Stage front camera with square sensor, which enables high-resolution 18 MP selfies for the first time. Thanks to AI-supported automatic alignment, it expands the field of view for group photos or switches between portrait and landscape format. Apple is also targeting creators on social media with functions such as “Dual Capture”, where the front and rear cameras record simultaneously. This is supported by ultra-stabilized 4K HDR video and features such as Dolby Vision, Cinematic Mode and Action Mode. Videos can be recorded with Spatial Audio, while Audiomix emphasizes voices and reduces background noise.
Display and robustness for everyday use
The new 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR display offers ProMotion with an adaptive frame rate of up to 120 Hz and is protected by Ceramic Shield 2, which, according to Apple, is three times more scratch-resistant than the previous generation. The display achieves up to 3,000 nits of brightness outdoors, making the iPhone 17 easy to read even in sunlight.
Another new feature is the optimized anti-reflective coating for less glare. At the same time, thinner edges and the always-on display ensure a modern look and feel. The housing itself has also been reinforced: with 85% recycled aluminum, it is not only resistant, but also more sustainably produced.
A19 chip: more power for AI and gaming
The iPhone 17 is powered by the A19 chip, Apple’s third 3 nm processor. With a 6-core CPU and 5-core GPU, it delivers more than double the graphics performance compared to older models. In addition to faster apps and smooth multitasking, gamers in particular benefit from hardware-accelerated ray tracing and optimized energy efficiency. Neural accelerators are integrated directly into the graphics cores and enable fast calculations for AI-supported applications from Apple Intelligence as well as generative models that can be executed locally on the device. This is complemented by the new N1 chip, which supports Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread.
In combination with intelligent energy management in iOS 26, the iPhone 17 achieves a battery life of up to 30 hours of video playback. The new Adaptive Power Mode learns usage behavior and automatically reduces energy consumption when the battery is running low. It is charged with Apple’s 40W Dynamic Power Adapter, which reaches up to 50 percent battery level in 20 minutes.
Software, connectivity and sustainability
The iPhone 17 comes with iOS 26, which brings many new features, including Apple Intelligence with live translations, visual intelligence for screenshots and better filters for messages and calls. Gamers will also have a central platform for all games with the new Apple Games app.
Apple is also setting new standards when it comes to connectivity. The iPhone 17 supports eSIM with over 500 mobile network providers worldwide, offering great flexibility and security – as the SIM cannot be physically removed. Apple is also increasingly focusing on sustainability: 30 percent of the materials are recycled, including 100 percent cobalt in the battery and 85 percent recycled aluminum in the housing.
Prices and availability
The iPhone 17 is available in five colors: black, lavender, mist blue, sage and white. It comes with 256 GB of storage as standard and is also available in a 512 GB version. Prices start at 799 US dollars (approx. 949 euros) or from 33.29 US dollars per month. Pre-orders start on September 12th, the devices will be available from September 19th.
