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iPhone 17 No love for the base model?

Katvonc said:
I have a 15. I have been very happy. I couldn’t decide 16 or 17. I chose 17. Will be here between the 7 to 14. My husband has my 13 and I will gift my 15 to him. Trading in the 13. I can’t wait. I have my new case. One issue. I usually put a screen protector on but people are saying it cancels the no glare. Every screen protector I’ve had starts lifting. At $40 a pop it gets expensive. How is the 17 for screen scratches??
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Use a Spigen EZ fit screen protector. You’ll get 2 for around $20 and they last until they break without peeling off the screen. The one on my 13 is 2 years old and is still sitting perfectly. The previous one was on for around a year before it cracked after a fall & saved my screen.
 
If I didn't want that A19 Pro for gaming, I'll probably have bought the base 17 instead of struggling with Air VS Pro (Max). Try holding it in store and the weight is basically the same as the Air, with much better grip. I really think the Air's novelty will wear off in a couple weeks and owners will be left with an uncomfortably thin phone with worse specs.
 
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littlepud said:
I’m seeing relatively little discussion (here and elsewhere online) about the base model iPhone 17.

Seems like all of the hype and interest are around the Pros and the Air, even though the iPhone 17 has the most compelling overall package among base models in recent memory.
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At my local Apple store (not US or West) base 17s are out of stock and apple.com online order is showing 20 October delivery date. Every other 17 model is available both online and local store for next day delivery or same day pickup.
 
Andeddu said:
Use a Spigen EZ fit screen protector. You’ll get 2 for around $20 and they last until they break without peeling off the screen. The one on my 13 is 2 years old and is still sitting perfectly. The previous one was on for around a year before it cracked after a fall & saved my screen.
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Thank you. I will check it out.
 
Ctrlos said:
I thought the 16 was the best value iPhone Apple ever made so to see them cut the bezels, up the specs past the 16 Pro, add ProMotion, double the storage and boost the charging speed all whilst charging the exact same price as last year is pretty wild. I think the colours are better this year, notably the blue and green models.

The Air is a nice direction but still a little too large for me. I like the macro camera too much.

The Pro model is heavier and only really offers an extra zoom lens for the average user. Is that worth an extra £300?

The 17 is tremendous value and easily the best device in its class across the whole market, especially as Google de-buffed the base Pixel 10 with the cameras from the 9a and a lousy 5x sensor that relies on AI to make up the shortfall.
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Agreed fully… but…. Screens on the 17th are lacking basic qc standards… there is a thread here in MacRumors with proof of evidence. Owner of both 16 and 17 , the 16 has why crisper white and full uniform panel without any green or pink hue while tinting. Had to return the 17 cause the panel with the slightest tilt turned to green aggressively … in terms of specs yes is better but even the main camera to my eyes was identical. Swiss based comment without the upgrade of battery due to physical sim tray. In the store only the pro had uniform made panel.
 
For once I believe the base model 17 is the best buy for me. I don't need the fancy cameras and vapor chamber (I don't do heavy multitasking, nor am I a photographer) and the Air has too many compromises for its first generation.
 
On the contrary, lots of love for the base models. I read that regular 17s have sold extremely well, leading to Apple increasing production. And that is not cutting into Pro/ProMax share (which is a little niche).

On top of that, I think this year's lineup covers all basis with the introduction of Air which is genius.
 
throAU said:
Question to ask yourself is how many times have you used the telephoto camera on your phone
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I landed on the regular 17 because of this. I do occasionally want the telephoto, but at the end of the day the "zoom" on the regular still gets me the photo... Is it as good? No. But it captures the moment and gets the gist of the situation.
 
The greenish base model is gorgeous. Damn phone makes me all giggly
Image 4.jpeg
 
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Upgraded from an iPhone 11 to the green (sage, apparently) iphone 17 on Tuesday.

Looks like the photo in the post above!

I was brave enough to take this on a short trip the next day - brave, because all my train tickets were in the relevant apps and hence I needed the phone to work. Also brave as I have no case for it.

I now have AOD and used the Standby Mode in the hotel as a bedside alarm clock. It did turn the display off two or three times (AOD using Apple's private definition of "always"!) but banging the table to get it to come on again seemed to have eventually taught it to stay on.

I'll probably tire of it, as I notice most people don't use it, but I quite like AOD as I have my phone propped up and can see the time and notifications from a distance.

I'm still getting to grips with the new camera button. At first I had quite a few blurred photos but I've now turned off "AF/AE lock on light press" or whatever it is, which has helped. I'm not sure that the camera button is conducive to sharp photos though as it results in the phone bouncing down slightly. I may revert to just pressing the white dot as usual.

I would have liked the telephoto lens (and maybe LiDAR) but would rather save the money and weight. Plus, if I went Pro, I'd also take the opportunity to go bigger and get the PM.

iOS 26.1 is running well on it. No major issues.

tl;dr happy with my purchase.
 
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littlepud said:
I’m seeing relatively little discussion (here and elsewhere online) about the base model iPhone 17.

Seems like all of the hype and interest are around the Pros and the Air, even though the iPhone 17 has the most compelling overall package among base models in recent memory.
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Mine is great. Do not miss my brick 16 pro.
 
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I have yet to see the Sage version in real life, what’s the green like? Often with phone colours video and photos don’t represent an accurate appearance on the colour IRL.
 
I'm coming from a base 16 in Ultramarine. Best color. Amazing mix of weight, size, and power.

Next to me is a stack of new iPhones: Air in Black and Blue, Pro in Orange.

I tried them all. None are working for me. The Air came close but honestly, it just doesn't feel as good in my hand as the base 16/17. If I were coming from a bigger and heavier phone, the Air would have got me. But coming from a base 16, while I really do appreciate the thinness, it feels like I'm giving up a lot for an increase in screen size and that's really it.

The base 17 is really great. The biggest issue I have is that the few grams is seriously noticeable versus the base 16! I'm used to it now but going back to pick up the 16, it really is a big difference.

Having the little extra screen real estate, but especially the ProMotion screen, really makes the 17 feel fresh compared to the 16. I really couldn't be happier with the pick.

Sage is the best color IMO but I am absolutely heartbroken that I no longer have Ultramarine. Truly the best iPhone color ever. :)
 
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I have had Iphones since the 3. Always the base model in black as I always put a cover on it before I walk out the door. I wish they could put a no scratch screen on them. I should have mine in a week or so. I am loving the excitement over the basic 17. I appreciate all of thr comments on this thread. Thank you.
 
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Torn between the Pro in Cosmic Orange and the 17 in Sage.

I plan on keeping my next iPhone for 4 years so I have to make the correct choice. I have another 3-4 weeks to think about it anyway since no new iPhones are in stock in my area.
 
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JtheLemur said:
I'm coming from a base 16 in Ultramarine. Best color. Amazing mix of weight, size, and power.

Next to me is a stack of new iPhones: Air in Black and Blue, Pro in Orange.

I tried them all. None are working for me. The Air came close but honestly, it just doesn't feel as good in my hand as the base 16/17. If I were coming from a bigger and heavier phone, the Air would have got me. But coming from a base 16, while I really do appreciate the thinness, it feels like I'm giving up a lot for an increase in screen size and that's really it.

The base 17 is really great. The biggest issue I have is that the few grams is seriously noticeable versus the base 16! I'm used to it now but going back to pick up the 16, it really is a big difference.

Having the little extra screen real estate, but especially the ProMotion screen, really makes the 17 feel fresh compared to the 16. I really couldn't be happier with the pick.

Sage is the best color IMO but I am absolutely heartbroken that I no longer have Ultramarine. Truly the best iPhone color ever. :)
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I had the 17 for 3 days from a colleague of mine and I currently have the 16… I couldn’t find or justify the upgrade even if the screen seams as an upgrade… the reason ? Despite the fact of having 120hz the panel was so green without the natural white colour of the 16s panel … also the weight and also the camera wasn’t such a wow upgrade… I asked my Carrier because I have a really big contract and I can have the 17 for 90$ difference with exchange of my 16
 
Andeddu said:
Torn between the Pro in Cosmic Orange and the 17 in Sage.

I plan on keeping my next iPhone for 4 years so I have to make the correct choice. I have another 3-4 weeks to think about it anyway since no new iPhones are in stock in my area.
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In this case the Pro makes sense for the next 4 years, more so than the base model.
 
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