Review · Apple
iPhone 17 Review: 2025 Phone of the Year, and the Easiest Recommendation in Years
The iPhone 17 won Phone of the Year at MKBHD's 2025 Smartphone Awards — and it's earned it. ProMotion 120Hz on the base model, finally. The A19 chip. Real Apple Intelligence. At $799, it's the lowest-friction phone recommendation in years, and the best value in Apple's lineup since the iPhone 13.
By SmartphoneAwards Editorial · Published · Updated
Pros
- Phone of the Year at MKBHD's 2025 awards — and rightly so
- ProMotion 120Hz is finally on the base iPhone — long overdue
- $799 starting price is unchanged from the 16
- Best long-term software support in the industry
Cons
- No telephoto lens — must step up to the Pro for that
- Camera ceiling lower than the 17 Pro and Oppo Find X9 Pro
- Still 60Hz on the cover-screen visualization features (minor nit)
- Storage starts at 128GB — should be 256GB at this price
Why it won Phone of the Year
MKBHD's 2025 Phone of the Year award called out three things: 'finally got ProMotion 120Hz, improved cameras, and Apple Intelligence — the most complete iPhone in years.' Having lived with the 17 for four months, that's right. The 16 always felt like a deliberately gated product to push you to the Pro. The 17 doesn't — it's the iPhone Apple should have shipped two years ago, and at the same price. The practical effect: 95% of buyers who would have stretched for the Pro can stay on the standard 17 and not feel like they're missing anything important.
Display & Design
6.1-inch ProMotion OLED, 1–120Hz adaptive, ~1,800 nits typical / 3,500 nits peak. Scrolling iOS 19 at 120Hz on the base model still feels like a cheat code after three years of 60Hz fatigue. Industrial design is unchanged from the 16 — same aluminum frame, same thickness, same camera bump.
Performance
A19 (not Pro) chip with 8GB RAM. Day-to-day the 17 feels indistinguishable from the 17 Pro for typical apps — only sustained gaming or ProRes editing reveals the gap. Apple Intelligence runs locally for most features; iCloud Private Compute handles the rest. iOS 19 is mature, well-tested, and feels predictable.
Camera
Dual-camera system: 48MP main + 12MP ultrawide. No telephoto. For everyday photography — kids, food, daylight portraits — the 17 produces images that are 90–95% as good as the 17 Pro at $300 less. Where the gap shows: low light, indoor portraits, and zoom (you're entirely on digital crop). Video is 4K60, no ProRes. If you don't shoot video professionally and don't crop tight, the 17 is enough. If you do, step up to the Pro.
Battery & Charging
We averaged 6.5–7.5 hours of screen-on time with mixed use. Charging is unchanged: 20W wired, 25W MagSafe. Battery is the only spec where the 17 still trails the Pro meaningfully (roughly 1 hour less in our tests).
Verdict · 5.0 / 5
The iPhone 17 is the easiest, most boring, and most correct iPhone recommendation in years. MKBHD calls it Phone of the Year and we agree: at $799, it's the highest-value iPhone since the 13. Buy this one and stop reading reviews — unless you specifically need the telephoto, ProRes, or the marginally better battery of the Pro.
🛒 Buy the iPhone 17 on AmazonAlternatives to consider
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the iPhone 17 worth it over the iPhone 16?
Yes — the 17 adds ProMotion 120Hz, a faster A19 chip, and full Apple Intelligence at the same $799 starting price. The 16 (now discounted) is still a great phone if you're price-sensitive.
iPhone 17 vs iPhone 17 Pro: which should I buy?
Buy the 17 unless you specifically need: telephoto camera, ProRes video, longer battery life, or are an iOS creator. For the other 90% of buyers, MKBHD's Phone of the Year (the iPhone 17) is the right pick at $300 less.
How long will the iPhone 17 be supported?
Apple typically supports iPhones with 5–7 years of major iOS updates. The 17 should receive iOS through approximately 2030–2032, plus security updates beyond that.
How we rate
Our editorial score is anchored to outcomes from MKBHD's annual Smartphone Awards (2014–2025), then refined for everyday usability. Phone of the Year winners earn 5/5; category winners 4.5/5; runners-up 4/5; otherwise we score on merit. We earn a commission on purchases via our retailer links — at no extra cost to you.