All four iPhone 17 models are now on sale, and I’m sure that many people have already jumped on the chance to grab the best iPhone for their particular needs. But I’m also guessing that many people are also wondering whether it’s time to upgrade to an iPhone 17. And that’s a question I can help with.
iPhone 17 reviews
What do we think of the latest iPhones? Check out the Tom’s Guide reviews of each model.
Sometimes, upgrading or not is an easy call. Your phone is broken or hopelessly outdated or you just want the latest hardware whenever it comes out. But if you’re like me, you try and hold on to your phone as long as possible, making sure you get every last bit of use out of it. For folks like us, upgrading is a question of whether a new device truly offers a big leap forward or if we’re better off trying to hold on for at least one more year.
With that in mind, I’ve gone through the past four years of iPhone models to list what kind of improvements you can expect should you jump to one of the new iPhones. (If you’ve still got a 2020-vintage iPhone 12, take it from me as a long-time iPhone 12 owner: you’re better off upgrading.) We’re focusing on hardware changes here, since all the older iPhones on this list can upgrade to iOS 26 and enjoy most — though not all — of the new features that software update brings to the table.
iPhone 17 specs: How the four new models compare
|
iPhone 17 |
iPhone Air |
iPhone 17 Pro |
iPhone 17 Pro Max |
|
|
Starting price |
$799 / £799 / AU$1,399 |
$999 / £999 / AU$1,799 |
$1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,999 |
$1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,199 |
|
Display |
6.3 inches |
6.5 inches |
6.3 inches |
6.9 inches |
|
CPU |
A19 |
A19 Pro (5-core GPU) |
A19 Pro (6-core GPU) |
A19 Pro (6-core GPU) |
|
Storage |
256GB, 512GB |
256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB |
|
Rear cameras |
48MP main, 48MP ultrawide |
48MP main |
48MP main, 48MP ultrawide, 48MP 4x telephoto |
48MP main, 48MP ultrawide, 48MP 4x telephoto |
|
Front camera |
18MP |
18MP |
18MP |
18MP |
|
Colors |
Lavender, Sage, Mist Blue, White, Black |
Sky Blue, Space Black, Cloud White, Light Gold |
Silver, Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue |
Silver, Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue |
|
Battery life (rated) |
30 hours |
27 hours video |
33 hours video |
39 hours video |
|
Size |
5.89 x 2.81 x 0.31-inches (149.6 x 71.5 x 7.95mm) |
6.2 x 2.9 x 0.22 inches (156.2 x 74.7 x 5.64 mm) |
5.9 x 2.8 x 0.34-inches (150 x 71.9 x 8.75mm) |
6.4 x 3.0 x 0.34-inches (163.4 x 78 x 8.75mm) |
|
Weight |
6.24 ounces (177 grams) |
5.82 ounces (165 grams) |
7.27 ounces (206 grams) |
8.22 ounces (233 grams) |
iPhone 16 / iPhone 16 Plus
What’s new with the iPhone 17: Apple made a surprising number of year-over-year changes, as you can see in our iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 16 comparison. For starters, the screen size on the base iPhone 17 model is larger, increasing to 6.3 inches. The standard iPhone finally enjoys a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate for smoother scrolling. Apple also includes double the storage now — 256GB compared to 128GB on the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus.
This year’s phones are more durable than last year, thanks to an upgrade to Ceramic Shield 2, which is 3x more scratch resistant than the material on the iPhone 16. No matter which iPhone 17 model you upgrade to, you’ll get better cameras, as Apple now uses a 48MP sensor the ultrawide camera in its base model, while both iPhone 17 Pro models offer a 48P telephoto lens.
A new A19 chipset in the iPhone 17 boosts performance, though not so much that the new phone blows away its predecessor. Battery life is better, though only by a little bit. The iPhone 17 turned in a time of 12 hours and 47 minutes on our battery test, which was only slightly longer than the time we got when testing the iPhone 16.
Is it worth upgrading?: I’m generally of the belief that one year is too soon to consider an upgrade, though the bigger screen size and extra storage on the iPhone 17 may prove tempting. I definitely wouldn’t trade in an iPhone 16 Plus, as there’s no follow-up to that phone. If you want a big-screen iPhone, you’d have to turn to the $1,199 iPhone 17 Pro Max.
iPhone 16 Pro / iPhone 16 Pro Max
What’s new with the iPhone 17 Pro: The most noticeable change is the iPhone 17 Pro’s new look, with an extended camera bar across the top of the phone. That allowed Apple to shift components around inside, increasing battery sizes. That, plus the power efficiency of the new A19 Pro chipset, means that the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max outlast their predecessors — by more than an hour in the case of the smaller Pro.
There’s another noteworthy performance improvement in any iPhone 17 Pro vs. iPhone 16 Pro comparison. The new phones have a vapor chamber that helps dissipate heat. (A switch from a titanium frame to an aluminum one also plays a part.) In our testing, the iPhone 17 Pro Max enjoyed an improvement in sustained performance.
The biggest change to the camera setup is that 48MP telephoto lens on the new Pro models. You get a 4x optical zoom and 8x “optical quality” zoom via cropping, compared to 5x for the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
Is it worth upgrading?: The performance and battery life gains are the big leap forward with the Pro models, and if you’re gamer or someone who uses a lot of processor-intensive apps, an upgrade is certainly justified. But the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max remain outstanding phones with several years of use ahead of them.
iPhone 15 / iPhone 15 Plus
What’s new: The same screen improvements iPhone 16 owners would get with an upgrade also apply here, and the iPhone 15’s A16 Bionic chipset is now three generations behind the A19 Apple uses for the iPhone 17 models. Apple didn’t add the ability to capture macro photos with the ultrawide lens until the iPhone 16, so that feature plus the 48MP ultrawide lens on the iPhone 17 would be an improvement, too.
The standard iPhone 15 lacks the Action button Apple introduced with that year’s Pro models. You’d gain both that and a Camera Control button with an upgrade to the latest iPhones.
But this is an instance where software features would be a big part of the upgrade consideration. The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus can’t run Apple Intelligence features so those aspects of the iOS 26 update are off limits. Upgrading to any iPhone 17 model unleashes those capabilities.
Is it worth upgrading?: The question of upgrading comes down to how much Apple Intelligence interests you. Personally, I think Apple’s AI tools, while promising, don’t justify an upgrade all on their own — at least not until we get that AI-infused version of Siri promised for 2026.
If the other advances in cameras, battery life and overall performance sweeten the deal on top of Apple Intelligence, then an upgrade makes more sense. But most iPhone 15 owners will be able to get by for another year on their current device.
iPhone 15 Pro / iPhone 15 Pro Max
What’s new: iPhone 15 Pro owners would see a performance boost by jumping to the A19 Pro-powered iPhone 17 Pro models, though the A17 Pro in their phones remains a solid system-on-chip. You would benefit from the move to a better ultrawide camera, and iPhone 15 Pro owners in particular would see their optical zoom increase from 3x to up to 8x by upgrading. (The iPhone 15 Pro Max was the only model with a 5x telephoto lens.)
While the iPhone 15 Pro models featured an Action button, they lack the Camera Control button offered with the iPhone 16 lineup. However, since Apple extended Visual Intelligence to the iPhone 15 Pro models last year, part of the benefit of that button has already been addressed. And yes, Visual Intelligence support means the iPhone 15 Pro models can run Apple Intelligence features, so you’re not gaining anything there by upgrading.
You would enjoy bigger screens, though. The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max featured 6.1 – and 6.7-inch panels, respectively, not the 6.3- and 6.9-inch screens currently on offer.
Is it worth upgrading?: The ability to run Apple Intelligence on your current iPhone takes away a big upgrade incentive for iPhone 15 Pro owners. You will get better performance overall and upgraded cameras, but the gains aren’t substantial enough to make an upgrade a no-brainer. You’ll also pay more for the smaller iPhone 17 Pro — it’s now $1,099 — though you would get double the storage.
iPhone 14 / iPhone 14 Plus
What’s new: Now the iPhones are starting to show their age. The iPhone 14 used the same A15 Bionic chip as the iPhone 13 Pro models released the previous year, so a big performance gain awaits you if you upgrade. Apple was still a 12MP sensor for the main camera on this phone instead of the 48MP shooter that would appear in subsequent iPhones.
It’s also worth noting that the iPhone 14’s screen topped out a peak brightness of 1,200 nits for HDR content. (Apple didn’t list peak brightness for outdoors on that model.) The iPhone 17’s peak brightness can reach 1,600 nits for HDR content and go up to 2,000 nits outdoors.
Is it worth upgrading?: The iPhone 17 is substantially better in every way than the iPhone 14. An upgrade is more than justified, though be aware that Apple’s subsequent switch to USB-C from Lightning may require an upgrade to your accessories and charging cables as well.
iPhone 14 Pro / iPhone 14 Pro Max
What’s new: Maybe it’s because Apple lavished a lot of attention on its Pro models in 2022, but the iPhone 14 Pro has actually help up pretty well in the ensuing years. It’s the model that introduced the Dynamic Island feature, as Apple shifted away from notched displays. Its A16 Bionic chip was better than A15 that powered the standard iPhone 14, and it also featured a 48MP main camera.
That said, battery life has improved dramatically for iPhone Pro models since the iPhone 14 Pro’s day, and the USB-C-equipped iPhone 17 Pro models now offer faster charging. You’d also benefit from the improved durability in the new models, not to mention the Apple Intelligence support.
Is it worth upgrading?: Upgrading is actually a tough call because the A16 Bionic still performs well, and the iPhone 14 Pro enjoys strong camera performance thanks to that 48MP main shooter. Overall, the new iPhone 17 Pro models will provide a better experience with the added bonus of Apple Intelligence support, but you could squeeze out one last year with the iPhone 14 Pro and not take too much of a hit.
All iPhone 13 models
What’s new: We’re going to lump all the iPhone 13 models together — the standard model, the Pros, even the since-discontinued mini — because four years is an eternity in the world of smartphones. Even the iPhone 13 Pro was using a 12MP main sensor at this point, and the A15 Bionic chipset’s time has come and gone.
The most forward-looking feature on the iPhone 13 Pro models was the 120Hz refresh rate for the displays, which is now standard across Apple’s lineup. And while the iPhone 13 marked the first time the base model shipped with 128GB of storage — remember when Apple considered 64GB an adequate amount for flagships? — you’ll get double that amount with any iPhone 17.
Here’s just a taste of what kind of upgrades you’d get by jumping from any iPhone 13 model to an iPhone 17.
- A much more advanced processor (jumping from the A15 Bionic to either an A19 or A19 Pro depending on which model you get)
- At least 256GB of storage in every model
- 48MP sensors on every rear camera
- An improved front camera with the new 18MP Center Stage camera
- A more durable phone thanks to Ceramic Shield 2 on the iPhone 17 models
- Better battery life
- Apple Intelligence support
Seems like a lot of improvements, no?
Is it worth upgrading?: I appreciate the value of holding on to a phone as long as possible. But the gulf between the iPhones of 2021 and the models that have just gone on sale is so vast, you shouldn’t hesitate to upgrade.
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