iPhone 17 Pro hands-on: Unibody, camera plateau, battery hopes
I spent a brief hands-on with the iPhone 17 Pro at Apple Park. Below are the key impressions from the preview and links to official product pages.
Quick summary
- New unibody design with a matte, soft-touch finish (Cosmic Orange looked great).
- Camera “plateau” houses three 48MP Fusion cameras; viewfinder shows zoom options up to 8x.
- Ceramic Shield on the back’s paler rectangle and a sturdier aluminum frame may improve scratch resistance and drop durability.
- Redesign likely frees internal space for a larger battery; A19 Pro chip promises better power efficiency — both could mean longer battery life.
- Center Stage selfie camera adds auto-rotating aspect ratios and dual-camera video; camera app layout changed in iOS 26.
What I liked
The new finish and frame make the phone feel more solid; colors like Cosmic Orange and a richer blue are appealing in person. The camera controls remain familiar and are still easy to use despite the unibody changes.
What needs a full review
- Real-world camera quality at different zoom levels
- Actual battery life and thermal performance (vapor chamber claims)
- Call performance and repairability after the redesign
Links
- Official Apple product page: https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-iphone/iphone-17-pro
- Amazon search (affiliate): https://www.amazon.com/s?k=iPhone+17+Pro&tag=f1rede-20
Note: This preview is based on a short hands-on; full testing will be required to confirm performance, battery life, and camera quality.
Comments welcome — what do you want us to test in a full review?