u/softcoresin

Got the iPhone 17 256GB back in March, so it’s been almost 4 months now, and honestly my experience has been nothing short of incredible. It’s got some cons, but let me start with the pros first.

Pros

1. Battery: Battery life has genuinely impressed me. On a normal day I get around 9-10 hours easily on a full charge. There was actually one day where it lasted 12.5 hours — I was watching Netflix pretty much all day with a bit of social media mixed in, and it only used 85%. I follow the 20-90 rule (usually i don’t let it drop below 20%, and I’ve capped charging at 90%). I also give small tweaks like 10 or 15% in middle of the day which easily gives me an extra hour of usage. Worth noting I’m not a heavy gamer, occasionally I’ll play stuff like Subway Surfers or Fruit Ninja, but mostly I’m just using my phone for notes, texting, social media, and watching shows/movies.
2. Durability: I’ve dropped this thing more times than I’d like to admit, and nothing major has happened besides one cracked screen protector (Spigen). I’ve been using Apple’s clear case, which has honestly held up tough. Only downside is it’s a bit slippery since it’s plastic, so I ended up switching to a Spigen silicone case for better grip.
3. Display: Honestly words don’t do it justice. It’s buttery smooth, and the colors and image quality are genuinely great.
4. Camera: The front camera is a massive upgrade over the 16 Pro. Back camera is fantastic too, though I do miss having a telephoto lens for zooming.

Cons

1. Heating while charging: It doesn’t happen every time, but occasionally it gets warm while charging. Turned out it was the 30W Apple brick I was using early on, switched to a 20W brick and it stays cool most of the time now, though charging is noticeably slower.
2. Camera: Like I mentioned, if you’re into photography you’ll probably miss having a zoom lens, the Pro model is the better call there. Also night/low-light shots feel a bit off, possibly just how Apple’s image processing handles it.

Honestly though, these are the only issues I’ve run into so far, and they’re pretty minor in the grand scheme of things. Four months in, and I’m still really happy with this phone.