iPhone 17: After 7 Months, It Is Still the Best iPhone to Get NOW!

TL;DR / At a Glance:
The iPhone 17 remains the best value iPhone to buy in 2026, especially following the iOS 27 update. It bridges the gap between base models and Pro devices by introducing a 120Hz ProMotion display and the powerful A19 chip. With a reliable full-day battery life, professional-grade camera capabilities, and seamless integration with new AI-driven software features, it offers an exceptional user experience that negates the immediate need to wait for the next generation.

The iPhone 17 has been sitting right next to my Pro model as my secondary daily driver iPhone for seven months straight. When this phone launched, the entire tech world agreed that this was the best value iPhone Apple had ever made.

But here is what nobody is talking about right now: with the newly announced iOS 27, this phone is an even stronger buy today than it was the day it launched.

If you are using an older iPhone and sitting there wondering whether to pull the trigger now or wait for the iPhone 18, the answer is going to surprise you. Let’s break down why this is the smartest buy right now.

Design

Let me start here, because after seven months, this lavender color still looks incredible. There are no scratches on the back and no scuffs, meaning it has aged really well.

Design-wise, it feels very familiar if you have used an iPhone 16. It features the same smooth matte finish on the back and sides. You still have the Action Button and the Camera Control button, both of which I use every single day. Apple also kept those softer, rounded edges from the 15 series, so there are no sharp corners digging into your palm like the older iPhone 12, 13, or 14 models did.

What is even better is that the phone is slightly bigger. You get a 6.3-inch display now, versus the old 6.1-inch display on the previous generation, which brings us straight to the display itself.

Display

The display is where the iPhone 17 completely changes the game.

For years, Apple kept the base model stuck at 60Hz. In 2025, you were paying RM3,999 for a 60Hz screen. That is like paying for a 4K streaming subscription and having it delivered on a VHS tape.

With the iPhone 17, that finally changes. For the very first time, Apple brought ProMotion 120Hz down to the base model. It scales from 1Hz on static screens all the way up to 120Hz when you are scrolling.

The difference is night and day. Because of this, the base iPhone actually feels exactly like a Pro. It is buttery smooth, and once you use it, going back to 60Hz feels painful.

The screen is also significantly brighter now, reaching up to 3,000 nits of peak brightness. That is brighter than last year’s iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max. If you have ever been frustrated at how dim iPhones get outdoors, this completely fixes it. The screen remains perfectly readable even under a very bright, direct sun.

Finally, because the bezels are so incredibly thin this year, the display looks even bigger every single time you pick up the phone.

Performance

Inside, you have the A19 chip, and the numbers speak for themselves. In seven months of daily use, I have not once felt this phone hesitate. Apps load instantly, multitasking is smooth, and gaming handles everything I throw at it without breaking a sweat.

Heat management has also been solid. It gets just a little warm during super long gaming sessions, but never uncomfortably so.

Paired with the Liquid Glass interface, the whole experience just glides. Every swipe, every folder opening, and every animation takes full advantage of that ProMotion 120Hz display. It makes the phone an absolute joy to use daily, to the point where it will surely make you stop and wonder: is this really a base model, or is this a Pro?

Battery

With a brighter screen and a powerful chip like the A19 chip, you might be asking how the battery is actually holding up after seven months.

Well, here is the honest answer: my battery health is still sitting at 98% with close to 216 charge cycles on this phone. That is after seven months of heavy use, including event days, full content shoot days, and long days out with my baby boy.

In daily use, I take this off the charger at 9:00 AM. I am out the whole day shooting content, scrolling feeds, replying to emails, and streaming videos on the go. By the time I wind down and head to bed around 11:00 PM, I still have 15% to 20% left. It is a true full-day battery, every single day.

This performance is thanks to two things working together: the efficiency of the A19 chip and the ProMotion 120Hz display. As mentioned earlier, when you are on a static screen, the display stays at 1Hz so it is not consuming battery unnecessarily.

Apple also says these newer models are rated to hold 80% of their original capacity at 1,000 charge cycles. Being at 98% after nearly 216 cycles is a really good sign for the long run.

iOS 27 and Apple Intelligence

Next, let’s talk about the software, specifically iOS 27. Having experienced the latest updates at WWDC 2026 at Apple Park, I got a full hands-on with everything coming to the ecosystem.

Let’s be upfront about something: for the past year, Apple Intelligence has been a work in progress. Most of the time, I was defaulting to Claude, Gemini, or ChatGPT because they were just more capable, and I know a lot of you felt the same way.

But iOS 27 changes that story completely. Siri AI is a completely different assistant from what you have ever used before. While you can still say “Hey Siri” or press and hold the side button, there is now a new way to access it: just swipe down from the Dynamic Island. There is also a dedicated Siri app where your full conversation history lives, synced privately across all your Apple devices.

What makes this feel different is personal context. I asked Siri, “When is Germany’s next World Cup match?” Instead of just stopping at a short answer, it pulled up the fixture, the date, the kickoff time, and the group stage. Then I said, “Remind me two hours before kickoff,” and it was done. No app switching or opening Safari required.

Then I asked, “Can you tell me when Michael, Josh, and I had fish and chips?” Siri went through my Messages and told me the exact date just like that.

Visual Intelligence through the Camera app is another massive addition. I pointed my camera at a cup of latte without even telling Siri what it was, and it immediately knew, giving me the full calorie breakdown, including the type of milk.

This deep integration of Siri AI across the iPad and Mac makes the entire ecosystem feel incredibly connected and seamless.

Then, in Photos, there are three new editing tools that will change how you work with your images:

Clean Up

• Clean Up has improved massively, removing objects and restoring the background very naturally. It easily passes the viral test of covering a face with a hand and removing it to flawlessly bring back the covered face.

Extend

• Extend lets you pinch an image to fill in more space around your subject, making it look as though you shot it wider.

Spatial Reframe

• Spatial Reframe is the most mind-blowing tool. It actually lets you orbit around an existing photo to shift the angle after you already took it. It is honestly like going back in time to reposition your camera.

Apple Intelligence also allows you to search your library for photos from specific trips using natural descriptions.

In Apple’s Calendar, you can just describe an event with who, when, and where, and it fills everything in for you. It functions like Todoist but built right into your calendar, letting you use natural language to add entries.

Safari now organizes your open tabs into topics automatically. There is also a feature called “Notify Me” that lets you tell Safari to alert you when something on a page changes, like when a product comes back in stock or a new flavor of your favorite ice cream launches.

Finally, there is the super underrated “Describe a Shortcut” feature. This is incredibly powerful because you can just type out what you want to automate, and Apple Intelligence builds the entire Shortcut for you, no matter how complicated. There are no excuses not to use Shortcuts anymore.

All of this runs mostly on-device and privately, meaning your data stays on your phone. The iPhone 17 supports every single one of these features. That is why buying this phone today still makes complete sense: iOS 27 has made it a better phone than it was on launch day, and it will only keep getting more capable from here.

Cameras

After seven months, I have a very clear picture of what this camera setup can and cannot do. Both the main lens and the ultrawide are 48 Megapixels this year, which also unlocks Macro Mode.

In daily shooting, portrait mode for people and pets is flawless. The dynamic range on the main lens at 1x and 2x is excellent. Night photography from the ultrawide keeps skies looking natural and dark, the way your eyes actually see them, instead of that oversaturated blue or orange you get from a lot of other phones.

But the real standout after seven months is the front camera. The new 18-Megapixel square sensor on the front is a functional game changer. Because the sensor is square, you can shoot ultrawide landscape video and selfies without turning your phone sideways. Whether you are a content creator or you just want to capture family moments, this front camera alone is worth the upgrade.

Downsides

There are, however, two things about the phone that you need to consider before buying: the missing lens and the transfer speeds.

First, there is no optical telephoto lens, so you are working with a 2x digital crop from the main lens. Push beyond that, and the quality drops noticeably. If you shoot a lot of concerts, sports, or zoomed-in portraits, you will miss having a dedicated telephoto.

Second, the USB-C port is limited to USB 2.0 transfer speeds. For most people, this does not matter because of AirDrop or iCloud. But if you shoot heavy 4K video files and transfer via cable, it is slow.

My main daily driver is the iPhone 17 Pro Max, and the USB 3 speed on the Pro makes a real difference when moving footage. If those two things are part of your daily workflow, consider the Pro. For the average user, you will not even notice either of them.

Conclusion

So, here is where we land after seven months. The iPhone 17 launched as the best value iPhone Apple had ever made, offering ProMotion 120Hz on a base model for the first time, an A19 chip that beats many phones within or above its price range, and a battery that gets you through a full day without fail. Now, we have iOS 27 on top of all of that.

Should you wait for the iPhone 18?

Here is my honest take: Apple has not announced anything about the next generation yet. Waiting for something with no confirmed date means you could be sitting on an older phone for a very long time for a device you know nothing about.

What you do know is what is sitting right in front of you: the iPhone 17.

If you are currently on an iPhone 12, 13, or 14 and you are looking for the absolute best iPhone to buy right now, the iPhone 17 is the answer.

---

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

---

Related:

• iPhone 17 In-Depth Review: The Base Model That Finally Feels Pro?
• iPhone 17 Pro & Pro Max Review After 2 Weeks: The Biggest Upgrade You Can’t See?