New generation

Review: Apple iPhone 17 Pro - The one you should upgrade to

Should I buy a new iPhone and upgrade from the one I have or should I wait for the next one? With the iPhone 17 Pro, Apple makes a future-proof phone so you don't have to wait.

Published 9 December 2025 - 16:30

That the iPhone 17 Pro (and Pro Max where the only difference is the size, battery, screen) is the best iPhone you can buy today is, so to speak, part of the concept. This includes better performance, more battery, several cameras, better zoom compared to the other iPhone models in this year's lineup. Then, of course, it's not obvious that you need to upgrade if you have a phone that works.

The iPhone 17 Pro naturally brings with it a set of innovations that have been launched in iPhones in recent years, so if you're coming from a slightly older iPhone, there will be a lot of new things. Fast screen refresh, camera control slider, the dynamic island in the screen around the hole for the selfie camera, the action button with a shortcut you can choose yourself, active lock screen, and so on, to mention a few. There are simply no real reasons to change phones as often as a few years ago since innovations year by year are relatively small nowadays, but if you wait 5-6 years, which can be a reasonable period, there will be new features. Looking a bit further back in time, it's been five years since the iPhone got MagSafe, the wireless charging with magnets and accessories that keep the phone in place.

This year, the innovations are particularly numerous. Since last year's model, Apple has moved away from the titanium frame in the Pro models and returned to aluminium, as well as introduced improved cooling so that the sharp performance doesn't make the phone too hot under prolonged high load. For several years, iPhone has increased performance year by year to the level that it is hardly possible to fully utilise it.

More zoom

This year, perhaps the most noticeable news in the phone is that we have a new appearance. Apple often calls it “completely redesigned” but even though this time it is not a complete redesign, the now larger camera module on the back is noticeable. It stretches across almost the entire width of the phone and bears similarities to how Google's Pixel phones have looked for a long time, and more manufacturers seem to be following the trend. In the Iphone 17 Pro, the new design means that this bulge around the camera lenses includes more internal components so that more of the space at the bottom of the phone can house the battery. The upgrade also means that the Iphone 17 Pro has better zoom, now up to eight times optical zoom in 12 megapixels. In practice, the optical zoom has gone from 5x to 4x compared to the previous model, but the telephoto sensor has simultaneously gone from 12 to 48 megapixels, so it is clear that the level of detail has received a boost at higher zoom levels. The images are good, and I can get fine quality with digital help up to around 15 times magnification. The slider in the camera app goes all the way to 40x, but with noticeable deficiencies in image quality, so the images are hardly usable.

Actually, the Iphone 17 Pro offers more new features than might be apparent in the new design. The phone is now made from a single piece of aluminium with cut-outs for, for example, the glass panel on the back, as glass is required for wireless charging. It does not go through aluminium. In addition, the Iphone 17 Pro has better screen glass in the form of Ceramic Shield 2, which is supposed to be even more durable. Nowadays, dropping the phone on the ground is not the death sentence it was a few years ago.

An alternative

The Iphone 17 Pro costs from 15,000 up to 29,000 kronor for the Max variant with the most space, 2TB. The clearest way to get something similar at a lower price is a refurbished 14 Pro, which costs around 7,000 kronor. The sister model, Iphone 17, is probably the best choice among the new phones for most people this year. The Iphone 17 model has now received a 120 hertz screen update, after a long wait, so it is now finally in a class that is sufficient for the majority of users. Consider it as well and do not buy the new Pro just on principle.

Questions and answers

What does this year's complete line-up of Iphones look like?

This year, the iPhone 17 Pro is accompanied by three other phones. There's the 17 Pro Max, which has the same features but a larger screen and bigger battery. Additionally, we have the iPhone Air with a slightly larger screen than the iPhone 17 Pro but with fewer cameras and a smaller battery. The base model iPhone 17 has the same screen size as the iPhone 17 Pro but a smaller battery and simpler performance, as well as two instead of three cameras.

Is it difficult to switch from Android?

No, the systems are increasingly similar to each other. The vast majority of Google functions and apps are also available for iPhone. Additionally, Apple has its own features like iCloud, iMessage, and so on, so switching the other way means you lose access to specific Apple features, which makes it a bit more complicated.

How should I think about upgrading from an existing iPhone?

If you have a phone that no longer receives upgrades or can use BankID, that's a clear sign, or if the phone's screen is perhaps broken, then a new phone might be an idea, or just repairing the screen. If the battery life in your old phone is poor, it's best to just replace the battery. It's cheap.

Camera example:

Good pictures, nice dynamics, more zoom, Iphone is among the best camera phones.

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