Apple iPhone 17 Pro

Our database lists the Apple iPhone 17 Pro 256GB at Rs. 473,999. That makes it far more expensive than its Android rivals, so its value depends on how much you care about iOS, video and long-term reliability.

What you get:

• Three dependable 48 MP cameras, including a new 4x telephoto, plus pro video features like ProRes RAW
• The fast A19 Pro chip with 12GB RAM and, for the first time in an iPhone, a vapour chamber for cooler, steadier performance
• A bigger battery than the 16 Pro and a brighter 3000 nits outdoor display
• A tougher aluminium unibody design

What to weigh up: the aluminium finish scratches more easily than the old titanium, there is no 8K video, and in daily use it does not feel much faster than the previous Pro. The base iPhone 17 now shares many of its features for much less.

Against the alternatives: the Google Pixel 10 Pro (Rs. 283,999) costs far less and has a bigger 4870 mAh battery, a 42 MP selfie camera and up to 7 major Android upgrades. The Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus (Rs. 330,495) gives you a larger 6.7-inch screen, a 4900 mAh battery and 45W charging, also with up to 7 OS updates.

Verdict: worth it for iPhone users who shoot a lot of video, game, or keep phones for many years. Buyers who mainly want a great all-round phone will get much more value from the Pixel 10 Pro or the base iPhone 17.

The iPhone 17 Pro has a 6.3-inch LTPO OLED (Super Retina XDR) at 1206 x 2622 resolution with a 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate.

• Brightness: it reaches 1600 nits for HDR and up to 3000 nits outdoors, brighter than the previous model. Outdoors in strong sun, the difference is noticeable.
• Anti-reflective coating: a new coating cuts glare a little. It is subtle but helps when bright objects reflect off the screen.
• Eye comfort: for the first time on an iPhone, there is a PWM dimming toggle, hidden in the accessibility settings, which helps people sensitive to flicker.
• Video: HDR10 and Dolby Vision support makes films and HDR videos look excellent.
• Protection: Ceramic Shield 2 covers the front. Apple claims better scratch resistance, but at least one hands-on test was able to mark the screen with a hardness pick quickly, so a screen protector is still sensible.

Overall, it is one of the best screens on any phone, with few meaningful weaknesses.

The iPhone 17 Pro runs Apple's A19 Pro (3 nm) with 12GB RAM, 50% more than the previous Pro models.

• Speed: benchmarks show the A19 Pro is roughly 20% faster than last year's chip. Apps feel quick and snappy, though daily use does not feel dramatically faster than the 16 Pro, and some iOS 26 animations are slightly slower.
• Gaming: big 3D games run remarkably smoothly at high frame rates, and iOS games are well optimised.
• Cooling: the new vapour chamber spreads heat across the aluminium body. Under load, the phone stays only mildly warm, holds higher frame rates for longer, and keeps the screen bright during long video recording.
• Multitasking: the extra RAM keeps more apps open, which helps when switching between the camera and other apps.

The extra RAM and cooling also appear designed for heavier on-device Apple Intelligence features, which should help the phone age well.

The iPhone 17 Pro has three 48 MP rear cameras: a main camera with sensor-shift OIS, a 120-degree ultrawide, and a new 4x periscope telephoto (about 100mm). The front camera is a new 18 MP wide camera.

• Reliability: across day and night, the cameras are extremely consistent. Portraits stay crisp even with some digital zoom.
• Telephoto: the new 48 MP 4x lens gives zoom shots more detail and less noise than the old 12 MP lens. However, it cannot focus on close subjects, so the phone often switches to the main camera, and at maximum zoom the gain is not always visible.
• Selfies: the front camera's wide view fits two people into a FaceTime call without losing detail.
• Video: it records up to 4K at 120fps with Dolby Vision, plus ProRes RAW and genlock for professional multi-camera shoots. ProRes RAW lets you change white balance and ISO later, but the files are huge.
• Weak spots: there is still no 8K video, and bright point lights at night still cause small lens flares.

For most people it is simply a point-and-shoot camera that rarely misses, and for video creators it is one of the most capable phones available.

The iPhone 17 Pro's battery is roughly 20% bigger than the 16 Pro's, thanks to a thicker body. Capacity depends on the version:

• Nano-SIM model (sold in markets like Pakistan): 3998 mAh
• eSIM-only model (USA): 4252 mAh

This matters: battery tests show the eSIM-only version gains about 12 to 15% over the previous model, while the physical-SIM version gains a smaller amount, about 6%.

• Real-world use: iPhones are very efficient. Hands-on use shows five or more hours of screen-on time with charge left at the end of the day.
• Charging: with a 40 watt or stronger USB-C charger, it reaches 50% in about 20 minutes, and it is close to full after about an hour. No charger comes in the box, only a USB-C cable.
• Wireless: 25W MagSafe and Qi2 charging, plus 4.5W reverse wired charging for earbuds or a watch.

It is a clear improvement for an iPhone, but Android rivals still offer larger batteries and faster charging.

The iPhone 17 Pro launched with iOS 26, and our database shows it already updated to iOS 26.3.

• Design: the new Liquid Glass look, with fresh animations, icons and spatial lock-screen wallpapers, is attractive. At launch it had many small glitches and readability problems that need polish through updates.
• Apple Intelligence: the phone's 12GB RAM and cooling are well suited to Apple's on-device AI features as they expand.
• Useful extras: satellite connectivity now covers messaging and location sharing, and fast USB-C data transfer helps with large video files.
• Updates: Apple does not publish a fixed number of update years for the iPhone 17 Pro. By contrast, the Pixel 10 Pro and Galaxy S26 Plus come with a written promise of up to 7 major OS updates.

If you are already in the Apple ecosystem with a Mac, iPad or Apple Watch, the software experience is a major reason to choose this phone.