iPhone 17 Pro Review - Something’s Missing

About this video

• Video Title: iPhone 17 Pro Review - Something’s Missing
• Channel: Mrwhosetheboss
• Speakers: [No speakers named in transcript]
• Duration: 11:33

Overview

This video reviews the iPhone 17 Pro, focusing on its features and potential future capabilities. The reviewer highlights several upgrades, such as increased RAM, improved camera sensors, and enhanced thermal performance, but questions their immediate utility without accompanying software features. The video also touches on battery life, design changes, scratch resistance, and the potential for the phone to be optimized for future AI functionalities.

Key takeaways

• Increased RAM and Neural Accelerators: The iPhone 17 Pro has 12GB of RAM and an A19 Pro chip with enhanced neural accelerators, though tangible use cases for these upgrades are not yet demonstrated.
• Thermal Performance Improvements: Apple has focused on thermal management, introducing a new vapor chamber and utilizing more conductive materials, moving away from titanium.
• Camera Enhancements: While the cameras are improved with smarter 48MP sensors and a new front camera, the headline 48MP 4x telephoto lens has limitations with close-up focus and zoom. ProRes RAW video recording is a significant feature for professional use.
• Battery Life: Battery life shows improvement, especially with the eSIM-only version in certain regions, but its overall impact is debated.
• Software Polish: The new iOS 26, while visually appealing, is noted to be unpolished with glitches and animation issues.
• Design Changes: The phone's design is more refined with metal wrapping around the sides, and the camera plateau is designed to improve signal and balance. However, the aluminum body is more prone to scratching than previous titanium models, and the screen's scratch resistance claims are met with skepticism.
• Future AI Integration: The reviewer speculates that the hardware upgrades are primarily for upcoming, demanding AI features from Apple that have not yet been announced, suggesting current hardware is ahead of software development.
• Value Proposition: The base iPhone 17 is highlighted as a strong contender due to its affordability and near-Pro features, making the Pro models a more optional upgrade for power users.