iPhone 17 Pro vs iPhone 16 Pro: Here’s our take on the expected upgrades

The iPhone 17 series is shaping up to be a major upgrade. Here's what we think about it.

The iPhone 16 series has been out for several months now, and the general impression is that these smartphones offer a refined experience, building upon the advancements introduced by the iPhone 15 Pro models. However, mostly, the experience is incremental, with hardly any enticing upgrades especially for people with iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 series phones. But when it comes to the upcoming iPhone 17 series, expected in September, things appear to be shaping up quite differently. Let us share our thoughts on the anticipated changes in the iPhone 17 series, based on a multitude of reports so far.

Design of the iPhone 17 Series

iPhone 17 Pro is expected to bring several upgrades over the iPhone 16 series. (Unsplash)

By Shaurya Sharma

Shaurya Sharma is the Technology Editor at Hindustan Times Digital Streams, where he oversees technology coverage across digital and social platforms. With over eight years of experience across editorial, video production, and digital media, his work focuses on smartphones, AI, consumer gadgets, and shaping audience-first content strategies for modern tech consumers.

He began his career in 2018 as a fashion cinematographer before turning his lifelong passion for technology into a profession. From spending his childhood immersed in tech magazines, video games, and the latest gadgets to covering the global consumer tech industry today, technology has remained a constant throughout his journey.

Over the years, Shaurya has worked with some of India’s leading media organisations, including CNN-News18, Sportskeeda, and Guiding Tech, where he led video initiatives that combined strong editorial storytelling with engaging visual and social-first execution.

A graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication from Manipal University, Shaurya has reviewed hundreds of products across categories including smartphones, laptops, gaming consoles, cameras, and wearables. Beyond work, he is passionate about animal welfare, environmental causes, and automobiles, particularly turbo-petrol cars

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The iPhone 17's design could be polarising, and that might actually be a good thing. iPhones, particularly the Pro models, have largely maintained the same design since the iPhone 11 Pro. Most of these models look nearly identical from the back, with the same triangular camera layout positioned in the top-left corner. While Apple switched to flat sides with the iPhone 12 Pro and introduced the Dynamic Island with the iPhone 14 Pro series, the overall design language is starting to feel a bit stale, and users have taken notice.

If the iPhone 17 Pro debuts the rumoured redesigned back, featuring a Pixel 9 Pro-like camera visor situated horizontally across the top of the phone, it could offer a refreshing new look. The back design might feature a dual-tone construction with a combination of aluminium and glass. Some reports also suggest that Apple could replace titanium with aluminium as the primary material, although this would be surprising given Apple’s focus on maintaining a premium experience.

Camera Improvements

The iPhone 16 Pro has a mature and reliable camera system, featuring a 48MP main camera, a 48MP ultra-wide camera, and a 12MP 5x tetra-prism telephoto lens. It also supports 4K 120 FPS video recording in ProRes Log, a feature that has set it apart. While the system ranks as one of the best, it lags behind some high-end Android competitors, particularly in photography, with rivals like the Vivo X200 and Oppo Find X8 Pro leading in certain areas.

Reports suggest the iPhone 17 Pro could introduce an upgraded telephoto lens, possibly increasing the resolution to 48MP. This upgrade could help Apple significantly improve the quality of optical zoom and portrait photography, which, while good at present, isn’t the best.

Processing Power

Looking ahead, the A19 Pro chip, will reportedly utilise TSMC’s new 2nm process, could deliver even faster performance and improved efficiency. This would not only enhance overall processing power but also support more demanding tasks and extend battery life. While the iPhone 16 Pro already offers improved battery capacity over its predecessor, further advancements in this area would be highly appreciated, given the power these devices pack.

Apple Intelligence

AI remains a mixed bag for Apple. While the new AI tools, such as Genmoji, Image Playground, and Notification Summaries, have found some use cases, the staggered release of features has left many users underwhelmed. iOS 19 needs to deliver big time, and introduce an exhaustive set of new features, and build upon current ones to deliver a mature AI experience.