{"id":241276,"date":"2025-11-03T12:05:30","date_gmt":"2025-11-03T12:05:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/241276\/"},"modified":"2025-11-03T12:05:30","modified_gmt":"2025-11-03T12:05:30","slug":"iphone-17-pro-vs-iphone-17-is-the-telephoto-camera-worth-the-extra-money","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/241276\/","title":{"rendered":"iPhone 17 Pro vs iPhone 17: is the telephoto camera worth the extra money?"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s fair to say that both the iPhone 17 Pro and the iPhone 17 are very much at home on our list of the best smartphones for photographers<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Apple has been making phones which are excellent for photography for some time now \u2013 but considering there are several models in the line-up, it begs the question, do you really need the most expensive, high-end iPhone, or will the \u201cbase\u201d model do the job?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Price wise, the iPhone 17 is much more affordable than its \u201cPro\u201d sibling, while giving you many of the same or similar specifications. Some of the things you\u2019ll be losing out on if you pay the extra for the iPhone 17 Pro you might find you don\u2019t really need \u2013 but here we\u2019ll take a closer look at how the two match up to give you a better idea of how they compare.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been using both models at the same time to see how they stack up in different scenarios \u2013 and to try and determine whether you actually need to spend that additional cash or not.\u00a0<\/p>\n

iPhone 17 Pro vs iPhone 17: Specs<\/p>\n

Have a look at the table below. Here I\u2019ve outlined some of the major specifications, particularly those that are likely to be of interest from a photography standpoint.\u00a0<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll see that actually, the two models have a reasonably similar spec sheet. The main difference highlighted here is the lack of a telephoto lens \u2013 with the iPhone 17 Pro you\u2019ll enjoy a 4x optical zoom lens which also gives you 8x \u201coptical quality\u201d zoom too.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Not everybody will be bothered about having a zoom though \u2013 if you own an older model which has a zoom lens, ask yourself how often you use it. My own personal experience tells me that I\u2019m pretty sure I could live without it, especially if my budget was tight.\u00a0<\/p>\n

iPhone 17 Pro<\/a>iPhone 17<\/a>48MP f\/1.78 main camera, OIS, 24MP output, 24mm48MP f\/1.6 main camera, OIS, 24MP output,26mm48MP f\/2.2 ultrawide camera, 24MP output, 13mm48MP f\/2.2 ultrawide camera, 24MP output, 13mm48MP f\/2.8 4x telephoto camera, 100mm, 8x \u201coptical quality\u201d cropN\/A18MP f\/1.9 selfie camera with square sensor18MP f\/1.9 selfie camera with square sensorHEIF, JPEG, raw (DNG) stills\u00a0HEIF, JPEG stills\u00a04K 120fps video4K 60fps video6.3-inch XDR OLED Super Retina 2622 x 1206 pixels, 3000 nits max brightness, 120Hz Ceramic Shield 2 front and back6.3-inch XDR OLED Super Retina 2622 x 1206 pixels, 3000 nits max brightness, 120Hz Ceramic Shield 2 front onlyIP68 splash, water and dust resistantIP68 splash, water and dust resistantApple Intelligence, A19 Pro ProcessorApple Intelligence, A19 processor31 hour battery life, wireless and fast charging (40W) available30 hour battery life, wireless and fast charging (40W) available256GB\/512GB\/1TB storage256GB\/512GBstorage150 x 71.9 x 8.75mm, 204g149.6 x 71.5 x 7.95mm, 177g<\/p>\n

Another difference is the ability to shoot in the more flexible \u201craw\u201d format. This gives you scope to adjust your images after you\u2019ve shot them in a bit more fine grain detail than you can with an ordinary HEIF or JPEG file. But again, I pretty much never shoot in raw on my phone \u2013 so could I live without it? Absolutely.\u00a0<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a slight difference in the main lens \u2013 the iPhone 17 Pro has a 24mm equivalent focal length, while the iPhone 17 has a 26mm. In most scenarios this is going to be largely unnoticeable.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Both models offer 4K video recording, but the 17 Pro has far more advanced features. It can shoot at 120fps (compared to 60fps for the iPhone 17), and also offers ProRes video recording, Genlock support and Apple Log 2. Most average users will never need to use these tools, but if you\u2019re a content creator you may find them to be very useful.<\/p>\n

Elsewhere there are some other differences, such as a slightly better battery life for the iPhone 17 Pro, a better processor (which affects the speed of the phone\u2019s operation \u2013 something which is really only likely to be in any way noticeable if you\u2019re doing high-intensity tasks such as gaming or editing 4K video), and the ability to buy the iPhone 17 Pro in a 1TB option.\u00a0<\/p>\n

There are some design differences too. The iPhone 17 Pro has the new camera \u201cplateau\u201d while the iPhone 17 sticks to a more straightforward \/ classic design. There are different colours available for the two models \u2013 personally I actually prefer those you get with the iPhone 17, but the iPhone 17 Pro\u2019s vivid orange colour certainly is striking.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Both phones have the same 6.3-inch screen, and they both have the same specification too \u2013 the same brightness, refresh rate and \u201calways on\u201d capability. Both have a Ceramic Shield front, but only the 17 Pro has it on the back too. They\u2019re very similar in size to each other, but the 17 is a little lighter.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s worth noting that you can get the iPhone 17 Pro in the \u201cMax\u201d version too \u2013 giving you a 6.9\u201d screen. There\u2019s no \u201cPlus\u201d option for the iPhone 17 as there has been in previous years, so if you want a big phone, then you\u2019re out of luck if you also want it to be cheap.<\/p>\n

The iPhone 17 Pro has the faster A19 Pro processor, while the iPhone 17 has the still new, but not quite as fast, A19 processor. This will likely make little difference to most ordinary users \u2013 but anyone who is doing a lot of power intensive tasks, such as gaming or shooting\/editing 4K video may find some benefit to having the faster option.<\/p>\n

Battery life between the two isn\u2019t dramatically different, with Apple quoting only one hour less of video playback for the iPhone 17.\u00a0<\/p>\n

iPhone 17 Pro vs iPhone 17: Image Quality\u00a0<\/p>\n

I used both phones to take photos in a number of different situations to give me the opportunity to directly compare both models. In the examples below, the image taken with the iPhone 17 Pro is always on the left, the iPhone 17 is always on the right.<\/p>\n

GENERAL-1X LENS<\/p>\n

\"iPhone\"iPhone1x main lens, iPhone 17 Pro (left), iPhone 17 (right). Image credit: Amy Davies<\/p>\n

Here we can see that the both models produce fairly similar results, with excellent colour rendition and detail from each. The 1x lens for the iPhone 17 has a slightly narrower field of view (26mm) compared to the iPhone 17 Pro (24mm). Personally, I prefer 24mm, but it\u2019s unlikely to make a huge amount of difference in most situations.\u00a0<\/p>\n

ULTRAWIDE\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"iPhone\"iPhoneUltrawide lens, iPhone 17 Pro (left), iPhone 17 (right). Image credit: Amy Davies<\/p>\n

Again, the two pictures here are almost identical, which is exactly what I\u2019d expect. Detail and colour rendition are great from both.<\/p>\n

2x<\/p>\n

\"iPhone\"iPhone2x lens, iPhone 17 Pro (left), iPhone 17 (right). Image credit: Amy Davies<\/p>\n

The 2x option from both models uses the central portion of the 1x sensor\u00a0<\/p>\n

4x\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"iPhone\"iPhone4x zoom, iPhone 17 Pro (left), iPhone 17 (right). Image credit: Amy Davies<\/p>\n

Here is where we see the iPhone 17 Pro pulling ahead of the iPhone 17 a lot more clearly. The result from the 17 Pro is crisp and full of detail, which is what we\u2019d expect from an actual zoom lens, rather than a digital zoom. The 17\u2019s 4x option is just about usable if you\u2019re only looking at it at small sizes, but if you\u2019re at all interested in zoom, this may not be the phone for you.<\/p>\n

8x \/ 10x<\/p>\n

\"iPhone\"iPhone8x zoom iPhone 17 Pro (left), and 10x zoom iPhone 17 (right). Image credit: Amy Davies<\/p>\n

Again, there\u2019s a much clearer divide here. The iPhone 17 Pro\u2019s 8x \u201coptical quality\u201d image is very good, showing a decent amount of detail and it\u2019s certainly very usable. Meanwhile, the 17 image is a bit of a blurry mess at this point.\u00a0<\/p>\n

MACRO<\/p>\n

\"iPhone\"iPhoneMacro, iPhone 17 Pro (left), iPhone 17 (right). Image credit: Amy Davies<\/p>\n

The close-up images from both devices look remarkably similar. Both use the ultrawide lens which is the same on both models so that\u2019s hardly a surprise. I can see no difference here, so if macro is your thing then these two phones are evenly matched.<\/p>\n

LOW LIGHT\u00a0PERFORMANCE<\/p>\n

\"iPhone\"iPhone1x main lens in night mode, iPhone 17 Pro (left), iPhone 17 (right). Image credit: Amy Davies<\/p>\n

The low light performance from both phones is pretty strong. If we look at images taken by the 1x lens, it\u2019s hard to spot much of a difference. There\u2019s a touch more detail seen in the ultrawide of the 17 Pro, but it\u2019s only if you\u2019re really examining it closely that it\u2019s obvious. There\u2019s also more detail from the \u201c2x\u201d option of the 17 Pro, too.<\/p>\n

PORTRAIT\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"iPhone\"iPhonePortrait mode, iPhone 17 Pro (left), iPhone 17 (right). Image credit: Amy Davies<\/p>\n

Although the sitter has moved in between shots (toddlers are like that), I can see that the portraits produced are pretty similar \u2013 with similar types of outlines. The blurring of the background is pretty good for both and they\u2019ve both coped reasonably well with somewhat fussy outlines.<\/p>\n

SELFIE\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"iPhone\"iPhoneSelfie camera, iPhone 17 Pro (left), iPhone 17 (right). Image credit: Amy Davies<\/p>\n

As I\u2019d expect, the selfies are pretty much identical \u2013 that makes sense considering the selfie cameras on both models are the same.\u00a0<\/p>\n

iPhone 17 Pro vs iPhone 17: Value for Money<\/p>\n

Coming in at under $800\/\u00a3800 for the 256GB option (and I would argue most people don\u2019t need more than that), the iPhone 17 is a great value option (for an iPhone at least).\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s perhaps expensive compared to some similar Androids, but if you\u2019re locked into the Apple ecosystem, or just prefer the operating system then it\u2019s a very good way to get one of the latest phones without having to fork out a huge sum of money.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For many people, the iPhone 17 is likely the better choice \u2013 you get a lot of similarities without the added flashiness (and cost) of the 17 Pro.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But what do you get for the extra \u00a3300? Well, you get an extra lens, a faster processor, a better battery life, and \u2013 arguably \u2013\u00a0 a more interesting design (although personally I much prefer the colours available for the 17). There\u2019s also some other stuff like advanced video options and the ability to shoot in raw format.<\/p>\n

I reckon I could live without the zoom lens \u2013 it\u2019s fairly rare that I use it \u2013 and the other stuff while nice to have wouldn\u2019t be a deal breaker for me. I could definitely live without the video and photo stuff that I never use, but, everyone\u2019s different \u2013 and you may have your own different feelings about that.<\/p>\n

Overall, I\u2019d say that the iPhone 17 represents better value for money for most ordinary users \u2013 but if you\u2019re in need of the added benefits that the 17 Pro provides, \u00a3300 extra isn\u2019t a ridiculous amount to ask.<\/p>\n

Verdict\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re asking yourself should I buy an iPhone 17 Pro or an iPhone 17, what you need to do is consider what use you\u2019d get out of the extra features that the extra $300\/\u00a3300 the Pro model will get you.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Pro is undoubtedly a better phone, with some worthy additional features that may \u2013 or may not \u2013 be of use to you depending on the type of phone user that you are.<\/p>\n

Most of the time, the 17 and the 17 Pro take very similar pictures. The 1x and the ultrawide lenses on both are pretty evenly matched. As I\u2019d expect, the zoom is much better on the iPhone 17 Pro model, but, if you\u2019re anything like me, it\u2019s something that is used fairly infrequently anyway (you might be nothing like me and use it all the time \u2013 no judgement).<\/p>\n

On the whole, I\u2019d say most people should probably opt for the iPhone 17 if you just want a well rounded phone that takes nice pictures. Of course, if you need its advanced features and the telephoto lens, then paying an extra $300\/\u00a3300 to get it is probably worth it.<\/p>\n

Which one would you opt for?<\/p>\n

Related reading:<\/p>\n

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