Apple's iPhone 17 is here: Prices, features, and plans

Apple is launching the latest iPhone series following its September 9th keynote. As revealed by the company, four models are making their way to Canada and other global markets. This includes the base iPhone 17, the newly introduced iPhone Air, the iPhone 17 Pro, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max. 

Here's everything we learned about the iPhone 17 series.

iPhone 17 release date

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The iPhone 17 family will be available for pre-order on Friday, September 12. Phones will ship a week later and be available in stores on September 19th in Canada.

iPhone 17 price

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To no surprise, the iPhone 17 pricing is keeping in line with last year's iPhone 16:

• iPhone 17: From $1,129
• iPhone Air: From $1,499
• iPhone 17 Pro: From $1,599
• iPhone 17 Pro Max: From $1,749

The above is based on starting prices per model with the lowest storage option. Pricing is then adjusted based on higher storage accordingly. Here's a thorough breakdown of each model and storage options available.

iPhone 17 features

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Undoubtedly, one of the biggest new features to arrive on iPhone 17 is the updated 18MP selfie camera. This year, Apple is updating its front-facing camera, introducing the new Center Stage camera. Up from 12MP, the Center Stage lens features improved stabilization and a new sensor. Apple confirms that the Center Stage camera offers a wider FOV and four compositions when taking selfies.

The Center Stage sensor is said to be twice as large as the one on the previous iPhone. Apple has also designed it to be square-shaped, allowing users to take high-quality landscape images without having to turn the device. Users can tap on the Camera app to expand the FOV and cycle through portrait and landscape modes.

iPhone 17 design, display, and colours

The iPhone 17 family is carrying over the rough design and look from last year's iPhone 16. The standard iPhone 17 looks nearly identical to its predecessor except for a larger 6.3-inch display, up from 6.1 inches, offering the same-sized display as the iPhone 17 Pro. The iPhone 17 Pro Max features the largest display, sized at 6.9 inches. 

The iPhone 17 series also utilizes a ceramic shield screen and peak brightness of 3,000 nits. Across the board, iPhone 17 is adopting LTPO OLED displays, giving way to ProMotion display technology across all devices. This tech was previously exclusive to Pro-level iPhone models. Now, each new iPhone supports a 120Hz refresh rate, providing smooth navigation and fluidity when playing games. LTPO technology is also powering Apple's Always-on display, now available across all iPhone 17 models.

As we look at the new colourways, Apple is launching iPhone 17 in lavender, sage, mint blue, white and black. iPhone 17 Pro models will launch in silver, deep blue and cosmic orange.

iPhone Air

The biggest new addition to the iPhone 17 family is the aforementioned iPhone Air. The new iPhone Air takes the place of the 'Plus' model and offers a 6.5-inch Super Retina XDR display.

Although it's not a direct replacement for the Plus model, this new middle-tier device can be closely compared to the MacBook Air or iPad Air in their respective families. The iPhone Air has a slightly larger display than the base iPhone 17 and a titanium chassis that's 5.6mm, thinner than traditional iPhones. With this in mind, the device weighs 145 grams, similar to the iPhone SE 2, which weighs 148 grams.

Similar to Samsung's Galaxy S25 Edge, Apple is flexing its design chops by developing a thinner, sleeker-looking iPhone. The iPhone Air is slim by all metrics and still offers decent specs comparable to the base model. However, it isn't considered a Pro-level device, yet it still features the new horizontal camera bar (more on that below). Though it only features a single 48MP fusion camera lens.

iPhone Air is launching in four colour options, including sky blue, white, black, and light gold.

New camera array

The base iPhone 17 features a "dual fusion” camera system, with a 48MP wide lens and a 48MP ultra-wide shooter. The main lens is able to utilize an optical-quality 2x telephoto zoom, while the ultra-wide is said to be able to capture 4x the resolution when compared to last year's model. For the front-facing camera, Apple is supporting a new 18MP Center Stage camera. 

As mentioned, iPhone Air forgoes the intricate camera array and instead features a 48MP fusion camera lens. Similar to the fusion sensor on the base iPhone 17, the device offers a 48MP base wide shooter as well as a 12MP 2x telephoto capabilities built in. On the front, the device also offers the same 18MP Center Stage lens. iPhone Air is also the first to support dual video recording. With this, users can record video using the front-facing 18MP camera as well as the rear cameras at the same time. This is a great perk for content creators. 

Arguably, the largest design change to this year's iPhone Pro-level devices is its camera array. Taking a similar approach to the Google Pixel's camera bar, iPhone 17 now features a horizontal camera bump. On the Pro models, the lenses themselves are still arranged in a triangle off to the side. The camera bar runs from edge to edge. Housed alongside the lenses are two sensors.

iPhone 17 Pro features a new 48MP wide camera, a 48MP ultra wide shooter and a 48MP tetraprism telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom. This makes it the first iPhone series to feature a triple 48MP camera array, all with fusion lenses. With this, iPhone 17 Pro Max is the device that'll likely attract shutterbugs this year. The iPhone 17 Pro models feature a mechanical aperture, allowing users to adjust the size of the camera's aperture. This gives more control over the amount of light hitting the lens. The results could mean that photos can be taken with a shallower depth-of-field. iPhone 17 Pro models also support 4K at 120Hz video recording as well as Pro-Res RAW support, giving users access to industry-standard film quality when recording. 

iPhone 17 battery

Battery capacity across the iPhone 17 is being improved. Each device is receiving upgraded batteries when compared to last year's iPhone 16. 

The maximum battery life for each phone is typically measured in video and audio playback. For the iPhone 17, these battery capacities are:

• iPhone 17:
  • Video: Up to 30 hours of video playback
• iPhone Air:
  • Video: Up to 27 hours of video playback
• iPhone 17 Pro:
  • Video: Up to 39 hours of video playback
• iPhone 17 Pro Max:
  • Video: Up to 39 hours of video playback

iPhone Air eSIM

In the U.S., iPhones haven't used a physical SIM since the iPhone 14 launched in 2022. The company is continuing to expand on its emphasis on supporting eSIM technology. iPhone Air is exclusively eSIM globally. So, customers in Canada with physical SIM cards will have to transition to eSIMs. 

iPhone 17 5G

The iPhone Air is the first to feature Apple's in-house C1X 5G modem, while the rest of the series is continuing to leverage Qualcomm's modems. Apple's C1X chip is said to be 2x faster than the C1. In comparison to Qualcomm's modems, this is unfortunately slower. The new modem chips don't support the fastest mmWave 5G frequency and are instead limited to sub-6GHz 5G.

To assist in discovering which carriers have the best network coverage in your area, we've broken down the networks between Telus, Bell, Rogers, and Freedom. Here, you can find coverage maps to learn which carrier readily supports 5G networks in which regions across Canada.

iPhone 17 and iOS 26

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iPhone 17 will launch to support iOS 26. The new operating software from Apple was first revealed during WWDC earlier this year. The biggest change iOS 26 brings to the table is the Liquid Glass UI redesign. Adopting a similar aesthetic to visionOS, iOS 26 now gives iPhone 17 (and other compatible models) a new look with transparent windows and app buttons. The Liquid Glass design spans everything from the Home Screen to the Control Center and Lock Screen. Liquid Glass has been available to beta testers and has been refined since its reveal.

iOS 26 also introduces new Apple Intelligence features. While Apple's push into AI has tempered a little bit over the past year, Apple Intelligence is still being readily supported with new features. This includes the introduction of Live Translation, which automatically translates texts in Messages and displays translated captions in FaceTime. Visual Intelligence can now understand what's on your screen to help you find products and add events to your calendar. This is all thanks to Apple's continued partnership with OpenAI and ChatGPT.

iOS 26 also refines some in-app experiences. For instance, the Camera app now features a new layout with simple navigation between Photo and Video capture. Other tools and controls are now hidden off-screen with expandable menus. The Safari app has also been given a makeover with updated navigation. Apple Maps incorporates on-device AI tools to understand your daily routes and optimize them in the event of delays or traffic jams.

iPhone 17 plans and providers

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Rogers, Bell, and Telus are all expected to offer pre-order deals for the iPhone 17 line-up. Here's a breakdown of the major benefits you can expect each provider to offer.

Major carriers

MVNO carriers

Historically speaking, it isn't too often that MVNO carriers in Canada offer any unique discounts the major carriers. Instead, MVNOs can be a solid substitute when you want to save some money on your monthly phone bill. In many cases, you'll find similar coverage as major carriers like Rogers, Bell and Telus. Though you're likely to save upwards of $15 or more on your monthly bill. We've got more on how to switch carriers and how to keep your cell phone number in the process..

Some of the most popular MVNO plans are listed below:

iPhone 16 discounts

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Like clockwork, when a new series of iPhones is released, Apple places some modest discounts on previous generations of its smartphones. With iPhone 17 making its way to the market, iPhone 16's price has been dropped to $999.

So, with this in mind, if new features like the 48MP triple camera array on the iPhone 17 Pro Max or the thinner iPhone Air aren't all that compelling to you, the iPhone 16 is a phenomenal option. Last year, Apple introduced the new Camera Control button, giving users more flexibility and access to the Camera app with ease. iPhone 16 also introduced the A18 chipset, improving performance and power efficiency.

So, if you're looking at upgrading your device but not spending the full cost for an iPhone 17 series device, last year's iPhone 16 may be a better option for you and your budget. iPhone 16, and especially the Pro-level models, are fantastic devices, support Apple Intelligence and are compatible with iOS 26 upon its release. So, you're able to get many of the latest software improvements without hurting your wallet.

Here are the latest deals for the iPhone 16 from Canada's carriers.