Orange is the new black

One of the new colours for the Apple iPhone 17 Pro is Cosmic Orange and is immensely popular in Thailand. 

Though the phone also comes in Deep Blue, which looks fantastic and not just because I have it, and Silver. For the first time in years, no black iPhone Pro is available, though that isn’t a bad thing. Though the question of the hour is that those with the bright orange phone, how long before you get sick of it?

This is Apple’s first complete design of the iPhone, beginning with the swap for aluminium from titanium. it has also stopped the 128GB option for the iPhone 17 Pro, raising the price at the entry level of the phone. The 6.3-inch screen size comes as no shock to me, as I’ve upgraded from an iPhone 16 Pro Max. 

Despite Apple's reassurance that “scratchgate” can be wiped off, I haven’t bothered to test it and have a TechWoven case on it. My only minus is that the phone isn’t as heavy as the iPhone Pro Max and I’ve added the MagSafe Wallet to add to the weight. I like big things, I cannot lie. But this has led me to notice that the new wallets stain quite easily and are harder to clean. 

After a month and more of usage, I am not too sure about the battery life, as some days it lasts longer and other days it doesn’t. Though this would be due to the type of usage, as I do tend to take a lot of videos. The charging is super fast with a lightning cable...another huge win for Apple, which has lagged behind in fast charging compared to other brands.

This leads to praise for the camera, as I always save the best for last. Equipped with a 48MP Fusion main camera, a 48MP ultrawide and a 48MP 4x telephoto lens on the back, the iPhone 17 Pro leaves noting to the imagination. Even the front camera has been upgraded to an 18MP. The zoom on this phone is unreal and every time I am taking a picture of the moon, I am left in awe… at the zoom, not so much the moon. That’s saying a lot!

The only minus for me with the camera is that while I have still to adjust to a smaller phone, somehow the same angled photographs don’t fit in the frame of Instagram stories… talk about first world problems. Portrait photography is taken to the next level on this phone, as is the focus. I’m tempted to take passport pictures on it. 

I need to mention that this is also the first smartphone that lets you turn from a portrait to a landscape mode without turning the phone 90 degrees, while taking a selfie. And a huge shout out to the dual video mode, because while what I am filming is beautiful, I can also look amazing while doing it. Think sunrise or sunset videos with the glow of the sun on your face at the same time. Win, win and win! 

The iPhone 17 Pro, like all the iPhone 17 models, comes with iOS 26, which is a major update to the Lock Screen and Home Screen, making them more personal and expressive than ever. The new design with Liquid Glass makes apps and system experiences more expressive. Apple Intelligence translates text and audio on the go with Live Translation in Messages, FaceTime and Phone. iOS 26, which is also how Apple will name all future updates, is basically the iOS 18, but named after the year, also introduces new features in CarPlay, Apple Music, Maps and Wallet, as well as Apple Games, a brand-new app that gives players a single destination for all their games.

If you use a phone predominantly to take photos and videos on a daily basis, this is the phone for you. Though it does well with gamers, too. I’m happy with my iPhone 17 Pro just for one simple reason — the ability to capture life as it happens has gotten so much better.