Apple’s iPhone 17 Launches with a Charging Breakthrough That Could Change Everything—Are You Ready?

Apple’s back at it again, dropping the new iPhone 17 lineup like a mic and boldly bragging about battery life that promises to keep you scrolling, streaming, and selfie-snapping longer than ever. But here’s the kicker—can charging up to 50% in just 20 minutes really save you from that dreaded battery anxiety, or is it just another tech tease? Rolling out this Friday, the iPhone 17, 17 Pro, and Pro Max hit the shelves alongside a fresh Apple Watch and AirPods, answering years of desperate pleas for speedier charging and longer juice. And just when you thought thin phones couldn’t go any slimmer, hello iPhone Air at a jaw-dropping 5.6mm thick—talk about a pocket-friendly powerhouse. Curious what else Apple packed into these shiny gadgets? Well, buckle up; you’re in for some camera magic, color drama, and precision gadget-finding that might just save your AirPods from the laundry abyss. Ready to dive in? LEARN MORE

Apple has made a bold claim about the battery life of its new iPhone 17 range ahead of its launch this week.

The new iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max models go on sale on Friday September 19 (they’re available for pre-order now) alongside a new Apple Watch and AirPods.

For years now, fans have been begging for longer battery life and faster charging – and it seems their prayers have finally been answered.

According to Apple, the new handsets can be charged up to 50 percent in just 20 minutes with a USB-C power adapter (however the ultra-thin iPhone Air will still be around the same charging time as its predecessor).

So what else can shoppers look forward to? Below, we’ve rounded up some of the other features people are most looking forward to.

Justin Sullivan/ Getty Images

iPhone 17 battery life

It’s all well and good that the phone can now reach 50% faster than ever before, but how much scrolling time does this actually buy you?

Here are Apple’s estimated video playback times compared to the previous version:

• iPhone 16 Pro: 27 hours
• iPhone 17 Pro: 33 hours
• iPhone 16 Pro Max: 33 hours
• iPhone 17 Pro Max: 39 hours
• iPhone Air: 27 hours

How thin is the iPhone Air?

If the size and scale of the standard iPhone, and the iPhone Pro Max in particular has always put you off, then you’ll love the iPhone Air.

Measuring in at just 5.6mm thin, this is the slimmest iPhone yet.

Apple said: “Despite being much thinner and lighter, iPhone Air still gets amazing all-day battery life,”

“Our intention was to make an iPhone that feels like a piece of the future, powerful, yet so thin and light it seems to disappear in your hands.”

“The 48MP Fusion Main camera with 2x Telephoto supports the latest advanced features like next-generation portraits and more,” they added.

Despite the thinness, Apple insists this will be the ‘most durable yet’.

It will set you back £999, which is £100 less than the 17 Pro, but £200 more than the 17 model, which has taken fans by surprise.

The iPhone Air is the slimmest one yet (Photo by NIC COURY/AFP via Getty Images)

Camera improvements

Whether you love capturing a sunset, or you use your phone for filming the latest TikTok trend, we all love an iPhone camera.

Some major upgrades have been put in place for the iPhone 17. These include the ‘Centre Stage’ front camera, perfect for nailing those selfies or talking to camera videos. It helps to keep you at the centre of the frame at all times.

Apple promises high-resolution selfies whether in portrait or landscape, and recording on the go just got a lot easier with stabilised selfies while moving.

They’re aiming for these to be the must-have phone for content creators.

The 17 Pro features an impressive new Telephoto camera lens with 4x and 8x zoom, and best-ever digital zoom, plus improvements to the now-‘Fusion’ Ultra Wide lens.

There’s also a Dual Capture feature that lets you record with the front and rear cameras at the same time.

AirPods Pro 3 precision finding

Good news if you’re the sort of person who always loses your AirPods.

The iPhone 17 and the iPhone Air can pair up with the new AirPods Pro 3 thanks to their new case and the phone’s Ultra Wideband technology.

It will be able to narrow down the location of the AirPods like never before (hopefully before you put them through the washing machine by mistake. Whoops.)

People aren’t keen on the new colour schemes (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

iPhone colours

For some people, all that really matters is the colour scheme. A few feathers have been ruffled about the range of shades this time, especially for the iPhone 17 Pro.

“You know who really wants the better cameras? Women”, fumed one poster, adding: “Women do not want orange or navy. Where are the cute colours?”

Another joked that the Pro shades were made with dads in mind.

You can always add a different colour case if they don’t have your signature hue.

• iPhone 17: Lavender, Mist Blue, Sage, Black, and White.
• iPhone Air: Space Black, Cloud White, Light Gold, and Sky Blue.
• iPhone 17 Pro and Max: Cosmic Orange, Silver, and Deep Blue.