December 5, 2025
It’s a tired concept. “Every year Apple releases the same product, but slightly improved.” Implying the amount of perceivable improvement has plateaued.
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iPhone 13 | iPhone 15 | iPhone 17 | iPhone 13 Pro | iPhone 15 Pro | iPhone 17 Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ram | 4GB | 6GB | 8GB | 6GB | 8GB | 12GB |
Storage Min | 128GB | 128GB | 256GB | 128GB | 128GB | 256GB |
CPU | A15 | A16 | A19 | A15 | A17 Pro | A19 Pro |
Passmark Benchmark | 33,692 | 36,327 | 46,536 | 34,716 | 40,675 | 48,000 |
Screen | 6.1 Inch | 6.1 Inch | 6.3 Inch | 6.1 Inch | 6.1 Inch | 6.3 Inch |
Battery | 3227mAh | 3349mAh | 3692mAh | 3095mAh | 3274mAh | 4252mAh |
Camera | 12 MP | 48MP | 48MP | 12MP | 48MP | 48MP |
As demonstrated by the chart above, the new iPhone 17 includes a significant improvement to battery life and a small jump in RAM capacity, in comparison to the iPhone 13 and 15 models. However, if we compare the iPhone 16 to the iPhone 17, the improvements are only marginal.
iP16 | iP17 | iP16 Pro | iP17 Pro | ||
RAM | 8GB | 8GB | 8GB | 12GB | |
Min Storage | 128GB | 256GB | 128GB | 256GB | |
CPU | A18 | A19 |
| A18 Pro | A19 Pro |
PassMark Benchmark | 41,249 | 46,536 | 42,980 | 48,000 | |
Battery | 3561mAh | 3692mAh | 3582mAh | 4252mAh | |
Screen Size | 6.1 Inch | 6.3 Inch | 6.3 Inch | 6.3 Inch |
When comparing the iPhone 17 to devices only a few years older, the idea that we’ve reached an exponential plateau becomes harder to believe.
Yes, it’s true that upgrading from an iPhone 16 to an iPhone 17 will only be a slight improvement. But if your current iPhone is several years old, the new iPhone 17 will be a significant improvement to both performance and battery life.
Much of the buzz surrounding Apple’s launch of the iPhone 17 has surrounded the Air model. Discerning consumers have pointed out the sacrifices Apple has made to reduce the thickness of this device. The Air model lacks Apple’s latest heat pipe cooling system, which leverages the higher thermal conductivity of aluminum over titanium to dissipate excess heat. Because of this, early benchmarks have shown that the Air model falls short of even the base iPhone 17 in performance. With the Air model costing $200 more than the base model, many have decided to stick with the base model or spring for the Pro.
With Apple’s addition of the Air model to their lineup, they have dropped the popular Plus model. Many are disappointed, as you now need to spend an additional $400 to get a larger screen.
Gone are the days of lining up at the Apple store for the newest iPhone, but that does not mean the improvements have stopped. While it may not make sense to upgrade from an iPhone 16, if you’re currently using an iPhone 15 or older you are likely to notice a significant performance increase with the base model iPhone 17. Looking for advice on upgrading your company’s fleet? Contact LINQ for more information.