My First 48 Hours with the iPhone 17 Pro: A Geek’s Deep Dive

Jorge M

Jorge M

— 3 min read
My First 48 Hours with the iPhone 17 Pro: A Geek’s Deep Dive

I’ve spent the last two days living with the iPhone 17 Pro, and let me tell you—it’s been a fascinating mix of “wow, this is next-gen” and “wait, why did Apple do that?” Here’s my breakdown of what it’s really like to upgrade.

1. The Feel in Hand

Coming from the 13 Pro Max, the first thing I noticed is the grip. My old phone’s mirror-polished stainless steel edges had just enough resistance that I could confidently use it naked (no case, no problem). The 17 Pro, though? Its aluminum alloy frame is sleek—too sleek. Combine that with the lighter weight, and ironically, it feels easier to drop. It’s like Apple gave me a soap bar with a ProMotion display.

2. Photography: The Showstopper

This is where the 17 Pro flexes hard. Night photography is miles better. Dark backgrounds stay clean, city lights pop without blowing out, and the 8x zoom isn’t just a gimmick—it’s legit usable. I even compared it to my APS-C camera, and honestly, the phone held its own.
Fun fact: those eagle shots and the ones of Jersey City in my album? All taken on the 8x zoom lens. A phone camera giving my dedicated gear a run for its money—that’s wild.

3. Battery Life: Reality Check

Day one was a rollercoaster. Four hours of screen time chewed through 50%, six hours drained 80%. To be fair, the phone was syncing with iCloud all day, so it was working overtime.
By day two, things stabilized a bit. Fully charged overnight, I unplugged at 100%, and by 3 PM, I was staring at 10%. Six hours of screen-on time, no gaming, but plenty of browsing and Youtube. Verdict: it’ll last a day, but just barely. The “all-day battery” marketing might need an asterisk.

4. Charging Quirks

Here’s where things got weird. At 80%, charging just… stopped. The phone claimed it was overheating, but in my hand, it felt barely warm. This reminded me of GeekBay’s teardown commentary: the 17 Pro’s CPU scheduling is super conservative, with very low thermal thresholds.
Good news though: on day two, charging behaved normally again. My trusty old 20W charger juiced it from 0 to 100 in about 50 minutes.

5. Signal: Déjà Vu

Apple fans have long dreamed of better reception, but… nope. My 13 Pro Max couldn’t get a bar in my basement garage, and the 17 Pro is just as helpless. Some things never change.

6. Display Magic (PWM Dimming FTW)

This might be my favorite surprise. On my 13 Pro Max, early-morning doomscrolling in bed always ended with watery eyes, thanks to the PWM dimming. On the 17 Pro, that’s gone. No tears, no strain. Add to that a much smarter auto-brightness system—it still dims aggressively, but now the screen stays viewable—and suddenly, the upgrade feels tangible. The screen isn’t just prettier, it’s kinder to my eyes.

Final Thoughts

After two days, the iPhone 17 Pro feels like Apple doubled down on optics and ergonomics but played it ultra-safe with power management. The camera system is the star of the show, the display is genuinely eye-friendly, and the battery life… well, let’s just say I’m keeping a charger nearby.

Is it a game-changer? If you live on your camera and screen, absolutely. If you were hoping for stronger signal or a dramatic leap in endurance, temper your expectations. But as a geek who loves pushing tech to its limits, the 17 Pro has already given me plenty to geek out about—and that’s exactly what I wanted.

Geek Ratings (First 48 Hours)

  • Camera: 9.5/10 – Legit pro-level, especially in low light and zoom.
  • Grip/Build: 6/10 – Too slippery for comfort; a case feels mandatory.
  • Battery: 7/10 – Serviceable, but no “all-day” crown.
  • Charging: 7.5/10 – Fast enough, but that weird 80% cutoff shook my trust.
  • Signal: 5/10 – Same dead zones as before.
  • Display: 9/10 – Easier on the eyes, auto-brightness finally tolerable.
  • Overall Geek Score: 8/10 – A safe but satisfying upgrade if you care about visuals.

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