The wait is finally over; September’s Apple event introduced the latest iPhone 17 series, Series 11 Apple Watches, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and the new AirPods Pro 3.
Was it awe-dropping as promised? Yes, in places, but as always, everyone’s abuzz with their love – or disdain – for the new gadgets. In particular, the iPhone 17 Pro has proved divisive, but in all honesty, most of the complaints here are very explainable (though, personally, I’m on board with the Cosmic Orange hate train.)
Elsewhere, another major event occurred this month; Meta Connect kicked off the next generation of its Ray-Ban collaboration smart glasses, including its first step towards the full Orion experience: the Meta Ray-Ban Display. I’ve tried them myself, and let me tell you, this is huge news.
This and more was discussed in the latest episode of the TechRadar podcast, where I was joined as always by Hamish Hector as well as Lance Ulanoff, Axel Metz, and Matt Evans. Check out the full episode for all of our first impressions and hands-on testing.
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The long and short of it is, this year’s series of iPhones feels more different from each other than they have in a long time – perhaps ever – and it’s not just down to the aesthetic differences between them. Each feels like it has a very specific target audience, and you just might not fit into one of those groups.
The iPhone 17 Pro stands out the most. From its limited color array to its rather brutalistic design and its immense camera capabilities, it makes sense why Apple’s Greg “Joz” Joswiak told TechRadar that the brand sees cameras as their competition, not other smartphones.
I’ve got an iPhone 15 Pro, and I’ve maintained for a while now that it’s the worst iPhone I’ve ever owned. I spent an awful lot of money on a device where, for the kind of photos and videos I want to capture (aka very amateur), the cameras can be too powerful and complex. That, and I’m pretty sure there’s an issue with mine, with some strange focus issues nobody seems able to diagnose. I don’t really game on it like I’d planned to, so all that compute power has effectively gone to waste since I bought it.
I’d naively thought that Pro was just a moniker for “really, really good” rather than, well, Pro; and I think a lot of customers have thought the same. But with the iPhone 17 series, I’m willing to bet it’s less likely for people to make the same mistake. The utilitarian approach to its design and the heavy emphasis on its use as a tool for creatives and working professionals mean this phone isn’t for everyone, and that’s OK. You’ll survive.
They really, really should have still dropped a black colorway, though.
Watch the full podcast episode above to find out more about the latest and greatest in tech, and who it’s best for!
