What you're actually paying for
Let's be honest: £989 with zero discount is not a deal in any conventional sense. The community heat on this one reflects availability and newness more than value. What you're paying for is Apple's latest Pro silicon, a titanium frame, the improved camera system (notably better low-light and the tetraprism telephoto), and that Cosmic Orange finish which is, depending on your taste, either bold or a bit much.
The 256 GB base tier is the sticking point. For a phone at this price, it's the minimum. If you shoot ProRes video regularly, you'll fill it faster than you'd like.
The amortisation argument
Spread £989 over three years of daily use and you're looking at roughly 90p a day. iPhones at this tier hold their value better than most Android flagships, so a resale after two or three years softens the blow considerably. If you're upgrading from an iPhone 12 or earlier, the jump in performance, camera and battery is substantial enough to feel justified. Coming from a 15 Pro? Harder to make the case.
The honest weaknesses of this segment
Pro-tier smartphones, across all brands, have a persistent problem: the ceiling of what most people actually use daily is well below what these phones offer. Most buyers will never touch ProRes, never use the macro lens, never notice the difference in chip performance during scrolling. You're partly paying for headroom you won't occupy.
There's also no charger in the box. At this price, that's still a bit grim.
Who it actually suits
If you're a photographer, video creator, or someone who genuinely keeps phones for four-plus years, the Pro makes sense. If you want a new iPhone and aren't fussed about the camera system, the standard 17 saves you a meaningful chunk and does 90% of the same job.
