Apple finally gave us what we’ve been asking for
The dust has settled from Apple’s big September event, and while the new cameras and faster chips in the iPhone 17 lineup are nice, the two most important upgrades are the ones we’ve been demanding for years. Notably, Apple has officially ditched the 128GB storage tier for its base models. That’s right, the entire iPhone 17 family now starts at a much more reasonable 256GB.This is a change that is long, long overdue. In an age of 4K video, high-resolution photos, and ever-growing app sizes, 128GB has felt less like a starting point and more like a roadblock for a while now. It was a clear tactic to nudge customers toward the more expensive, higher-capacity models, and it’s a relief to see it go.But Apple didn’t stop there. The other major piece of news is that the standard iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Plus now feature the 120Hz ProMotion display. For years, this silky-smooth screen technology was reserved for the pricier “Pro” models, leaving the standard iPhones feeling sluggish compared to similarly-priced Android competitors. Having a flagship phone in 2025 with a 60Hz screen was becoming a bit of a joke, and Apple has finally rectified it.
Why this is a win for everyone (even Android users)
256GB is now the starting storage on all new iPhone models. | Image credit — Apple
Look, I know it’s easy to roll your eyes at Apple news if you’re an Android user, but this is one of those times when what Apple does really matters for all of us. For better or worse, Apple is the market-mover. When they make a big change, the rest of the industry tends to follow, and this shift is unequivocally pro-consumer.Frankly, I was disappointed when Google and Samsung launched the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25 FE with 128GB base models. It felt like they were playing it safe, waiting for Apple to make the first move. Well, Apple just did. Now, the pressure is squarely on Samsung and Google. It’s going to be incredibly difficult for them to justify launching a premium phone in 2026 that starts with half the storage of the base model iPhone.
This creates a new baseline. The 256GB starting tier will become the new standard, just like 64GB and then 128GB did before it. The same goes for the 120Hz display. Now that every new iPhone has a high-refresh-rate screen, it solidifies the feature as a must-have for any phone aspiring to be considered “premium.” It removes one of the last major advantages that Android phones held over the standard iPhone, forcing them to compete on other fronts. This is how the entire market gets better, and we, the consumers, are the ones who benefit from that competition.
It’s about time, Apple
My honest take? It’s a massive relief. It was getting tiring to see Apple, a company that prides itself on premium experiences, hamstring its most popular phones with insufficient storage and a dated screen technology. That always felt like a cheap move, and I’m genuinely glad they’ve moved past it. Furthermore, it’s just a little ironic that Apple, so often criticized for being slow to adopt new standards, is the one to force the industry’s hand on this one after being relentlessly shaded about it.
This move completely changes the value proposition of the standard iPhone. Before, I’d often hesitate to recommend the base model, suggesting people either pay up for more storage or look at an older Pro model to get a better all-around experience. Now? The iPhone 17 is a complete package right out of the box. It’s the phone for just about everyone, without the major asterisks that used to come with it.
Will I be buying one? As I am mainly an Android user (even though I also use an iPhone, an iPad, and a MacBook), probably not, but I am incredibly thankful this happened. This makes my decision-making for my next Android phone that much easier, because I fully expect the Pixel 11 and next-gen Galaxy S series to come with 256GB of storage as standard. Apple just raised the tide, and all the other boats are going to have to rise with it.
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