iPhone 17 in 2026: the standard model finally gets 120Hz, but the Pro leaves the catalogue

iPhone 17 in 2026: the standard model finally gets 120Hz

Published: 19 September 2026

The main criticism of the iPhone 16 standard model was its 60Hz display — 2026 reviews were almost unanimous about it. The iPhone 17 standard model fixes exactly that, moving to 120Hz ProMotion. It's the most concrete improvement of the generation.

But the 17 line-up faces an unusual situation: in September 2026 Apple raised prices instead of cutting them, and the iPhone 17 Pro disappeared from the catalogue.

In other words, the usual play — wait for the new model, buy last year's cheaper — did not work this year.

Here's the detail.

The short answer

The real dividing line is memory and AI tier — the three 12GB models (17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, Air) reach Apple's most advanced on-device model; the 8GB standard 17 stays at the standard tier.

The headline change: 120Hz on the standard model

The iPhone 17 is the first non-Pro iPhone to get 120Hz ProMotion. Apple confirms it on both the spec sheet and the press release.

That goes further than it sounds:

• The display gap between standard and Pro disappears — all four models are 120Hz, all with always-on, 3,000 nits peak outdoors and an anti-reflective coating
• The gap between the 17 and the 16 standard is larger than any previous generation step — don't treat them as "one year apart"

Also worth noting: the whole line-up now starts at 256GB; Apple dropped the 128GB tier for the 17 generation.

Apple Intelligence: three tiers, not two

Many people assume "Pro" means "better AI." That's true for the 17 generation — but it was false for the 16, where the 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max sat at the standard tier alongside the base models.

Apple has now formally named its most advanced on-device model: AFM Core Advanced, and its documentation lists exactly iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max (the 12GB devices).

The standard 17 is not on the AFM Core Advanced list. Among the features Apple currently confirms require that model, only expressive voice customisation is named explicitly; Advanced Dictation Preview is reported to be in the same group. Apple has published no complete feature comparison, so don't state that the gap is "only these two". The on-device storage budget also differs: 14GB for the Advanced tier, 8GB for standard.

But don't describe the standard 17 as "having no AI" either — it's a fully eligible model with the core iOS 27 Apple Intelligence features.

Siri AI: still absent from the EU

This is the single most important point for a French buyer.

In short: in France, an eligible iPhone gives you Apple Intelligence — but not Siri AI on mobile.

Don't confuse the two: Apple Intelligence supports French; Siri AI does not. French is among the languages announced for October 2026 — but for French-speaking countries outside the EU (Canada, Switzerland, Maghreb), not for France itself.

Prices in France: a rise, not a fall

2026 reversed the usual pattern.

On 9 September 2026, Apple raised prices instead of cutting them. Media reports attribute this to memory (DRAM/NAND) costs; it was a global phenomenon, not a French one (the price changes themselves are verifiable on Apple's stores — the cause is media reporting):

The iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max were removed from the Apple France catalogue on 9 September 2026. They remain available at some resellers while stock lasts, and on the refurbished market.

⚠️ Direct consequence: the rule "wait for the new model and pay less for the old one" did not hold in France in 2026. New prices went up and the top of the range left the catalogue. The new-versus-refurbished gap has to be recalculated, not assumed.

Refurbished prices in France (September 2026)

Warranties by retailer: Back Market 12 months commercial + 2-year legal guarantee, 30-day returns, battery guaranteed ≥ 85%; refurbed 12 months + 30-day returns; Boulanger / Materiel.net e-recycle 24-month legal guarantee; CertiDeal up to 30 months.

⚠️ One anomaly worth knowing: on the iPhone Air, the spread between retailers sometimes reaches 50% (CertiDeal lists €1,090–€1,110 versus €736 at Back Market). The difference buys a longer warranty — it is not a market price.

European version: what to check

iPhone 17 and 17 Pro units sold in France keep the nano-SIM tray. Apple France states "Dual SIM (nano-SIM and eSIM)". That is not universal — some markets receive eSIM-only 17/17 Pro units.

The iPhone Air is eSIM-only, worldwide. No physical tray anywhere, France included. Check your operator's eSIM support before buying — Orange, Sosh, SFR, RED, Bouygues, B&You and Free all offer it, with varying activation fees (often around €10, free at some).

No charger in the box — confirmed on Apple France's own page: iPhone, USB-C cable (1 m) and documentation only. A 20W adapter costs about €25 separately.

Satellite features: in France, only Emergency SOS via satellite and Find My via satellite are available. Messages via satellite and Roadside Assistance are not offered in France (limited to the US, Canada, Mexico and Japan). Separately, iPhones bought in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao or Russia have no satellite capability at all.

Warranty and repair in France

Legal guarantee of conformity: 2 years, unchanged. It applies to new goods and to refurbished goods bought from a professional.

Presumption of defect (the defect is presumed to have existed at the time of sale; the seller must prove otherwise): 24 months for new goods, but only 12 months for second-hand — the category refurbished goods legally fall into (art. L217-7 of the French Consumer Code). In practice, on a refurbished iPhone it falls to you to prove the defect after the first year.

Directive (EU) 2024/1799 on repair — applying to contracts concluded from 31 July 2026:

• The manufacturer must repair, at the consumer's request, certain "repairable" products — including smartphones — including after the legal guarantee expires. The repair is at a reasonable price (not necessarily free) and within a reasonable time; the manufacturer may refuse only if repair is technically impossible.
• When the consumer chooses repair, the seller's liability is extended once by 12 months.
• ⚠️ There is no "5 to 10 year right to repair". The figure in circulation refers to spare-parts availability under the ecodesign regulations: 7 years for smartphones (Regulation (EU) 2023/1670), up to 10 years for certain large appliances. Those periods run from placing on the market, not from your purchase.
• ⚠️ French transposition: France appeared not to have published its transposing text as of September 2026 — check the effective entry into force before relying on it.

Battery replacement (Apple, out of warranty): €109 for the iPhone 17, €135 for the Air, 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max. The state bonus réparation is €25 for a smartphone (not €50, which is reserved for large appliances), at a QualiRépar-labelled repairer.

Repairability index: the French index for smartphones no longer exists — it was abrogated in 2025 and replaced by the EU energy label's A–E repairability class. All four 17-series models are rated C (energy: A).

⚠️ Note: unlike the old French index, the EU class does not factor in spare-part prices. Apple also disputes the EU methodology (drop-test definitions, sample size).

No service programme or recall covers the 17 line-up to date.

Known points

Camera plateau edge wear (17 Pro / 17 Pro Max)

This is the most consistent wear point on this generation: the coating chips along the sharp edges of the camera plateau, exposing bare aluminium. Dark colourways (Deep Blue, Cosmic Orange) show it more.

iFixit's analysis attributes the cause to edge geometry (no chamfer), not the switch from titanium to aluminium. Apple classes these marks as normal wear: not covered by warranty, and not by AppleCare+.

Display: the Ceramic Shield 2 glass is the most praised strength — markedly more scratch-resistant than the previous generation.

Thermals: the 17 Pro's vapour chamber ended the long-running overheating criticism of the Pro models. The iPhone Air has none and throttles under sustained load.

iPhone Air: a single speaker (no stereo — a first since the iPhone 6s era), a single camera, and no Cinematic mode or spatial video. Media report that its production line has stopped; Apple has announced no discontinuation and still lists it as a normal on-sale product.

Who is it for?

Before buying: with the 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max gone from the Apple France catalogue, new-stock availability is shrinking. On refurbished units, check the camera plateau edges and battery health.

See what our grades mean or our refurbished versus new comparison.

More in this series

• iPhone 13 (13 / mini / Pro / Pro Max)
• iPhone 14 (14 / Plus / Pro / Pro Max)
• iPhone 15 (15 / Plus / Pro / Pro Max)
• iPhone 16 (16 / Plus / Pro / Pro Max)

Sources and notes

Sources (checked 19 September 2026):

• Specs / AI tiers / Siri AI — Apple's official tech-spec pages (support.apple.com/en-us/125089–125092, en-us and en-hk versions), Apple Newsroom press releases dated 9 September 2025, Apple support documents 121115 (Apple Intelligence device list) and 127893 (Siri AI, published 14 September 2026).
• Apple France prices and availability — apple.com/fr, read on 19 September 2026.
• Refurbished prices — Back Market, refurbed.fr, Fnac, Darty, Boulanger, Materiel.net, CertiDeal; observed April–September 2026, and these are ranges rather than firm prices. Back Market and CertiDeal could not be queried live (403 / DNS): their figures come from dated snapshots and trade press.
• Repair and warranty — Apple France pricing. Legal framework verified on Legifrance (art. L. 217-3, L. 217-7 C. conso.; art. R. 122-4; art. L. 321-1 C. com.) and EUR-Lex (Directive (EU) 2024/1799, Regulation (EU) 2023/1670).
• Memory and battery capacity: Apple publishes neither. Figures cited come from third-party sources and may diverge.
• Siri AI in the EU: no announced date. Don't promise it to any customer.
• Prices: September 2026 readings. They move constantly — re-check before buying.
• Apple has not acknowledged any of the wear described as an official defect; those descriptions come from teardown analysis and user reports.