Technologies

iPhone 17 Pro: Wild Orange Color, Bigger Zoom, A19 Pro Chip for $1,099

The iPhone 17 Pro’s vibrant Cosmic Orange color isn’t the only new feature. The phone has big upgrades across the board.

The iPhone 17 Pro has been officially unveiled as part of Apple’s «awe dropping» September event, alongside the base iPhone 17 and the super-skinny new iPhone Air. While the new Cosmic Orange color is definitely the eye-catching update to the Pro line, Apple’s new flagships have upgrades across the board, including a new supercharged A19 Pro processor and a longer 8x zoom camera.

The iPhone 17 Pro will go on sale with 256 GB of storage and a starting price of $1,099 (£1,099, AU$1,999), while the larger iPhone 17 Pro Max will start at $1,199. Preorders for the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are open now.

The iPhone 17 Pro has had a slight price hike from the iPhone 16 Pro’s $999 starting price last year. It now has double the storage and actually costs the same as the equivalent 256GB iPhone 16 Pro, putting to bed fears of significant price hikes due to Trump’s tariffs for the time being.

iPhone 17 Pro: Design and display

The biggest physical change is on the rear of the phone. The camera unit now stretches across the whole top of the phone rather than simply occupying a small square in the corner. The cameras themselves are still clustered in the same location as before, although Apple says the expanded space gives more room for batteries and for the updated telephoto zoom camera, which I’ll come to later.

The Pro models are now built from aluminum, instead of the titanium frames that debuted on the iPhone 15 Pro. It’s a unibody construction, which should make it especially durable — as should the new «Ceramic Shield» toughened glass on the front and back, which Apple says is 3x more scratch resistant. From the front, the phones remain almost indistinguishable from previous models, with only the Dynamic Island breaking the display in the small cutout towards the top. Apple has yet to confirm the water resistance rating of the phones, but it’s pretty safe to assume they’ll continue to be IP68-rated as has been the case with pretty much all iPhones since 2018.

The new range does bring some new colors; however, the vibrant-looking orange model is my personal favorite. I’ve found the Pro iPhone range often takes itself a bit too seriously, relying on darker or more muted tones. That new life-affirming orange color looks right up my street.

iPhone 17 Pro: Cameras

The Pro’s cameras have had a series of significant upgrades. The optical zoom now goes to 8x, doubling the range of the zoom on the last model. It offers an equivalent focal length of 200mm, which will be great for photographers wanting to really get in on the action from a distance. The telephoto camera’s sensor is 56% larger than before and offers 48 megapixels of resolution.

The hardware of the other cameras is largely unchanged, however, with no physical change to the sensors in the main or ultrawide cameras, and all three cameras offer 48 megapixels. The front camera has been updated, however, with a new square-format 18-megapixel sensor that allows for cropping in either horizontal or landscape orientation and better digital stabilization in video.

Video shooters haven’t been forgotten either; the Pro phones can now shoot in Apple’s ProRes Raw codec — an update to the existing ProRes codec that captures a lot more data at the point of capture, allowing for deeper and more accurate post processing. ProRes Raw, as Apple explains, is an industry standard in professional cinematic productions and seeing it on a phone is wild. As both a photographer, video producer and YouTuber, I’m excited.

iPhone 17 Pro: A19 Pro processor

The A19 Pro processor features an improved CPU and GPU, which Apple reckons can achieve 40% better performance than the iPhone 16 Pro. Keeping things cool is a new thermal management system that includes a vapor chamber that uses de-ionized water to actively cool the phone as it gets hot. The aluminum alloy also apparently dissipates heat 20x better than the titanium design of previous models.

iPhone 17 Pro: iOS 26

The iPhone 17 range will launch with the latest iOS 26 software on board. We’ve played around with iOS 26 in its early beta form, and the biggest changes are to the software’s look. Apple’s new «Liquid Glass» design leans into glasslike transparency in its menus and notification panels to achieve a brighter, more modern look.

From the images I’ve seen so far, I’m pretty keen on the style. CNET’s Blake Stimac has tested the beta and says, «underneath it all, Liquid Glass doesn’t reinvent the wheel, and that’s a good thing.» I find that encouraging. I can’t be bothered learning my way around an entirely new operating system, but I’m happy to see any tweaks that keep things feeling fresh.

iPhone 17 Pro: Battery

Apple says the iPhone 17 Pro packs the largest battery ever on an iPhone, which, as a result, delivers the best battery life ever from any iPhone. The company hasn’t been specific about exactly how big this battery is, but as always, we’ll be keen to see how it performs.

The iPhone Pro launched alongside other new Apple products, including the skinny iPhone Air, the latest AirPods Pro 3 with live translation and the Apple Watch Series 11, SE 3 and Watch Ultra 3. Don’t fancy the Pro iPhone? Apple also took the wraps off the base iPhone 17.

This is a developing story. Follow all of CNET’s 2025 Apple Event coverage for live updates, hands-on impressions, and more announcements as they’re revealed.

Technologies

Episode 3 of the VERUM AI Mini-Series Is Now Available

Verum Messenger has released the third episode of its AI mini-series, SHADOWS, created using Verum AI.

The new episode, titled «Ghost Money,» continues the story of the conflict between a team of heroes and the Omega corporation, which seeks to take control of digital communications. This time, the focus shifts to anonymous payments and financial freedom, revealing how privacy can extend beyond messaging.

Like the previous episodes, the new release not only advances the storyline but also showcases the capabilities of the Verum ecosystem, highlighting technologies designed for secure communication and digital privacy.

The mini-series consists of seven episodes, released gradually across Verum Messenger’s social media channels.

Episode 3 is now available. Stay tuned for the next chapter.

Watch on Instagram
Watch on YouTube

Technologies

Verum Finance Now Available for Mac, Expanding the Verum Ecosystem on Desktop

Verum has officially released Verum Finance for macOS, bringing its financial platform to the Mac and expanding access to the Verum ecosystem across Apple’s devices. The launch allows users to manage their finances from desktop while enjoying the same secure and seamless experience available on iPhone and iPad.

The new Mac version includes the full range of Verum Finance features, including balance management, instant transfers to other Verum users, debit card management, Apple Pay support, asset exchange, and transaction history — all optimized for the macOS experience.

Verum Finance can be used as a standalone application or alongside Verum Messenger. Users who sign in with their Verum Messenger account automatically synchronize their balances, settings, and account data across devices, ensuring a consistent experience throughout the Verum ecosystem.

The macOS release further strengthens Verum’s vision of creating an integrated digital platform where communication and financial services work together. Verum Messenger, which is also available for Mac, complements the ecosystem with encrypted messaging, voice and video calls, VPN, eSIM, anonymous email, AI-powered tools, offline communication capabilities, and cryptocurrency features.

With both Verum Messenger and Verum Finance now available across iPhone, iPad, and Mac, users can access secure communication and financial services wherever they work.

Verum Finance for Mac is available now through the Mac App Store.

Verum Finance for macOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/verum-finance/id6774245148
Verum Finance: https://finance.verum.im
Verum Messenger: https://verum.im

Technologies

Why Travelers Are Switching to Verum E-SIM This Summer

Summer Travel, Freedom, and Seamless Connectivity: Why Verum E-SIM Is Becoming the New Standard for Travelers

Summer is the peak season for vacations, long-distance trips, and new experiences. Millions of people travel abroad, explore new countries, plan adventures, and try to stay connected with family, work, and social media. And in the middle of all this comes a familiar question: how do you stay online without expensive roaming or the hassle of buying local SIM cards?

The answer is already here — eSIM.

Why eSIM Is So Convenient

eSIM (embedded SIM) is a built-in digital SIM card that lets you activate mobile internet without a physical card. All you need is an app — choose a plan and connect in just a couple of minutes.

No more:

* searching for local SIM cards at airports
* paying expensive roaming fees
* swapping physical SIMs every time you travel

Now your internet travels with you.

Internet in 150+ Countries

Modern eSIM solutions provide coverage in 150+ countries worldwide, helping tourists, freelancers, and business travelers stay connected almost anywhere on the planet.

Among the services offering these capabilities:

Verum E-SIM — https://esim.verum.im
World E-SIM — https://worldesim.me
USA E-SIM — https://usa.esim.verum.im
Euro E-SIM — https://euro.esim.verum.im
Canada E-SIM — https://canada.esim.verum.im
Balkan E-SIM — https://balkan.esim.verum.im
Ukraine E-SIM — https://ukraine.esim.verum.im
London E-SIM — https://london.esim.verum.im
E-SIM Africa — https://africa.esim.verum.im