The iPhone 17 reviews are in, and there’s good news for gamers

It’s the day that Apple superfans have been waiting for: the big release of the iPhone 17 series. While the tech giant introduced the world to its latest flagship lineup a couple of weeks ago, we’re only just getting the first iPhone 17 reviews from the big-name tech sites lucky enough to get a pre-launch handset.

For those who don’t know, the iPhone 17 series consists of the new base model, two new premium versions in the form of the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, plus the new iPhone Air. During the launch event, Apple highlighted the performance gains of the A19 chip inside the iPhone 17, as well as the A19 Pro chip in the three other new models, setting high expectations in terms of gaming capabilities. Well, according to the early scores, it looks like Apple was justified in putting the spotlight on performance, as we might have some new entries for our guide to the best iPhones for gaming on our hands.

In his iPhone 17 review, Engadget’s Billy Steele awarded the cheapest flagship a 91/100 score, praising the 120Hz display and performance boosts while describing the phone as a “capable mobile gaming device.” The phone also has a big fan in Tom’s Guide’s John Velasco, who scored the iPhone 17 as a 4.5/5 in his review, describing the A19’s chip as “outstanding.” Those are just two of the initial iPhone 17 reviews, but the others read very similarly, suggesting that the phone is worth upgrading to even if you’re currently using last year’s model.

As for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, Wired’s Julian Chokkattu gave the pair of premium flagships a joint 9/10 score, highlighting the “fantastic battery life,” as well as improvements to thermal management. Engadget’s Cherlynn Low was similarly enthusiastic about the devices, describing them as “a serious leap” compared to last year’s equivalent models in her 93/100 review. That’s just a snapshot, but as a site primarily focused on how well the new phones perform when running the best iPhone games, we’re very pleased to hear that it sounds like the new phones are more than capable.

Last, but not least, we’ve got the iPhone Air. TechRadar’s Jacob Krol scored the Air a respectable 4 out of 5, commending the “sleek and stunning design” as well as the “plenty fast” A19 chip. Gizmodo’s Raymond Wong gave the Air the same score, pointing out the phone’s “17 Pro-level performance.” However, both reviewers noted that the ultra-thin Apple phone is a bit disappointing in terms of battery life and that it gets warm when performing high-intensity tasks, so that might be worth keeping in mind if you’re looking for a phone with gaming in mind.

All in all, it looks like all four handsets in the iPhone 17 series lineup are worth checking out, especially if you’re looking for something with plenty of gaming firepower. While the phone is now available to buy in stores, our iPhone 17 pre-order guide is still full of great deals from a range of retailers and providers, so you can pick up whichever best suits your needs.

It’s worth noting that we’ve only just got our hands on the iPhone 17 Pro Max, but we’ll be putting together our thoughts surrounding the premium flagship over the next week or so before a full review. If you want to check out the iPhone 17’s competition before spending your money, be sure to check out our guide to the best gaming phones while you’re here. Or, for more top-tier Apple tech, see our list of the best iPads for gaming.