Not hyped about the iPhone 17? Same. But upgrading might still be worth it

Yes, there's a new model in the mix – the iPhone 17 Air, which is supposed to be super thin and ultra light. And sure, the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are getting actual upgrades, like improved telephoto cameras and a refreshed design and new colors (though whether that design is actually better… that's a whole separate debate).

But the regular iPhone 17? Meh. It doesn't seem all that interesting to me. Again.

And yet – I am excited and it's the software that's stealing my attention this time.

Most of the leaks and rumors are usually all about hardware. New colors! Thinner bezels! Cameras! Titanium! But what often gets overlooked in the hype cycle is the other major thing that arrives with every new iPhone: a fresh version of iOS. And this year, that means iOS 26.

Apple already gave us a preview of the new update earlier this year, and it's even out in public beta now if you're brave enough to try it. Otherwise, you'll have to wait for the iPhone 17 launch for the stable release.

And iOS 26 is bringing a lot. One of the biggest changes is a new design language called Liquid Glass. If you follow Apple news at all, you've probably heard about it. It is Apple's take on a slick, dynamic UI that plays with light, transparency and motion to give everything a futuristic glass-like look. Think reflections, refractions, and shimmer.

Now, of course, not everyone is loving it. There's been some very real criticism about readability, which is valid. But it seems like Apple is listening and already dialing it back a bit since the original preview. So I'm holding off on judging the looks until we get the final build. Let's just see how things land when the dust settles.

It's not all about gimmicks – it's about usefulness, too

While Apple has been slow in rolling out more advanced AI features – and I think it is still clearly trailing behind Google and Samsung – this latest update actually brings useful tools. And that's exactly why I'm excited. Finally, we are getting features that don't fall into the AI gimmick category.

You know the type: Genmojis or tools that let you change the sky in your photo or turn yourself into a mermaid. Sorry, folks, but using AI for that kind of stuff? That's just not why I love tech.

There's already more than enough fake content out there. Do we really need tech companies making it even easier to blur the line between real and not? At this point, you can't scroll through Reels or look something up without wondering if it's legit or AI-generated nonsense. But hey – that's a rant for another time.

Back to iOS 26. This might actually be the update that gets me to switch to the iPhone 17. I'm still using my iPhone 13 mini, and while it will get iOS 26 – just like every model back to the iPhone 11 – it won't support Apple Intelligence.

And like I said, while some of the AI stuff still feels gimmicky, iOS 26 is also bringing genuinely useful features. The one I'm most interested in? The big upgrade to Visual Intelligence.

Apple Intelligence has been kind of hit or miss so far (ok, mostly miss), but Visual Intelligence looks like something I'd actually use. Android phones have had similar tools for a while now – Google Lens, Circle to Search, and others – and now iOS users are finally getting something on that level.

And it's not just about pointing your camera at things anymore. Visual Intelligence in iOS 26 works with whatever's on your screen, too. So if you take a screenshot, you can highlight text and search it (basically Apple's version of Circle to Search), ask ChatGPT for more info, or even extract event details and add them to your calendar.

 
You can also search the entire image directly – just like with Google Lens. It's simple, fast, and actually useful.

Then there's the updated Phone app, which now uses AI to screen calls. Finally. No more spam calls, scam calls, or awkwardly declining that one person from your past who just won't take the hint. This is exactly what I want AI to do – save me time and energy, not draw cartoons of me riding a unicorn through space. There, I said it.

However, I'll give credit where it's due – there are a few creative AI features that are actually pretty cool. Apple did sneak in one creative feature I actually like. You can turn your regular photos into 3D, which makes for some really cool-looking wallpapers with depth effects. The clock and widgets slide behind objects for that layered look. It's not fake, it's just fun.

Oh, and offline live translation? Yes, please. iOS 26 finally brings it and it's one of those features that just makes sense – especially when traveling a lot.

So yeah, this time around, it's not the hardware tempting me to upgrade – it's the software. And honestly, I think a lot of you might feel the same way. If you've got an iPhone 16 or one of the iPhone 15 Pro models, you'll still get the full experience, so probably no need. But for the rest of us? Some of these features are just out of reach… and they're starting to look really tempting.

What about you? Is software enough to make you consider upgrading? Or do the hardware changes have to be big too? Let me know in the comments – I'd love to hear what matters most to you.