The iPhone 17 Gets Rs. 8,500 Cheaper Right Before Dashain!

Whenever Apple rolls out a new iPhone series, prices usually come down after a couple of months. But breaking that trend, the base variant of the iPhone 17 instead got a price hike — and it stayed there for a little while. Now things seem to be falling into place as the iPhone 17 finally receives a price cut.

Even with the price hike, I thought the base iPhone 17 was more worth it than ever. Now that’s just a no-brainer. Why? Well, let’s dive right in and find out.

What is the Price of the iPhone 17 in Nepal?

The iPhone 17 price in Nepal now stands at Rs. 1,64,999 for the 256GB variant, down from the previous price of Rs. 1,73,499. As for the 512GB trim, the price remains unchanged at Rs. 2,08,999.

Despite receiving a significant price cut, the phone still costs a lot more than its original launch price of Rs. 1,57,299. Regardless, you still get a complimentary 20W Original Adapter and Shield Pro with your purchase of the phone. As a part of the Shield Pro offer, you receive two-time screen and back glass replacement for free, and a one-year extended warranty (two years in total).

If you are looking to get the iPhone 17 in the Kathmandu Valley, you can visit the Next Nine Store at The Park (Ground Floor), Durbarmarga. Meanwhile, if you are from around Hetuada, you can visit the Sherisha Mobile Hub.

iPhone launches over the past few years have felt a little underwhelming. From the infamous Dynamic Island to the Action Button, the updates have looked less “revolutionary” and more like filler features nobody really asked for.

However, with iPhone 17, it felt as if Apple was finally shifting gears. Instead of chasing flashy gimmicks, this phone brought features that could actually make a difference in everyday use. I’m talking about the addition of Center Stage on the front camera and the ProMotion display.

What are those? Let’s break it down, starting with the specs.

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iPhone 17 Overview

Design and Display

The base iPhone 17 doesn’t fall too far from the tree compared to last year’s iPhone 16. With the same pill-shaped linear camera bump, even 16 users could probably pass their phone off as the new one at first glance.

That said, Apple did make one noticeable change: the size. The iPhone 17 is bigger all around; it’s taller, wider, and yes, even thicker than last year. The display has also been bumped up to 6.3 inches from the previous 6.1 inches on the base model.

Build-wise, you get aluminum on all sides paired with what Apple calls a Color-Infused Glass back. Unlike regular painted finishes, the tint is integrated directly into the glass itself. This year’s lineup comes in five shades: Black, White, Mist Blue, Sage, and Lavender.

The button layout is business as usual, still featuring the Action Button and dedicated Camera Control. On the front, it’s still a Super Retina XDR OLED with HDR10 and Dolby Vision support, but now stretched to a slightly higher resolution of 1206 × 2622 pixels. That works out to about 460 ppi, which Apple seems to have locked in as its sweet spot.

And here’s the real kicker: the base iPhone 17 finally gets ProMotion. That means buttery-smooth 120Hz refresh rates across the board. Of course, Android rivals like Samsung, OnePlus, and even Redmi and Infinix have had this for years (often at half the price), but for iPhone users, it’s a big win nonetheless.

Apple has also upgraded the front glass to Ceramic Shield 2, claiming better scratch resistance. As for drop protection? Let’s just say you’ll still want to invest in a solid case. Or let the complementary Shield Pro take care of it.

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Camera

Moving to the cameras, the main sensor stays mostly unchanged. You’re still looking at a 48MP primary lens with sensor-shift OIS, the same setup Apple has been using since the iPhone 15. But there’s a notable upgrade on the ultrawide side.

Apple has swapped out the old 12MP lens for a new 48MP ultrawide, which should make a big difference for landscapes and group shots.

The real headline, though, is up front. Apple has finally given the base iPhone a serious selfie upgrade with an 18MP Center Stage camera. This was Apple’s “big thing” for 2025, and the good thing is they didn’t gatekeep it to the Pro series.

Looking back, Apple probably planned to only release the iPhone 18 Pro series and its first-ever folding phone, the iPhone Duo, this year, with no follow-up for the base model. And by giving the iPhone 17 its highlight feature of the year, it would carry the base model through to 2026.

I’m speculating here. But it doesn’t seem too far-fetched. Anyway… It uses a 24MP square sensor under the hood, which lets you take vertical and horizontal selfies without physically rotating your phone. Pretty clever, and honestly more useful than the flashy gimmicks we’ve seen in past launches.

As for video, both the front and rear cameras can shoot 4K Dolby Vision at up to 60fps, which is still some of the best video quality you’ll find on a smartphone.

Hardware and Other

Apple never really gives us the full picture when it comes to what’s inside an iPhone. With the iPhone 17, we know it’s running on the new A19 chip with a 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine. But as usual, Apple’s official spec sheet skips the actual clock speeds, making direct comparisons with past models a bit tricky.

What Apple does claim is that the iPhone 17’s CPU is 40% faster than the iPhone 15, the GPU is 80% faster, and you’ll squeeze out 10 extra hours of video playback compared to the 15. Hard numbers? Not really. These figures usually come with an “up to” condition, which could mean once in their thousands of times testing the chip.

But Apple’s track record with chip performance has always been good, and I expect nothing less from this one either.

On the memory side, Apple hasn’t confirmed this officially, but reports suggest the iPhone 17 packs 8GB of RAM. Sure, that number feels underwhelming for a phone that costs north of Rs. 1,60,000 (slightly now), but iOS optimization has always done more with less, so in real-world use, 8GB should be plenty.

Storage finally gets an upgrade: the base model now starts at 256GB. About time, considering 128GB just doesn’t cut it for a flagship anymore. For those who need extra room, there’s also a 512GB option.

As for the battery, Apple remains as secretive as ever about the actual capacity like with all its hardware. What we do know is that it’s rated for up to 30 hours of video playback. More interestingly, charging speeds have finally caught up.

Both Pro models now support 40W fast charging, enough to hit 50% in around 20 minutes, along with 25W MagSafe and Qi2 wireless charging. And yes, the base iPhone 17 supports the same wireless standards too.

iPhone 17 Price in Nepal and Availability

The iPhone 17 price in Nepal now starts from Rs. 1,64,999 (256GB) and goes up to Rs. 2,15,699 (512GB). Along with your purchase, you get a complimentary 20W official charger and Shield Pro package, which will get you two screen and back panel replacements over the span of two years for free.

The iPhone 17 doesn’t sit too far behind its Pro and Pro Max siblings. The main compromise is the lack of a telephoto lens, but on the flip side, it gets an upgraded ultrawide camera and, for the first time, ProMotion. Apple has also bumped the starting storage to 256GB, much like they did with the latest MacBooks, finally leaving 128GB behind.

Most importantly, the iPhone 17 gets the highlight “Center Stage” selfie camera like its Pro siblings, making it feel a lot less like a “second-class” iPhone it was always treated as.

With all the upgrades, the base iPhone has been in the best spot in a very long time! That’s exactly why the iPhone 17 bagged the “Best iPhone of the Year” award from our side.

It’s the iPhone to get for 99.9% of people who “just want an iPhone”. However, pricing has always been the biggest hurdle, especially in the context of countries like Nepal. But with the latest price cut, that should be slightly less of an issue. Slightly.

What do you think about the iPhone 17? Let us know in the comments below!