Four months with the iPhone 17 Pro has changed the way I use my phone – the jury is still out whether that’s for the better or worse
How much screen time is too much?
· TechRadarFeatures By Sharmishta Sarkar published 3 February 2026
(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) Share Share by:
Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google
I’ve been an iPhone user since Apple launched the iPhone 5 in 2012, then upgraded to the 6s in 2015. I’ve typically waited three or four years to upgrade to a newer model, so my next Apple handset was the iPhone X, which was followed by the iPhone 13 Pro.
Each new phone was a revelation to use, given the improved performance after a few generations but, despite that, they didn’t really change the fundamentals of how I used my phone. In fact, I’d been so happy with the 13 Pro that I wasn’t planning on upgrading to the iPhone 17 series – but I’m so glad that I did.
As such, I was expecting much the same when I upgraded to the iPhone 17 Pro last September – so I was quite surprised when it bucked the trend established by its predecessors. Four generations after the iPhone 13 Pro, I obviously expected the performance of the iPhone 17 Pro to be superior, but what I didn’t expect it to do was increase my screen time.
I’ve used my phone for work for years, but the speed and battery life improvements on the 17 Pro exceeded my expectations by a mile and then some, changing how I use the iPhone recreationally. Four months since I started using it, my weekly screentime reports show I’ve nearly doubled the time I spend on my phone – and yet I charge it only once every two (sometimes three) days. And that’s something I never thought I’d say about any phone!
An Apple Arcade addiction
I’ll ‘fess up: I’m no gamer and, although I’ve had an Apple One subscription for about a year now, I never made use of the included Apple Arcade games subscription on my iPhone 13 Pro. The only game I regularly indulged in was Two Dots – and it’s not on Apple Arcade.
I’d been tempted to try Monument Valley, but given the time I spent playing Two Dots and how quickly it would drain my iPhone 13 Pro’s battery, I didn’t bother.
Now that I have the iPhone 17 Pro, not only am I fueling my Two Dots addiction, but I’m playing Monument Valley and Hidden Folks as well. If you haven’t tried the latter, I highly recommend it, but I digress.
Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox
Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.
Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors