iPhone 17 Strengthens Crypto Security While Crypto Costs Drop

Apple’s iPhone 17, launched this month at a stable $799, is drawing attention for reasons beyond design and performance. For crypto holders, the device has suddenly become far cheaper in digital asset terms. Buyers now need only 0.0072 BTC or 0.1866 ETH to purchase it. That is almost half of what was required for the iPhone 16 a year ago.

Stronger Security for Crypto Users

Alongside its updated design and performance upgrades, the iPhone 17 introduces a security function designed with crypto users in mind. The phone debuts Apple’s A19 chip, which powers a new Memory Integrity Enforcement system. 

This technology identifies and eliminates memory-based attacks such as buffer overflows and use-after-free attacks. Hackers frequently use these approaches to obtain digital wallets containing private keys. As a result, the iPhone 17 responds directly to the weaknesses that have continued to pose significant threats to the mobile-based asset storage.

The security push comes at a time when smartphones play a central role in financial activity. With more users holding tokens on personal devices, expectations for mobile protection continue to rise. Apple’s integration of advanced safeguards suggests a broader commitment to protecting consumer funds, even as development costs climb.

Crypto Valuations Reshape Purchasing Power

The iPhone’s dollar price has remained relatively stable for more than half a decade. Yet the real change is seen when comparing its cost against digital currencies. 

For example, Bitcoin nearly doubled in value from $57,049 at the iPhone 16 launch to more than $111,000 today. Ethereum followed a similar path, climbing from about $2,359 to over $4,280 in the same period. Hence, buyers now part with less than half the crypto needed just a year earlier.

Premium models reveal the same trend. The iPhone Air costs 0.0090 BTC or 0.2333 ETH, while the Pro Max comes in at 0.0108 BTC or 0.2800 ETH. Even with incremental price hikes in dollars, the crypto outlay looks increasingly minimal.

Long-Term Perspective

Historically, the shift is dramatic. In 2011, an iPhone 4S priced at $649 required over 162 BTC. Today, a base iPhone 17 costs only 0.0072 BTC. Ethereum’s history is just as striking, falling from hundreds of ETH in 2015 for an iPhone 6S to less than 0.20 ETH now.