When Apple introduced the thin and light iPhone Air, some people asked, “Who wanted a thinner phone?” Shortly after, the company went in a different direction and announced its slightly thicker and bulkier iPhone 17 Pro lineup.
With this, Apple achieved what those people wanted. They created phones with thicker form factors to accommodate larger batteries, leading to improved performance. Of the new iPhones, the Pro phones have had more iterative updates (unless you count the new orange color). But those who buy these phones will still benefit from it.
build
The first thing you’ll notice about the iPhone 17 Pro is the new unibody construction made of aluminum and the new camera bump design on the back with space for MagSafe-based accessories underneath. I’m used to cross-body camera bumps like the Pixel 10, so I don’t mind Apple’s new design choices.
Apple said this design makes the phone more rugged. However, the 17 Pro Max is heavier at 233 grams compared to the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s 227 grams. As I was switching back and forth between the ultra-light iPhone Air and the 17 Pro Max, I could feel the phone’s weight a little.
The company has added Ceramic Shield 2 on the front and the first generation Ceramic Shield below the camera plateau on the back. I shattered the back of my old iPhone 15 Pro Max and it only had a textured layer of glass on the back, so I appreciate having that extra protection along with the aluminum frame on the back.
We can’t finish the build section without talking about color. I have a silver unit and I think it’s the most boring of the three colors. Personally, I prefer the blue color and don’t mind the bright orange color. I usually use my new phone without a case, but to change up the look of my phone, I’m going to try out the new TechWoven blue case made from custom 100% recycled polyester yarn.
I’ve seen a lot of articles and videos about how easily the backs of new devices get scratched, but I haven’t noticed many scratches on my unit yet.
Better battery, better performance
Apple was able to pack more battery into the iPhone 17 Pro Max thanks to its unibody design. Usage varied, but I always managed to get over 5 hours of screen time. In terms of pure numbers, the 17 Pro Max has a 4,823 mAh battery compared to the 4,685 mAh battery on the iPhone 16 Pro Max. If you get the eSIM-only version in countries where eSIM-only is available, you’ll get an even bigger 5,088mAh battery, which could last a bit longer than a device with a physical SIM.
The new design also introduces vapor chamber cooling to iPhone, which means your phone won’t heat up as much when you’re doing resource-intensive tasks like gaming. I played War Thunder for a long time at 60 FPS and the Pro Max ran much better compared to the iPhone Air.
A small upgrade you’ll appreciate
Another strong upgrade in the battery department is the increased charging capacity.
This phone is compatible with USB-PD 3.2 standard. Although it doesn’t match the impressive 100W+ charging capacity of some Chinese manufacturers, the new iPhone could theoretically charge at 40W instead of 30W. This means that a 40W or higher adapter will charge your phone faster.
The larger phone also now supports faster Qi2-based wireless charging at 25W. If your work desk has an accessory station with a wireless stand, this new top iPhone can take advantage of it.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max’s display size is the same as last year’s Pro Max. However, the display has been upgraded to achieve a peak brightness of 3,000 nits. In addition, a new anti-reflection coating has been applied to make it easier to use in bright locations. Bright displays are a welcome addition to the trend this year on smartphones beyond the iPhone, including the Pixel 10 series and Honor V5 Magic.
However, some review videos show that other devices, such as the Samsung Galaxy S25, have better reflective materials on their screens.
Let’s talk about the camera
This year, Pro iPhone models received two notable camera updates.
First, all three rear cameras now feature 48-megapixel sensors. Last year the ultrawide was upgraded and this year the telephoto lens has been enhanced. (As someone with three pets in my family, I always appreciate a nice zoom feature so I can take candid photos of my pets without having to move around, which can cause them to lose their pose.)
Until last year, the Pro Max had 2x and 5x zoom options. This year, the company made some changes to its focal length. This gives you 2x, 4x, 8x (or 2x crop). Some detail may be lost in 8x shots, but photos are usually good even at that level of zoom.
Phones like the Pixel 10 series, Xiaomi 15T Pro, and Honor Magic V5 offer digital zoom enhanced with generated AI to artificially improve images. But Apple just offers 40x digital zoom without any generation process. The results are nothing to write home about, as the images are noisy and contain no detail.
Telephoto is a Pro-only update, but all iPhones now have a selfie camera upgrade with a new 18-megapixel square sensor. Apart from the resolution upgrade, the front camera has added Center Stage functionality. This feature automatically zooms in and out and changes orientation based on the number of people in the frame, without having to do it manually. (This is very useful during the Indian festival season, when you’re meeting friends and people want to squeeze into the frame.)
Apple gave intelligence agencies a mistake
Despite being a nice hardware upgrade, Apple Intelligence was barely mentioned as part of the new iPhone release. This was in contrast to last year and the launch of competing smartphones such as Google’s new Pixel lineup.
The device receives features in iOS 26, such as using the full screen as a context for asking ChatGPT or Google about what’s on the screen. However, there are no new Apple-native AI features.
Apple says the new Pro iPhones also feature an A19 Pro chip with better neural performance. This could be useful for developers using Apple’s local AI models. But we may have to wait until next year’s Worldwide Developers Conference to see if Apple gives Siri the long-awaited AI upgrade.
Who is this iPhone for?
Over the past few years, Apple has positioned its Pro line of phones as more supportive of the creative process, apart from being the top-of-the-line devices in its lineup. This trend is even more pronounced with the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
New design, battery, and thermal performance allow creators to shoot longer videos. Additionally, the company introduced new features such as ProRes RAW and Log 2. It also features Genlock, which allows creators to use multiple iPhones to take time-locked shots.
If you’re not a creator, the iPhone 17 Pro Max is like an iterative update. Just as many new phones are released every year, there’s no need to update them. However, if your phone is more than two years old, you’ll see significant improvements in all departments, including battery life, performance, screen, and camera. However, if you bought your phone after the iPhone 15 Pro was released, there’s not much reason to update.
