When Apple announced its thin and light iPhone Air, some people asked who had requested a thinner phone. Shortly after, the company moved in the opposite direction by announcing a slightly thicker and bulkier iPhone 17 Pro lineup. With this change, Apple addressed those requests by adopting a thicker form factor to house a larger battery, which in turn leads to better performance. While the Pro models received more iterative updates this year, apart from the new orange color, people who purchase these phones will still enjoy the benefits.
The first thing you will notice with the iPhone 17 Pro is the new unibody build made from aluminum, along with a redesigned camera bump on the back that includes space for MagSafe accessories below it. Having grown accustomed to cross-body camera bumps like the one on the Pixel 10, the new design from Apple is not an issue. Apple states that this design makes the phone more sturdy, but it has also increased the weight of the 17 Pro Max to 233 grams, compared to the 227 grams of the iPhone 16 Pro Max. The heft of the phone was more noticeable when switching between the ultra-light iPhone Air and the 17 Pro Max.
The company added Ceramic Shield 2 on the front and the first-generation Ceramic Shield on the back, beneath the camera plateau. After having shattered the back of an old iPhone 15 Pro Max, which only had a textured glass layer, the extra protection provided by the ceramic shield and the aluminum frame is a welcome improvement.
The build section would not be complete without mentioning colors. The silver model is the most boring of the three options. The blue color is much more appealing, and the orange clearly stands out. While the phone is typically used without a case, the new TechWoven blue case, made from custom 100 percent recycled polyester yarn, is an option to change the phone’s look. Although there have been many posts and videos discussing how the new device’s back is susceptible to scratches, no significant scratching has been observed on this unit so far.
Apple has managed to fit a larger battery into the iPhone 17 Pro Max thanks to its unibody design. Consistent usage resulted in more than five hours of screen time. In terms of capacity, the 17 Pro Max has a 4,823 mAh battery compared to the 4,685 mAh battery in the iPhone 16 Pro Max. If you purchase an eSIM-only version in countries where it is available, you get an even larger 5,088 mAh battery, which may last a bit longer than the version with a physical SIM.
The new design also introduces vapor chamber cooling to the iPhones, meaning the phone will get less hot during resource-intensive tasks like gaming. Playing War Thunder at 60 FPS for an extended period resulted in the Pro Max running much cooler than the iPhone Air.
Another strong upgrade is the increased charging capacity. The phone is compatible with USB-PD 3.2 standards. While it does not reach the extreme 100W-plus charging speeds of some Chinese manufacturers, the new iPhone can theoretically charge at 40W compared to the previous 30W. This means you can charge your phone much faster when using a 40W or higher adapter. The larger phone also supports higher speed, Qi2-based wireless charging at 25W. If you have a wireless stand at your desk, this new iPhone can take full advantage.
The display size of the iPhone 17 Pro Max is the same as last year’s model, but the display now achieves a peak brightness of 3,000 nits. A new anti-reflective coating also makes it easier to use in bright conditions. Brighter displays have been a trend this year with phones like the Pixel 10 Series and Honor V5 Magic, and they are a welcome addition. Some review videos indicate that other devices, such as the Samsung Galaxy S25, have a better reflective material on the screen.
The Pro iPhone models received two notable camera updates this year. First, all three rear cameras now have a 48-megapixel sensor. The ultrawide camera was upgraded last year, and this year it is the telephoto lens getting a boost. As someone with three pets in the household, better zooming capabilities are always appreciated for taking candid photos without moving and potentially missing a pose.
Until last year, the Pro Max had zoom options of 2x and 5x. This year, the company has adjusted the focal lengths. Now you get 2x, 4x, and 8x, which is a 2x crop. While an 8x shot may lose some detail, the photos are generally good even at that level of zoom. Phones like the Pixel 10 Series, Xiaomi 15T Pro, and the Honor Magic V5 offer digital zoom augmented with generative AI to artificially improve pictures. Apple only offers a digital zoom of 40x without any generative processing. The results are not impressive, as the images are noisy and lack detail.
While the telephoto update is for Pro models only, all iPhones received a selfie camera upgrade with a new 18-megapixel square sensor. Beyond the resolution upgrade, the front camera now includes a Center Stage feature, which automatically zooms in and out and changes the orientation based on the number of people in the frame without manual input. This is very helpful during festive seasons when friends and family want to cram into the frame.
Despite nice hardware upgrades, Apple Intelligence was hardly mentioned as part of the new iPhones’ release. This was a contrast to last year and to rival phone launches like Google’s new Pixel lineup. The device will receive iOS 26 features, such as using the full screen as context to ask ChatGPT or Google questions about what is on the screen, but there are no new Apple-native AI features. The new Pro iPhones are powered by A19 Pro chips, which Apple says have 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 Developer Conference to see if Siri receives a much-awaited AI upgrade.
For the last few years, Apple has positioned its Pro line of phones to aid the creative process, in addition to being top-tier devices. With the iPhone 17 Pro Max, that is even more the case. The new design, battery, and thermal performance allow creators to shoot longer videos. The company also introduced new features like ProRes RAW and Log 2, and it includes genlock, which allows creators to use multiple iPhones to take time-locked shots.
If you are not a creator, the iPhone 17 Pro Max is more of an iterative update. Like many new phone releases each year, it does not scream that you must upgrade. However, if your phone is more than two years old, you will see substantial gains in all departments, including battery life, performance, screen, and camera. If you have bought a phone after the iPhone 15 Pro was released, there is not as much reason to update.