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The iPhone 17 Pro Max had a lot to make up for this year, but also had to show up with upgrades that would solidify its lead... or at least a need to buy that over the last iPhone 16 Pro Max.
Since the iPhone 15 series, we've had the super-powered 3 nm chips from Apple. But they tended to overheat. Since 2023, Apple has been using a tetraprism lens for optical zoom but lacking in the digital crop-in while competitors were pushing 100x and beyond. In 2024, Apple promised a plethora of game-changing AI features. Few of them came to be.
To be real, the iPhone 17 Pro Max doesn't come in with a full arsenal of over-the-top upgrades that remedy all of these points. Max zoom has been upgraded a little, but nothing mind-blowing. AI features are still supposedly incoming, but Apple made sure to not make any huge promises this time around. Instead, Cupertino focused on what's here, what's now, and what functions.
And what does the iPhone 17 Pro Max have to show for itself? A new aluminum chassis that has been designed in a way to dissipate heat much more effectively, combined with a vapor cooling chamber inside — finally. A new camera system that is very, very good. An increase in battery life that is always welcome. And performance — the type of performance you will write home about. But you will also mention a few of the bugs that iOS 26 ships with — hopefully that 26.1 update comes soon.
Meaningful camera upgrades, especially front camera
Brighter screen, now with anti-glare
What we don't like
The camera plateau will be a contentious topic
Scratchable aluminum body, not titanium and not stainless steel
8
PhoneArena Rating
7.6
Price Class Average
Battery Life
7.4
7.5
Photo Quality
8
7.3
Video Quality
7.1
6.4
Charging
5.5
6.4
Performance Heavy
8.5
7.4
Performance Light
8.8
8.1
Display Quality
8.5
8.1
Design
8
8.1
Wireless Charging
7.7
7
Biometrics
8
7.6
Audio
8
7.6
Software
10
8.4
Why the score?
This device scores 5% better than the average for this price class, which includes devices like the Honor Magic V Flip 2, Google Pixel 10 Pro XL and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7
In our PhoneArena Review Rating, the iPhone 17 Pro scores 7.9 points, a slight upgrade over the 7.7 score of the 16 Pro. A lot of that comes from just the boost in performance speeds and charging, while the camera changes have not affected the scoring much as colors and dynamic range remain largely the same.
Here's a quick overview of the iPhone 17 Pro Max specs and how they compare to the predecessor:
iPhone 17 Pro Max
iPhone 16 Pro Max
Size, weight 163.4 x 78.0 x 8.75 mm 233 grams
Size, weight 163.0 x 77.6 x 8.25 mm 227 g
Screen 6.9" OLED 120Hz ProMotion
Screen 6.9" OLED 120Hz ProMotion
Processor Apple A19 Pro 3nm
Processor A18 Pro 3nm
Versions: 12/256GB 12/512GB 12/1TB 12/2TB
LPDDR5
Versions: 8/256GB 8/512GB 8/1TB --
LPDDR5
Cameras: 48MP main 48MP ultra 48MP telephoto, 4x zoom
18MP front
Cameras: 48MP main 48MP ultra 12MP telephoto, 5x zoom
12MP front
Battery: 5,088 mAh (eSIM model) 4,832 mAh (physical SIM model)
Battery: 4,685 mAh
Charging: USB-C 40W wired 25W MagSafe
Charging: USB-C 27W wired MagSafe
iPhone 17 Pro Design and Display
Who says technology has plateaued?
We can't not talk about it — the camera plateau. It's the thing that stuck out the most during leaks, it's the first thing you see when you spot a new iPhone 17 Pro or Pro Max. Well, it's either that or the orange color.
So, I don't mind the plateau. Especially since, unlike the old iPhone Plus models, which simply inflated the size of a standard iPhone, warts and all, the new iPhone 17 Pro Max's proportions have been appropriately touched up. That is to say, that the Pro Max's camera plateau didn't simply get inflated with the size of the phone to a point where it gets comically large. It looks... appropriate.
Sure, maybe it'll need a bit of adjustment, but rest assured that this bold new look is probably already deemed desirable by some. The best part about it — you can rest it against your finger while gripping the phone, and when you lay it on a table, it hardly wobbles. Yeah, hardly — unlike Google's camera vizors, the camera plateau of the iPhone still has lens rings sticking out that kind of make its back uneven. Again.
So, big, unmissable camera hump aside, the rest of the phone feels very familiar. Slightly tapered edges make it soft on the palm, and the matte aluminum helps too. Oh yes, aluminum — the titanium frame came and went in just two years' time. Apple did say that it was bad at heat dissipation, making it sound as if the aluminum build is an upgrade. Funny, when 6-7 years ago, aluminum was for the "cheap" iPhones, and the Pro models got stainless steel.
The thin bezels around the screen are as beautiful than ever, and those stock wallpapers complement the design so well — making it impossible to see where the screen ends and the frame begins. Oh, they also cleverly hide the Dynamic Island, too.
Cracking open the iPhone 17 Pro box won’t really surprise anyone who has handled an Apple device in the past few years. The packaging is as lean as ever — a slim box with the phone resting on top, a neatly braided USB-C cable tucked underneath, and a quick set of leaflets that few of us actually read. The big news this year is that the Pro line finally supports up to 40 W fast charging. The catch? There’s no charger in the box, so if you want to see those speeds, you’ll probably need to invest in a fresh brick. Unless you've already bought one of these universal muti-device chargers.
With a 6.9-inch ProMotion screen, the 17 Pro Max display size is unchanged from the previous model. But there's a big upgrade hiding here — a new peak brightness of 3,000 nits. Plus, the aforementioned vapor chamber and heat dissipation seem to be doing some good work here, as the iPhone 17 series aren't so quick to go dim when used under direct sunlight, too..
The CIE 1931 xy color gamut chart represents the set(area)of colors that a display can reproduce,with the sRGB colorspace(the highlighted triangle)serving as reference.The chart also provides a visual representation of a display's color accuracy. The small squares across the boundaries of the triangle are the reference points for the various colors, while the small dots are the actual measurements. Ideally, each dot should be positioned on top of its respective square. The 'x:CIE31' and 'y:CIE31' values in the table below the chart indicate the position of each measurement on the chart. 'Y' shows the luminance (in nits) of each measured color, while 'Target Y' is the desired luminance level for that color. Finally, 'ΔE 2000' is the Delta E value of the measured color. Delta E values of below 2 are ideal.
The Color accuracy chart gives an idea of how close a display's measured colors are to their referential values. The first line holds the measured (actual) colors, while the second line holds the reference (target) colors. The closer the actual colors are to the target ones, the better.
The Grayscale accuracy chart shows whether a display has a correct white balance(balance between red,green and blue)across different levels of grey(from dark to bright).The closer the Actual colors are to the Target ones,the better.
Color charts show a pretty accurate display, pulling slightly towards the greens and yellows — often seen on pentile OLED panels. Still, Apple holds it together here, but it's worth noting that the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL measures slightly more accurate. Hardly differences that can be observed with the naked eye, and with the True Tone and Night Shift mode — you always have an algorithm adjusting those colors to match the current ambiance. So, it's more about the user experience — and our experience with the iPhone 17 Pro Max screen is that it's an excellent and mostly accurate display.
Apple also talked up a new anti-glare coating on the screen. My hopes were up, as Samsung's S24 Ultra and S25 Ultra have this excellent anti-reflection glass that changed the game. Apple's new solution isn't as strong, but there's a mild improvement for sure:
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iPhone 17 Pro vs 16 Pro reflectivity (Image credit - PhoneArena)
For biometrics, it's the tried and true Face ID. Fast, reliable, and quite improved over the years since release (which was with the iPhone X, back in 2017).
iPhone 17 Pro Camera
Is 4X telephoto a downgrade or upgrade?
OK, spoiler alert, the camera plateau is not there because of the cameras. Not really — it's about having room for the internal hardware, better antennas, and the aforementioned heat management. So, does that mean the camera is not upgraded? Not really, no, it's just not as massive an upgrade as the visuals suggest.
Now, all three cameras on the back are 48 MP "Fusion" cameras. This means that, for each of them, Apple uses sensor crop-in trickery to simulate "optical" zoom. It's technically not, as cropping in a digital thing. On the other hand, it definitely produces sharper results than what we get if we try to inflate an image post-shutter.
But Apple likes to advertize that these three lenses can act as eight lenses in total, which is a little bit over the top. Look, we'll settle at calling them "Fusion" cameras and not digital zoom, but we won't go as far as calling them 8 lenses.
The zoom camera also got a new 4X tetraprism lens. Yes, that's less than the 5X we had in the past, and Apple can't seem to settle on a number that's equal parts useful but also sounds good on a specs sheet. Because, for portraits, you want something like 3X tops — that's when you can be at a comfortable distance from a subject, and the photo comes out "honest" with non-distorted facial lines and good background compression. 5X was too much zoom to use Portrait Mode comfortably. 4X is kind of inbetween — you can work with it, but it'll feel a bit too strong for some scenarios. Thankfully, you can compromise and use a 2X or 3X "Fusion" zoom from the main camera to get a shot.
Despite going down a notch with optical zoom, the new iPhone 17 Pro Max can now hit 40X digital zoom — a significant upgrade over the 25X of the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max
PhoneArena Camera Score
BEST 158
156
PhoneArena Photo Score
BEST 165
162
Main (wide)
BEST 87
84
Zoom
BEST 29
26
Ultra-wide
BEST 26
24
Selfie
BEST 30
28
PhoneArena Video Score
BEST 155
150
Main (wide)
BEST 83
77
Zoom
BEST 27
24
Ultra-wide
BEST 24
23
Selfie
BEST 28
26
On our PhoneArena Camera Score, the iPhone 17 Pro Max gets 162 points, higher than the 154 points of the 16 Pro Max. 8 points isn't really something to sweat over — the minor differences come from slightly better detail and noise handling, and the improved zoom quality.
iPhone 17 Pro Max Camera Samples
The new zoom camera has the biggest upgrade, really — a 56% larger sensor, with better quality and less noise especially in low light. Its native resolution is 48MP, so when you start zooming, the phone aims for "lossless quality" (Fusion!) at up to 8X zoom (200mm). That's when resolution drops to 24MP due to the crop-in. From there on, you go digital, for a maximum of 40X in photos.
The other huge upgrade is actually with the selfie camera. Yeah, who would've thunk it! But Apple did a very Apple thing here. The selfie camera now has an almost square-shaped sensor. Why? Because with the magic of cropping in — again — you can frame a selfie however you wish, without rotating your phone horizontally or vertically. In fact, the notion of "horizontal or vertical" kind of disappears here — you can either let Center Stage decide on the framing for you, or you can very quickly switch framing manually, with new buttons in the camera app.
< iPhone 17 Pro MaxiPhone 16 Pro Max >
There's a hidden upgrade here. As seen in the above capture — when taking a "horizontal" selfie on an older iPhone, you inevitably have your face off-center, and maybe even end up not looking at the camera. Whereas holding the phone vertically means that the selfie camera is still centered as you'd expect it to be, and it's easier to end up with the selfie you meant to take from the get-go. Also, the lens is wider, so you can fit more friends in.
Video Quality
For another year in a row, we did not get 8K video recording on iPhones. And for another year in a row — Apple actually gave us a meaningful upgrade for video recording that's much more important.
We can now record in ProRes RAW, which gives you the maximum dynamic range you can get. This allows you to color-correct footage for yourself after the fact and has already been praised by videographers and influencers who enjoy applying their own LUTs to achieve a cinema camera look. This will likely be the most talked about feature, but there's also another new one — GenLock. It allows you to easily sync multiple cameras on a big production (think Matrix-style bullet time freeze shots).
We also have Dual Capture video mode where you can record with both the front and rear cameras. So, you can share both what's happening and your reaction to it. Yes, this feature has been available on multiple Android phones over the years, and yes — it will remain mostly unused.
iPhone 17 Pro Performance & Benchmarks
New vapor chamber is what the A chips needed
The iPhone 17 Pro Max has a new A19 Pro chipset, built on a 3 nm process. And, like its predecessors, it gets hot. Unlike its predecessors, it has an adequate cooling solution, which should finally take care of that tiny little throttling issue we've been seeing over the past 2 years.
But let's not make it sound like it's a small upgrade. The A19 Pro is a very big leap for both CPU and GPU performance. The manufacturing process is upgraded to TSMC's new N3P note, vs the previous N3E. N3P is smaller — not small enough to be called 2 nm, but small enough to give us 5% performance gains 5-10% improvement in energy efficiency. Then, the type of RAM is also upgraded. The iPhone 17 Pro now uses LPDDR5X 9600 RAM with faster bandwidth of 76.8GB/s (up from 60GB/s on the previous Pro model), and it gets 12 GB of it instead of 8 GB.
While the performance cores got an obvious bumps, Apple also upgraded the efficiency cores this year, upping them from 2.4 GHz to 2.6 GHz. All in all, we have solid improvements in both single- and multi-core performance.
But the true upgrade seems to lie in GPU results. On 3D Mark's Solar Bay Extreme test, which is heavily focused on ray tracing, the A19 Pro GPU on the iPhone 17 Pro Max beats the one on the M3 iMac!
On the 3D Mark Wildlife Extreme stress test, the Galaxy S25 Ultra does get a higher initial score. However, as the test goes on, that new vapor cooling chamber in the iPhone 17 Pro Max does wonders for sustained performance, and lets it keep a higher score while the S25 Ultra throttles down quite a bit.
With games like Death Stranding, Resident Evil 4, Assassin's Creed now hitting the App Store, these numbers will matter more and more. Last year's iPhone 16 Pro series struggled to hit 30 FPS. This year's iPhone 17 Pro Max goes beyond and can reach about 50 FPS. Great upgrade — now we want more!
Vapor Chamber cooling
A good chunk of the iPhone 17 Pro’s upgrades actually come down to how it’s built. Apple has moved to an aluminum unibody that does a far better job at spreading the heat across the frame, and paired it with a vapor chamber cooling system that whisks that heat away from the chip in no time.
Thermal imaging tells the story pretty clearly. Push the phone through some heavy benchmarks and you’ll see the 17 Pro glow evenly across its body. Compare that to the 16 Pro, which used to flare up with one angry red hotspot right around the processor — a clear sign that heat was bottling up where it shouldn’t.
Numbers back it up too: the iPhone 17 Pro levels out at around 42 °C, while last year’s Pro crept closer to 45 °C. Even against the regular iPhone 17 with its glass back, which lands at roughly 44–45 °C, the Pro shows a cooler, more balanced approach.
iPhone 17 Pro Max Software
By now, iOS 26 with its Liquid Glass design is hardly news — it’s the same sleek interface you’ll find on any modern iPhone, so there isn’t much to dwell on here. Well, we were kind of hoping that public iOS 26 will have less bugs than the beta. There are still some visual issues that pop up and need ironing — some of them requiring you to restart the phone (like all of your app icons disappearing).
What’s more interesting is what Apple didn’t talk about. After last year’s keynote, which was heavy on Apple Intelligence promises, this time around the company almost pretended its AI push never happened. And honestly, that might be for the better after the fiasco that played out early this year.
We did get a new Live Translate for phone calls or even in real life — if you happen to sport AirPods Pro with your iPhone, you can get translations straight into your ears. And, you can speak in your language and have translated text appear on the phone screen to show to the other party. Seen on other phones, yes, but good to see it come to iPhones with the typical Apple touch.
That said, there was one subtle but important nod to the future. The new A19 Pro chip comes with neural accelerators baked into every GPU core, a clear sign that Cupertino is laying the groundwork for bigger AI announcements down the road. Maybe not this year, but the stage is definitely being set for the next.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max breaks the 5,000 mAh barrier! If... you have the eSIM model, that is. That means all iPhone 17 Pro Max phones sold in the US will have a 5,088 mAh cell. The rest of the world gets 4,832 mAh, which is still cool, but not as cool.
Our lab battery tests showed numbers that are both satisfying, yet underwhelming. On one hand — 8+ hours on the gaming test is great! On the other, the iPhone 16 Pro Max achieved 12, so that's a step back. Numbers are down across the board, and it's probably due to that new processor being that much more powerful — as mentioned, even the efficiency cores have been bumped.
In real life, the iPhone 17 Pro Max feels like it has solid endurance, but we can definitely see those battery percentages melting away just a bit faster than we were used to. The iPhone 16 Pro Max just spoiled us too good.
One thing you notice right away — the new 40 W wired charging makes a world of difference. Apple says the iPhone 17 Pro can go from zero to 50% in just 20 minutes, compared to 35 minutes on the 16 Pro. In practice, that claim holds up.
Officially, Apple points you toward its brand-new $40 accessory, the 40 W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60 W Max output, built around the latest USB-C standard. But what we used was an Anker USB-C PD brick, and the results were nearly identical. So, don't worry about using your 3rd party charger of choice.
Wireless charging, meanwhile, stays put at 25 W MagSafe — same as last year, with no surprises there.
iPhone 17 Pro Max Audio Quality and Haptics
The iPhone 17 Pro Max speakers feel just a tad downgraded if anything. They still sound wide, have a surprising amount of bottom end, and sparkly highs. However, compared to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, they are ever so slightly quieter. And while the 16 Pro Max has a pleasing, somewhat balanced sound to it, the 17 Pro Mas has a slight grating upper mid frequency to it.
Just to make it clear — I am nitpicking. The iPhone 17 Pro Max speakers still sound great. But, putting them side by side with the old model — a few percentages not as great.
As for haptics — this barely needs mention. The Taptic engine is quick, strong, and satisfying, and it clicks at every toggle with precision.
Should you buy it?
The iPhone 17 Pro Max is a big upgrade for enthusiasts. The performance jump is actually tangible and will improve your experience if you want that iPhone to be your mobile gaming console. The new ProRes RAW for video will unlock new possibilities for current or aspiring videographers or influencers that are looking to up their game. The new selfie camera is plain cool.
But let's be real. Another year — another iPhone. Predictable, solid, well-performing and well-enduring. Those things were true for the iPhone 16 Pro Max and 15 Pro Max before it. And they still ring true — they are not suddenly bad phones because there's a new shiny toy out.
In other words, if you are happy with your current iPhone Pro Max and don't feel like something's bogging you down in performance or battery — maybe you can skip the upgrade for another year. Even though that Cosmic Orange may look tempting. And, if you are just now coming to the iPhone world — don't be shy to look for an iPhone 16 Pro Max at a discount. It has the Camera Control button, Action button, and all the fancy bells and whistles.
On the other hand, if you simply desire the new iPhone 17 Pro Max. Yeah... that's a justified craving to have. Go spoil yourself!
Preslav, a member of the PhoneArena team since 2014, is a mobile technology enthusiast with a penchant for integrating tech into his hobbies and work. Whether it's writing articles on an iPad Pro, recording band rehearsals with multiple phones, or exploring the potential of mobile gaming through services like GeForce Now and Steam Link, Preslav's approach is hands-on and innovative. His balanced perspective allows him to appreciate both Android and iOS ecosystems, focusing on performance, camera quality, and user experience over brand loyalty.
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