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Intro
It's nearly September, and this means one thing and one thing only: it's nearly time for Apple to announce the upcoming iPhone 17 generation on stage and show us what the iPhone crack team has been preparing for us.
As usual with Apple, we expect the next iPhone to be announced on the second Tuesday of September, and as usual, the most advanced and anticipated device will be the iPhone 17 Pro Max, the one flagship Apple wants to sell to you.
With the newest high-end model, Apple will be debuting some essential upgrades. The rear and front cameras are potentially getting some improvements, as well as faster performance thanks to a newer and improved chip, a larger battery, and an intriguing new design language.
The main change with the iPhone 17 Pro Max is shaping up to be a pretty obvious one to anyone who has seen the leaked renders of the phone. Apple is giving us a refreshed dual-tone design language, with a larger camera island at the rear. The oversized camera strip will now span nearly side-to-side and will certainly draw some parallels with Google's Pixel range.
iPhone 17 Pro Max render (Image Credit-@asherdipps
A major paradigm shift could be the return to aluminum for the iPhone 17 Pro Max's frame. Yes, the titanium tenure might turn out to be just a speck in the history of the iPhone, as Apple is now set to return to the classic aluminum. This would introduce a lighter and likely more cost-efficient build, which are all positive changes. Sure, titanium is premium, but there's nothing inherently wrong with aluminum either.
Size-wise, we expect the iPhone 17 Pro Max to be just marginally thicker at 8.75 mm in comparison with the iPhone 15 Pro Max's thinner 8.25 mm body, but besides that, the two will likely end up being very similar in terms of absolute size and ergonomics. We only hope the larger camera island doesn't make the phone too top-heavy, which has definitely been the case with many high-end Android phones in 2025.
Other than that, the iPhone 17 Pro Max will be mostly similar to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and in extension, to the iPhone 15 Pro Max. We will get the same flat design language with a Dynamic Island notch up front (but possibly smaller), a Camere Control and a customizable Action Button, and a USB-C port at the bottom.
iPhone 17 Pro Max
iPhone 15 Pro Max
Thickness 8.73 mm
Thickness 8.25 mm
Meanwhile, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is largely the blueprint that shaped its successors in more ways than one. It was the first titanium iPhone, the first to adopt a USB-C port at the bottom, and sadly, also the first iPhone to ditch the iconic mute switch for a customizable Action Button.
While we expect the iPhone 17 Pro Max to feature a titanium frame, a round of rumors claims that Apple might be exploring the idea of switching back to aluminum once again. The possible reasons why Apple might do that are to bring costs down and rely less on China, which is the global leader in titanium production. With the US-Chinese trade tensions at their most extreme, one could find the logic in that potential change.
iPhone 17 Pro Max rumored color versions
In terms of colors, rumors claim we'd see the iPhone Pro lineup in four colors, with the signature one most definitely shaping up to be the copper-like hue that looks rather snazzy in the leaked renders. Certainly a welcome change over the fairly drab selection that the iPhone 15 Pro Max was available in: Black Titanium, White Titanium, Blue Titanium, and Natural Titanium colors.
Display Differences
Apple rarely changes too many things at once, and this is seen best when it comes to the display.
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We largely expect the iPhone 17 Pro Max to retain the iPhone 16 Pro Max's 6.9-inch Liquid Retina XDR display with ProMotion that enables a smooth 120Hz refresh rate.
Apple might change things a bit with a slightly smaller Dynamic Island notch up front, which would take even less screen real estate. The Dynamic Island hasn't been miniaturized since its inception, making the iPhone 17 Pro Max the best possible candidate for the honors.
Moreover, Apple could source Samsung's M14 OLED panel for the iPhone 17 Pro Max, which would boost both the efficiency of the panel and its peak brightness. We expect the panel to max out at around 3,000 nits of peak brightness, up from 2,000 nits, which is a major, major upgrade.
This would be a welcome improvement that will boost outdoor legibility, but we'd have loved it if Apple considered throwing in an anti-reflective layer, too, just like Samsung does with the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
iPhone 17 Pro Max
iPhone 15 Pro Max
Screen size 6.9-inch
Screen size 6.7-inch
Peak brightness ~3,000 nits
Peak brightness 2,000 nits
How does the iPhone 15 Pro Max compare?
Well, this one comes with a slightly smaller 6.7-inch Liquid Retina XDR OLED display, with slightly thicker bezels, and peak brightness of 2,000 nits. Its Dynamic Island is fairly standard and just as big as the ones on the iPhone 14 Pro Max and the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
So, nothing too extraordinary for this two-year-old phone; it just looks great.
Performance and Software
The next chapter in performance for Apple
It probably will come as no surprise that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will be powered by the next mobile Apple chipset in line, the Apple A19 Pro.
We suppose that this one will be once again built on TSMC's 3nm manufacturing node, but some rumors claim it might actually be based on a denser and more advanced 2nm manufacturing node. The reason for this speculation is apparently TSMC moving ahead of schedule with its facilities' readiness to usher in the more sophisticated process.
Still, be it a 3nm or a 2nm chip, the A19 Pro will certainly be an improvement over the A17 Pro that clicks and ticks inside the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The latter was the first 3nm chipset used on an iPhone, and actually the first 3nm chip on a mobile device.
iPhone 17 Pro Max
iPhone 15 Pro Max
Chip Apple A19 Pro
Chip Apple A17 Pro
Mnaufacturing process 3nm
Manufacturing process 3nm
Memory 12GB
Memory 8GB
While we expect improvements in performance and efficiency, they might not be that grand between the older and the upcoming iPhone generations. That's largely because the iPhone 15 Pro Max is still a very capable and able device.
The iPhone 17 Pro max will feature 12 GB of RAM for futureproofness' sake, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro Max boasted 8 GB of RAM. The latter made it compatible with Apple Intelligence, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max will be, too. The problem here is on the software side, as Apple's AI suite enjoyed quite a troubled launch and is currently in a rough, fairly unfinished state.
The software of choice on the iPhone 17 Pro Max will be iOS 26. It features a complete wardrobe change called "Liquid Glass," which is styled after visionOS' aesthetics and resembles, well, glass in a digital form.
For the truly adventurous, there’s a new "Clear Look" option that makes everything transparent, with a design language that harks back to Windows Vista. Yep, this reference just revealed that the author of this article now has plenty of gray hair.
The most exciting developments, however, are the ones that promise peace. A Call Screening feature will finally be deployed to battle telemarketers. Pixel users are laughing somewhere in the background, having had this feature for years.
Naturally, there’s a raft of other tidbits. Polls are coming to group chats, threatening to impose actual structure on the beautiful chaos of a dozen people trying to agree on a pub. All in all, it’s a list of perfectly reasonable changes, to be honest.
Thankfully, many updates simplify the experience, perfect for the rest of us. The Camera app is being streamlined, hiding most modes by default. Apple is organizing the Photos app, after it decided to turn it into total chaos with the previous iOS update.
Live Translate is also coming to calls, which could be wonderful, or it could lead to me accidentally misinterpreting a $50 bill for a $500 one.
Camera
Gradual evolution in action
The iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature a triple camera system, like most of its predecessors. The 48MP main and utlrawide cameras will be joined by a new 48MP periscope camera, making all cameras at the back 48MP troopers.
Rumors claim the periscope camera might offer up to 8X lossless zoom. That's plausible, but it probably won't be the native zoom level but an in-sensor crop that will emulate lossless zoom. The native periscope zoom will likely remain 5X.
That would help the iPhone 17 Pro Max join the long-zooming phones out there. Who knows, we might even see Apple join the 100X zoom bandwagon, just like Google with the Pixel 10 series.
We'll also see a new 24MP FaceTime camera, which will finally upgrade the 12MP FaceTime camera that has been at the front of iPhones for years.
iPhone 17 Pro Max
iPhone 15 Pro Max
Main 48MP F1.8
Main 48MP F1.8
Ultrawide 48MP F2.2
Ultrawide 12MP F2.2
Periscope 48MP F2.8 5X
Periscope 12MP F 2.8 5X
Front 24MP
Front 12MP
Apple is reportedly also introducing a new Pro camera app, which will heavily lean into the pro-controls functionality and aim to appeal to vloggers and users requiring more professional camera functionalities.
Additionally, the iPhone 17 Pro Max will reportedly utilize dual-video capture, with both the front and rear cameras recording simultaneously. That's something that has been available on many Android phones for over a decade now.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max was the second iPhone to feature a 48MP wide camera and a periscope, but the ultrawide and the long zoom lens were both 12MP ones. This one did not get a Camera Control button, but we don't really feel it's an essential feature.
The rumor mill says we might get software features that will reportedly allow you to take videos with both the front and rear cameras at the same time. This is something that could appeal to vloggers (and is also something Android phones have been capable of doing for north of a decade).
Other rumors here claim that we might see 8K video-recording on the iPhone 17 Pro Max, whereas most previous iPhones maxed out at 4K@60fps. Have in mind that this feature might remain exclusive to the Pro models, as it definitely sounds "pro" enough.
Battery Life and Charging
Cautious optimism
Apple's iPhones are on anupwards trajectory when it comes to battery size and endurance. For example, last year's iPhone 16 Pro Max featured a large 4,685mAh battery, the biggest one ever fitted on an iPhone. The iPhone 15 Pro Max, on the other hand, featured a smaller 4,422mAh battery.
Rumors claim we might see an even larger one on the iPhone 17 Pro Max, likely around 5,000 mAh. The hinted increase in thickness absolutely lends credibility to that possible battery capacity increase.
That's what we love to see, bigger batteries across the board, and we're happy Apple is playing along.
iPhone 17 Pro Max
iPhone 15 Pro Max
Battery size ~5,000 mAh
Battery size 4,422mAh
Wired charging 30W (up to 40W)
Wired charging 25W
Wireless charging 25W
Wireless charging 15W
Currently, charging speeds on the iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to score an upgrade: 30W wired (up to 40W in some scenarios) and 25W MagSafe 2.0 wireless charging are likely coming our way. In comparison, the iPhone 15 Pro Max features slightly slower 25W wired and 15W wireless MagSafe charging, but there might not be such a major time difference here.
A new feature on the upcoming model might be reverse wireless charging, which will probably let you top up your AirPods or Apple Watch in emergencies. Don't expect it to be very fast, though, as rival solutions usually tap out at 5W.
Specs Comparison
Here is how the iPhone 17 Pro Max specs will most certainly compare against the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Although the iPhone 15 Pro Max will be two years old by the time the iPhone 17 Pro Max lands, it still doesn't really feel like it will be majorly outdated by the time the newer phone arrives. It's still a very adequate device that doesn't lack any major features that newer iPhones boast.
Then again, the iPhone 17 Pro Max seems to have a lot in store to lure out even the most devoted iPhone 15 Pro Max users with better performance, battery life, and potential camera improvements.
Of course, we will reserve the judgment for our official review.
Peter, an experienced tech enthusiast at PhoneArena, is captivated by all things mobile. His impartial reviews and proficiency in Android systems offer readers valuable insights. Off-duty, he delves into the latest cryptocurrency trends and enjoys sci-fi and video games.
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