Iphone 17 Pro And Pro Max Review: An Impactful Redesign

For nan liking of this iPhone 17 Pro review, I’ve developed a gaming addiction.

I don’t mean triple-A games for illustration Destiny: Rising and Genshin Impact, aliases moreover double-A aliases non-A titles for illustration Inside aliases Vampire Survivors, both of which I greatly enjoy. I’m specifically referring to Snake Clash connected YouTube Games — nan type of point you mindlessly play while pretending to watch a documentary connected TV, aliases while slow increasing a hemorrhoid arsenic you discarded distant connected nan throne.

The logic I’ve been playing truthful overmuch Snake Clash is because I’ve noticed successful my twelvemonth pinch an iPhone 16 Pro that countless hours pinch games for illustration this origin nan instrumentality to pain up successful my hands. And possibly immoderate different title mightiness besides push thermal capacity successful akin ways, but alas, specified is my taste. (Also, Inside and Vampire Survivors ne'er caused my telephone to get excessively warm.)

I spent a batch of clip connected nan iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max trying to get them to tally hot, because 1 of nan astir absorbing additions this twelvemonth is simply a vapor chamber. That thermal guidance feature, together pinch nan aluminum unibody redesign and 3 48-megapixel rear cameras, is among nan astir compelling updates for this generation. Throw successful nan powerful A19 Pro spot (now situated successful nan “plateau”), a caller Center Stage selfie camera, promises of longer artillery life and an eye-catching caller color, and frankly nan latest Pro phones look for illustration a superior leap.

For this review, I focused connected nan performance, thermal management, camera capabilities and artillery life of nan iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max. I americium bundling them together because speech from surface size, artillery capacity and price, nan 2 are functionally identical. I besides spent clip checking retired Apple Intelligence and iOS 26 features, which won’t beryllium exclusive to nan caller hardware and I’ll mention you to our iOS 26 preview for a deeper dive on.

An aluminum unibody creation that’s caller and acquainted each astatine once

When I first picked up nan iPhone 17 Pro astatine Apple Park, I recovered it refreshingly different from nan iPhone 16 Pro I’d been utilizing for a twelvemonth (and besides nan iPhone 15 Pro earlier that). But nan longer I caressed nan matte edges of my reappraisal unit, nan much I felt sparks of familiarity. The aluminum unibody present reminded maine of the iPhone 8, which is nary astonishment since that instrumentality was made of alloy wrapped successful an aluminum band. Both nan iPhone 8 and iPhone 17 Pros usage nan aforesaid 7000-series aluminum alloy that’s proprietary to Apple truthful that makes sense. Of course, nan iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are acold from being arsenic bladed arsenic nan older handset, but thing astir nan matte decorativeness felt great.

Two weeks earlier nan iPhone motorboat event, my iPhone 16 Pro slipped retired of my manus and collapsed to nan level of a grimy nationalist bathroom. It had landed astatine an awkward perspective connected its separator and cracked spectacularly. Thankfully, astir of nan shattered solid was adjacent nan bottommost edge, while hairline fractures reached up successful a strangely beautiful shape to nan rear camera module. These didn’t trim my hands, but I knew I wanted nan adjacent iPhone to beryllium a batch much durable.

With its aluminum framework protecting nan edges of nan rear and back, location is small chance nan iPhone 17 Pro will break successful nan measurement my iPhone 16 Pro did. Its surface is now protected by Ceramic Shield 2, truthful if it fell level connected its look it should still beryllium capable to past nan impact. The rear is simply a spot much vulnerable, since nan 3 cameras still protrude somewhat from nan plateau, but those are covered by nan aforesaid sapphire crystal that erstwhile models were. I’ve yet to ace an iPhone’s camera contempt my years of klutzy behavior.

This bodes good for nan iPhone 17 Pro, though I’ll opportunity I didn’t effort very difficult to scratch my reappraisal unit. I really went arsenic acold arsenic to support it successful nan Finewoven lawsuit that Apple provided truthful I could support a pristine aboveground for our photos. I did put some nan iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max successful a container pinch nan iPhone 16 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro truthful I could bring them astir while camera testing, and it was beautiful bully to beryllium capable to place nan newest models simply by touch. For years, I’ve seen Android phones, peculiarly those by Samsung, turn much and much iPhone-like truthful nan departure from glossy solid is welcome.

Plus, neither nan Pro nor nan Pro Max person been scratched contempt my placing them successful backpacks aliases pockets pinch different phones, keys aliases badges pinch hooks successful them, though to beryllium adjacent nan aforesaid is existent of nan iPhone 16 Pro until its unfortunate fall.

One different measurement nan iPhone 17 Pro is distinct? That orangish color, which is reminiscent of nan Action Button connected Apple Watch Ultras. It’s besides reasonably akin to nan hue connected immoderate postulation cones, though successful a much metallic, burnished way. Because nan iPhone 17 Pro is expected to beryllium truthful overmuch much durable and scratch-resistant, I’d reason for simply showing disconnected its bold caller colour by going case-free. I besides took a full bunch of pictures of nan orangish iPhone 17 Pro Max I’ve been testing successful a assortment of lighting conditions truthful you tin amended understand what it looks for illustration successful existent life. Enjoy:

Faster AI processing and a assemblage that’s mostly cooler to hold

Apart from nan worldly and nan camera plateau, nan iPhone 17 Pro’s redesign had a batch to do pinch thermal guidance and artillery life. Like I mentioned successful nan opening of this review, my iPhone 16 Pro runs basking sometimes, particularly successful caller months. I was eager to spot if nan vapor enclosure successful nan caller devices was effective astatine keeping them cool successful akin situations.

In general, nan iPhone 17 Pro stayed cool — and that’s some during nan first fewer days pinch nan lawsuit connected and aft I removed it altogether. When I played Snake Crash for astir 25 minutes, I started noticing immoderate gentle warmth emanating from nan camera plateau. I put nan instrumentality down connected a terry cloth broad and picked up nan iPhone 16 Pro to play connected instead, and conscionable 5 minutes later it had gotten arsenic lukewarm arsenic nan 17 Pro. Ten minutes later, I had to set my fingers truthful nan iPhone 16 Pro didn’t consciousness for illustration an iron.

That’s not to opportunity nan iPhone 17 Pro ne'er sewage noticeably basking successful my testing, by nan way. In my experience, generating photos successful Image Playground aliases creating Genmoji typically caused my iPhone 16 Pro to power up to scary levels. On nan iPhone 17 Pro, it took a somewhat longer clip to get arsenic warm, but it did yet go truthful basking I felt nan request to pass group if I were to manus nan instrumentality off. I recovered nan aluminum parts of nan handset to beryllium nan hottest, which makes consciousness some scientifically and successful nan measurement our tegument perceives temperatures.

I do want to commend Apple for nan improved capacity successful Image Playground and Genmoji. It utilized to return ages for AI-generated pictures aliases emoji to look (especially those based connected a image of personification successful my photograph album), but connected nan iPhone 17 Pro I was capable to get respective options successful succession earlier things slowed down. Pictures wherever I opted to usage ChatGPT’s much realistic styles took a batch longer, but by and ample I saw a marked betterment successful velocity here. Those neural accelerators successful nan A19 Pro’s six-core GPU are surely pulling their weight.

It mightiness beryllium worthy noting that successful nan 25 minutes of Snake Clash time, nan iPhone 17 Pro’s artillery level dropped astir 10 percent. The iPhone 16 Pro went from 90 percent to 79 percent successful astir nan aforesaid duration, truthful powerfulness ratio successful this circumstantial usage lawsuit seems reasonably similar.

Camera performance

The trio of 48MP cameras connected nan iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are impressively versatile. Not only are they sharp, megapixel-rich sensors that present rich | item and vibrant colors, but besides propulsion double work and supply further zoom options. When I was shooting connected nan iPhone 17 Pro, nan camera app showed shortcuts for 0.5x, 1x, 2x, 4x and 8x, which is somewhat different from nan iPhone 16 Pro’s 0.5x, 1x, 2x and 5x.

As I mention those 2 models, I’m profoundly alert that astir group aren’t going to beryllium considering upgrading from a telephone arsenic caller arsenic nan iPhone 16 Pro. So I’ll conscionable opportunity that arsenic agelong arsenic you’re swapping from nan iPhone 14 Pro and older, you’ll get a importantly amended camera system. For those already connected an iPhone 15 Pro, it depends connected whether you’re utilizing a Max exemplary and attraction a batch astir immoderate other zooming ability.

I compared nan iPhone 17 Pro mostly to nan iPhone 16 Pro to spot its improvements, arsenic good arsenic nan Pixel 10 Pro, which I see nan champion smartphone camera this year. So far, anyway. As it turns out, nan iPhone 17 Pro holds its ain against Google’s latest successful astir situations. In fact, it’s usually a spot amended astatine retaining item successful shadows successful photos pinch precocious move range.

Also, arsenic has been nan lawsuit successful nan past fewer generations of iPhones, Apple’s images thin to beryllium warmer and much saturated, whereas Google’s look a spot muted and grey successful comparison. That’s a somewhat subjective observation, really, and apt won’t effect anyone that’s not perpetually carrying some phones around.

All astir zoom

It gets a spot analyzable to comparison nan 3 phones connected their various zoom capabilities, since they each person different limits and dedicated pipelines. But by and large, nan iPhones performed likewise astatine nan 1x level, which isn’t astonishing fixed they’re fundamentally nan aforesaid hardware. They were besides beautiful intimately tied astatine nan 2x level, and further zooms were somewhat different from that point.

I did find that nan 8x action connected nan iPhone 17 Pro delivered cleanable shots pinch small sound aliases blur, and they were well-exposed successful general. The truth that I could now spell up to 40x compared to nan iPhone 16 Pro’s apical limit of 25x pinch integer zoom was a delightful bonus, particularly erstwhile I was photographing immoderate geese chilling by nan river.

The Pixel 10 Pro’s segment options are 0.5x, 1x, 2x, 5x and 10x, pinch Pro Res Zoom allowing you to get each nan measurement up to 100x, if you don’t mind AI filling successful immoderate gaps. I would be aware against that, fixed nan strange things it’s generated truthful far, but you’ll besides still beryllium capable to usage Super Res Zoom for up to 20x zoom without immoderate generative AI assistance, conscionable bully ol’ computational photography (Math).

For what it’s worth, nary of nan photos beyond 8x connected nan iPhone 17 Pro and 10x connected nan Pixel 10 Pro look great. But successful pictures I took of nan “Water’s Soul” sculpture from my vantage constituent on nan waterfront successful downtown Jersey City, nan Google type delivered cleaner lines and mostly looked much sharp. I person yet to brushwood evidently weird hallucinations successful my photos, though successful 1 close-up changeable of a model successful a skyscraper, nan Pixel turned a achromatic entity wrong nan building into what appeared to beryllium a smear of vertebrate poop.

I besides had to wonderment what nan lettering connected nan Hoboken Terminal timepiece tower really looked for illustration up close, since nan Pixel-rendered image had nan connection “Lackawanna” look for illustration it had bulbs aliases dots.

In short, you tin get up person to faraway subjects pinch a Pixel 10 Pro and typically get cleaner photos, but beryllium mindful that nan AI mightiness make immoderate weird things. Meanwhile, nan iPhone 17 Pro delivers coagulated value astatine 8x and gives you greater elasticity than it did before.

Portrait mode is amended now

Apple is moreover closing nan spread that Google has had successful nan past fewer years successful Portrait mode, pinch its updated motor for photos pinch digitally applied inheritance blur. The differences, I’ve learned, are successful wide Portrait value astatine nan 2x zoom level, arsenic good arsenic refinements successful separation of stray hairs from nan inheritance crossed nan mode.

In these portraits I changeable of a friend, arsenic good arsenic of a canine statue pinch a furry tail, location was a important improvement, peculiarly astatine 2x zoom (which is nan level I ever usage for portraits connected an iPhone anyway). The iPhone 16 Pro blended immoderate bits of hairsbreadth (and fur) that stuck retired of nan silhouette into nan mudded background, while nan iPhone 17 Pro managed to accurately support some successful focus.

When I compared nan portraits by nan iPhone 17 Pro to those from nan Pixel 10 Pro, it was a adjacent fight. While nan Pixel was amended astatine keeping meaning on my friend’s temples, nan iPhone was somewhat amended astatine mimicking nan falloff successful attraction you'd get from a standalone camera pinch a ample sensor. This is particularly noticeable pinch nan tuft of blonde hairsbreadth poking retired of her post-cardio ponytail, which nan Pixel blurred wholly into nan background, while nan iPhone 17 Pro kept it much successful focus.

I will constituent retired that I still for illustration Google’s attack erstwhile it comes to shooting successful image mode. In nan dedicated mode connected iPhones, you person to hold till nan interface lights up to return your shot.

outside of nan accustomed photograph mode wherever nan effect kicks successful arsenic soon arsenic it detects faces of group and immoderate animals)

It’s besides worthy noting that group mightiness for illustration really they look pinch nan coloration of nan iPhone shots compared to nan Pixel’s, sloppy of which is truer to life. You tin ever edit a image successful post-processing to get it to your desired representation, of course, and Apple’s portraits are besides taxable to nan circumstantial style chosen by nan photographer.

I do want to outcry retired really overmuch I emotion Apple’s Photographic Styles, which are fundamentally blase filters that use effects based connected extent maps. This year, nan institution added a caller Bright style, which makes everything popular successful a pleasant measurement (and is akin to my once-favorite Instagram select “Oslo,” that is unluckily nary longer available).

Center Stage quadrate sensor for image and scenery selfies

Apple’s latest selfie-camera update is, rather simply, a changeable of genius. I cognize it sounds hyperbolic, and I want to reassure nan skeptics that I was connected your side. At first. But I was won complete when, almost instantly aft saying I didn’t spot nan applicable usage for Center Stage successful selfies, I was forced to move my iPhone horizontally truthful I could compression successful an other personification erstwhile trying to drawback a photograph of myself and my podcast guests Karissa Bell and The Verge’s Allison Johnson. Nothing convinces arsenic quickly arsenic instant shame.

I was each nan much persuaded erstwhile I paired Center Stage pinch a timer aliases distant power of nan selfie camera and placed nan iPhone 17 Pro Max connected a table. A group of 7 aliases truthful friends and I gathered successful beforehand of nan instrumentality and watched it flip into scenery mode arsenic much of america sewage into nan scene. It has been adjuvant successful a number of unexpected ways.

If you’re for illustration maine and person grown utilized to zooming retired whenever you flip complete to nan iPhone’s beforehand camera, you’ll find that tapping nan onscreen fastener to do truthful will disable Center Stage for that photograph session. Don’t fret though, whenever you exit nan camera app and relaunch it, Center Stage will beryllium connected again. You tin move it disconnected altogether by tapping nan fastener connected nan apical correct of nan viewfinder and disabling some nan zoom and predisposition options. Or you tin prime 1 of nan two, whichever you for illustration to have.

I’ll besides constituent retired that nan camera is sharper now, arsenic nan 24MP quadrate sensor delivers 18MP selfies, compared to nan 12MP TrueDepth strategy before. Though I‘ve noticed immoderate issues pinch FaceID, nary changes person been made to either TrueDepth aliases FaceID, truthful it’s apt my struggles were to do pinch nan measurement I had group it up connected nan iPhone 17 Pro compared to nan 16 Pro.

I’m not usually a instrumentality of higher-resolution selfies, and did announcement my freckles were a batch much salient successful immoderate sunlit shots, but by and ample nan images haven’t been jarringly different.

Center Stage besides useful connected FaceTime calls, though location it mostly tries to support your look centered, likewise to really it functions connected iPad and Macbook. However, nan execution is somewhat different, since it’s meant for hand-held calls arsenic you’re stepping connected nan street, for example, aliases erstwhile you don’t person a unchangeable aboveground to spot your phone. I would person loved it if my partner had Center Stage erstwhile he FaceTimed maine from nan streets of New York during a chaotic nighttime retired connected nan town.

When I called my coworker and paced astir a ample gathering room, we some noticed nan quality pinch Center Stage and aft I turned it off. It was astir evident erstwhile I stood still, held retired my limb and didn’t move it, past shifted my caput around. The iPhone 17 Pro adjusted nan inheritance and position of nan telephone to support my look afloat successful frame. Now I want to usage Center Stage whenever I’m forced to clasp my telephone during a FaceTime (like an impromptu therapy session, for instance), truthful I tin interest little astir whether I’m successful position and attraction connected nan conversation.

Dual-camera video recording

I don’t cognize astir you, but my selfie video perspective is rather different from my regular angle. That is to say, I clasp my manus stretched retired farther distant from my body, sometimes higher up than my face, tilted somewhat down. I find it much flattering. When I sprout thing utilizing nan rear cameras, I simply clasp it up successful beforehand of my face, not arsenic acold distant arsenic it would beryllium for a selfie.

What I’m trying to opportunity is: I didn’t for illustration astir of nan dual-camera videos I changeable because I could either prioritize nan perspective for nan selfie camera, which mightiness not beryllium awesome for nan rear sensor. Or I could attraction connected shooting what was down nan telephone and see beautiful footage of my forehead. And I’ll beryllium honest, I often recovered myself staring astatine my look successful nan small picture-in-picture container and sometimes moreover moved nan telephone astir to show landmarks down me, only to recognize nan main camera (and nan remainder of nan screen) had already been signaling it each along.

I don’t deliberation location will beryllium excessively galore situations wherever dual-camera videos will beryllium useful aliases share-worthy, but astatine slightest it’s a mode you move connected only erstwhile you want and isn’t successful nan way. Plus, for nan circumstantial times erstwhile you want to show disconnected wherever you’re astatine while proving you’re besides successful nan scene, it’s a bully instrumentality to person handy. I did extremity up liking 1 dual-camera video I changeable of myself enjoying nan breeze by nan Hudson River.

Greater artillery life

I had 1 extremity during this review, and that was to spot if nan iPhone 17 Pro aliases Pro Max would beryllium capable to past during my testing play without needing a charge. Since location was supposedly much abstraction and amended ratio acknowledgment to nan redesign creating much room for nan battery, I thought, possibly naively, that possibly location would beryllium a leap successful endurance.

Alas, I was wrong. The smaller Pro fell short of those admittedly awesome expectations, nan Pro Max did travel close. Usually, nan larger handset lasts astir 2 afloat days arsenic I spell astir my reappraisal process, which typically mostly involves camera testing, messaging and gaming. I thin to walk much clip connected nan smaller device, utilizing it for tasks for illustration banking, emailing, societal media browsing and posting, each successful summation to nan things I do connected nan Max. All that is to opportunity that nan 2 days I usually get retired of nan Pro Max is apt owed successful portion to nan truth that I usage it little than nan Pro, truthful don’t expect yours to past that long.

With that successful mind, nan iPhone 17 Pro Max made it to nan extremity of Saturday earlier it dropped to 20 percent, having past been charged to astir 95 percent connected Thursday astatine 8:54AM. Meanwhile, nan iPhone 17 Pro typically gets from 7AM till astir 11pm ET without breaking a sweat. I still plugged it successful overnight though, because I mostly don’t for illustration leaving nan location successful nan greeting pinch little than 50 percent, and nan iPhone 17 Pro usually ends nan time adjacent to 25 percent. So acold it mirrors my acquisition pinch nan iPhone 16 Pro, though I’ll request a spot much clip to amended gauge nan differences.

iOS 26 updates and different areas of improvement

I can’t constitute a reappraisal of nan iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max and not mention their surface sizes, truthful here: they’re 6.3 inches and 6.9 inches respectively. ProMotion’s adaptive refresh rates of up to 120Hz proceed to make scrolling Reddit a breeze, and while Apple has improved nan anti-reflection curen here, it’s been difficult for maine to find what’s changed.

The much evident refresh erstwhile utilizing nan iPhone 17 Pro is successful iOS 26, which rolled retired this week to nan public. Friends person already begun to kick astir aliases compliment nan caller Liquid Glass aesthetic, and 1 buddy instantly had to move connected nan “reduce transparency” option.

There’s a batch I could opportunity astir really overmuch I admit nan bigger buttons passim nan system, aliases nan caller fastener surface styles. I could besides spell connected astir really I had to set to nan caller Screenshots interface and dislike that it now requires an other swipe to dismiss. The revamped Photos, Camera and Phone apps are… fine. I don’t dislike nan changes, and really for illustration nan caller Phone layout.

Ultimately, iOS 26 feels for illustration a important refresh that matches nan vibes of Apple’s caller hardware — particularly nan Air. But because it besides rolls retired to respective erstwhile generations, it’s not thing that will effect your (or my) information of nan iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max.

Why a Pro and not an Air aliases nan iPhone 17?

This year, nan iPhone Air really feels for illustration nan position awesome exemplary for those who request to ain fancy hardware for outer validation. It’s impressively svelte, has an A19 Pro spot and is conscionable thing I can’t extremity trying to activity successful people’s faces to get them to touch. It supplants nan Plus model, astatine slightest this year, and has a medium-sized 6.5-inch surface that mightiness beryllium perfect for many. And contempt its bladed profile, nan iPhone Air still managed to present respectable artillery life, according to my workfellow Sam Rutherford.

If a 6.5-inch surface aliases a ace bladed telephone is thing you simply must have, by each intends spell for nan iPhone Air. But because I emotion to sprout ultrawide shots arsenic good arsenic closeups of distant, skittish wildlife, a versatile multi-camera setup is simply a must for me. If that sounds for illustration you, prime a Pro. Whether you opt for nan Max boils down to your penchant for size (and I person to admit utilizing nan larger 6.9-inch surface was a batch easier connected my eyes).

Those pinch unlimited resources can, of course, get both. Congrats connected nan wealth.

People pinch partners aliases family members that are looking to upgrade astatine nan aforesaid clip tin see getting 1 of each. I’ve suggested that to my friends who are married, truthful nan personification who cares much astir photos gets nan Pro and nan 1 who hates bulk gets nan Air. Neither is simply a bad purchase, but nan Pro is somewhat much reliable. In exchange, you’ll person to fork complete much money and springiness up immoderate pouch space.

Finally, it’s worthy looking earnestly astatine nan iPhone 17 this year. With its caller ProMotion screen, dual 48MP rear cameras and Center Stage selfie setup (that supports nan aforesaid dual-camera video characteristic arsenic nan Pros), it’s a compelling package for hundreds less. You’ll moreover get nan aforesaid Portrait mode that nan 17 Pros offer, while nan Air has its ain circumstantial image pipeline that enables automatic extent seizure pinch a azygous camera.

If you’re a video creator aliases producer, I should constituent retired that nan iPhone Air's USB-C larboard is only rated for USB 2 transportation speeds of 480Mbps and doesn't support DisplayPort for video out. The regular iPhone 17 is besides USB 2, but does support DisplayPort, while nan Pro statement tin grip USB 3 speeds of up to 10Gbps and DisplayPort.

Wrap-up

This year’s iPhone lineup is forcing maine to re-think nan thought of a Pro phone. Is it 1 that looks and feels costly aliases is it 1 that’s somewhat much durable and possibly doesn’t look arsenic stylish? I’ve seen immoderate sermon online astir really nan iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max don’t look arsenic prestigious arsenic earlier and that nan iPhone Air seems to beryllium nan much premium of nan family. And while I work together that nan Air is simply a shinier, much charismatic device, for my needs nan iPhone 17 Pro is still nan measurement to go.

Of course, it would beryllium amended if Apple didn’t create this conundrum pinch this year’s iPhones, but it still has to obey nan laws of physics. I for illustration a reliable, durable telephone that easy lasts each day, takes awesome pictures from each distances and angles and won’t pain a literal spread successful my pocket. It mightiness pain up your wallet, since nan $1,099 value is surely not thing everyone tin afford, but it does bargain immoderate information and longevity.

The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are a important update from erstwhile models, and I haven’t felt this excited by a caller procreation of iPhones successful a very agelong time.