Assessment: The iPhone 17 Professional Max is a mighty personnel by way of NewsFlicks

One thing abnormal has came about to Apple’s iPhone lineup. For years, the corporate’s “Professional” iPhones weren’t handiest probably the most succesful telephones bearing an Apple brand, but in addition probably the most fascinating.

Now, with the creation of iPhone Air, the iPhone 17 Professional Max feels other. It’s nonetheless the most efficient telephone Apple sells, and perhaps the most efficient telephone you’ll purchase, length. However the iPhone Air’s slender profile and feather-light weight have, in some way, uncovered the iPhone 17 Professional Max because the pickup truck you employ for paintings, somewhat than the sports activities automotive Apple desires it to be. (And prefer your paintings truck, it is usually at risk of scratching.)

I’ve spent a few week with the brand new iPhone 17 Professional Max (Apple additionally despatched me the iPhone 17 Professional, however I am nonetheless absolutely checking out that one), and I used to be extremely joyful with the telephone’s lengthy battery existence, very good cameras, and, merely, the truth that that is the iPhone that has all of it. It’s the appropriate telephone for me, the tech nerd. However I will’t break out the truth that the iPhone Air is, smartly, prettier.

Apple iPhone 17 Professional Max: Value and specifications

Is it me, or must the Apple brand be just a little upper?
Credit score: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

The brand new Apple iPhone 17 Professional and Professional Max have a brand new chip, greater battery, stepped forward cameras, and extra garage — a sexy thorough set of enhancements around the board. The adaptation between the 2 telephones are handiest in dimension, weight, and battery existence, which is rated as lasting more or less 20% longer at the Professional Max. Oh, and you’ll handiest get the iPhone 17 Professional Max with 2TB of cupboard space; the iPhone 17 Professional handiest is going as much as 1TB.

Listed here are the important thing specifications for the iPhone 17 Professional Max:

• Show: 6.9-inch, Tremendous Retina XDR show with 120Hz refresh fee

• Design: Aluminum unibody with Ceramic Protect on back and front

• Rear cameras: 48 megapixel triple rear digicam array with 8x optical-quality zoom

• Entrance digicam: 18-megapixel selfie digicam

• Processor: Apple A19 Professional chip with a 6-core CPU, 6-core GPU, and 16-core Neural Engine

• Garage: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB

• Battery existence: As much as 39 hours of video playback (33 hours for the iPhone 17 Professional)

• Speedy charging: As much as 50 p.c of fee in 20 mins with a 40W adapter or upper

• Tool: iOS 26

• Particular options: 3,000 nit brightness, vapor chamber cooling device

As for the associated fee, I do not need a large number of just right information. The iPhone 17 Professional begins at $1,099, whilst the iPhone 17 Professional Max begins at $1,199, each 100 dollars greater than ultimate yr’s Professional fashions. A minimum of the Professional now begins with 256GB of garage as a substitute of handiest 128GB.

Apple iPhone 17 Professional Max: Design and show

Apple’s wallpapers recreation hasn’t been nice in recent years, however iOS 26 gives deep customization choices, so you’ll create your individual best glance.
Credit score: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

The brand new Professional fashions have a completely new design in comparison to the former fashions. The frame is product of aluminum as a substitute of titanium, forgoing some glamour however reducing weight and making improvements to thermal conductivity. The sides of the telephone are actually pleasantly cushy to touch, and the facet buttons are all in the appropriate position, aside from for the Digicam Keep an eye on button, which I saved urgent accidentally till I absolutely disabled it from the Settings (the Digicam Keep an eye on button was once offered with the former style; I didn’t find it irresistible then, both).

The 3-piece digicam device is now put on an elongated plateau at the again, with an oblong floor house under, which has a moderately lighter colour than the remainder of the telephone.

The TechWoven case has a techy glance that matches the brand new Professional fashions smartly.
Credit score: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

The way in which this all ties in combination relies so much at the colour. The funky orange is an eye-catcher, and it suits the brand new design smartly, even giving it a type of a heavy equipment really feel. Apple despatched me a Professional Max in Deep Blue, and the Professional in Silver, and I’m no longer loopy about both. The Silver accentuates the lighter floor house at the again an excessive amount of, and it seems like one thing must be there however isn’t. Deep Blue is extra subdued and reasonably great in itself, however I nonetheless didn’t thoughts putting it within the new TechWoven case which covers the abnormal rectangle at the again.

A handy guide a rough phrase on TechWoven: I find it irresistible. It looks like a extra powerful tackle FineWoven and that’s precisely what was once required, given FineWoven’s propensity to wear out abruptly after a couple of months of use. The cultured suits the Professional fashions, although it’s no longer ideally suited for the mild determine of the iPhone Air. There’s a explanation why a large number of other people make a selection the fairway TechWoven case with the orange iPhone 17 Professional; it seems like one thing that got here out of a online game.

A phrase of caution: As many customers have spotted, the iPhone 17 Professional and Professional max are at risk of scratching, so do not disregard to put money into an iPhone 17 Professional Max case.

I am not loopy in regards to the Digicam Keep an eye on button, however I dig the graceful edges and total really feel of the aluminum frame.
Credit score: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

The 6.9-inch show hasn’t modified a lot from the former technology, but it surely’s now extra immune to cracks and scratches, due to the brand new Ceramic Protect 2. It additionally has upper top brightness (3,000 vs. 2,000 nits at the earlier style) and anti-reflective coating, which do make a noticeable distinction in daylight.

It doesn’t matter what you call to mind the design, there’s no query that the iPhone 17 Professional Max is a large, heavy telephone (that is in particular obvious should you’ve ever held the iPhone Air). With the TechWoven case on and my Apple Pockets magnetically hooked up to the again, this factor is a unit. Whilst I do suppose a case is a good suggestion, I’ll more than likely ditch it check out my good fortune with out it, for the reason that added heft was once simply an excessive amount of for me.

The iPhone 17 Professional telephones appear to be brutes subsequent to the sublime iPhone Air.
Credit score: CNET

Apple iPhone 17 Professional Max: Efficiency and AI

My day-to-day motive force previous to switching to the 17 Professional Max was once Apple’s “reasonably priced” style, the iPhone 16e. Although those telephones are separated by way of only one technology of Apple silicon, the iPhone 17 Professional Max felt so much sooner and so much smoother, due to the brand new, A19 chip inside of, and the 120Hz ProMotion show. The battery lasted longer, the cameras had been hugely higher; frankly, it was once night time and day. Don’t let any individual let you know that telephones don’t reinforce a lot at the present time; it’s no longer true.

You’ll spec the Professional with as much as 2TB of garage, which I believe is smart completely for video creators. I’ve examined the variant with 1TB, however I may just simply make do with part as a lot.

Unsurprisingly, GeekBench effects position this telephone on the most sensible of the heap.
Credit score: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

When Apple offered iOS 26 and its new Liquid Glass person interface, I put in the primary developer beta and was once right away anxious that this new glance slows down the telephone an excessive amount of. I’m satisfied to mention that Apple controlled to shine this to the purpose that I’ve skilled no evident slowdowns with the newest model of iOS 26 put in at the iPhone 17 Professional Max. I really like the glance, and I really like the truth that you’ll customise it to be as “liquidy” as you favor. Even if I grew to become on the entire visible pizzaz, the telephone was once nonetheless very rapid.

On a regular basis duties equivalent to texting, surfing, and observing movies gained’t truly push this telephone to the restrict. However taking part in a recreation for a number of hours will run the chips inside of scorching. That is why Apple added a vapor chamber cooling device to the iPhone 17 Professional and Professional Max which – blended with the aluminum case – must make the telephone so much cooler whilst gaming. My recreation of selection on a telephone is PUBG, and after an hour of (very easy) gaming, the iPhone did get moderately scorching, however by no means to the purpose that it was an issue.

I have liquified the UI to the max and the telephone was once nonetheless very rapid.
Credit score: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

Apple’s tackle AI remains to be no longer the most efficient. Siri is meant to be smarter (most commonly via integration with OpenAI’s ChatGPT), however ask about one thing extra advanced than the elements and you’ll be able to ceaselessly get the outdated “I did not get that, may just you check out once more” reaction.

Different options equivalent to Symbol Playground are neat, however a a long way cry from the stuff you’ll do with freely (or cost effectively) to be had gear on-line.

Apple iPhone 17 Professional Max: The cameras are superb

The triple 48-megapixel digicam device in this telephone is the most efficient I’ve ever attempted. The primary sensor captures wealthy and detailed pictures. Low gentle images is so just right that you’ll snap a shot in near-total darkness and get a photograph that appears find it irresistible was once taken right through the day.

Colours are correct, the photograph is sharp and detailed.
Credit score: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

Zoom is especially just right, and it’s no longer only a parlor trick. If you happen to snap a photograph at 1x and zoom in digitally, you gained’t be nowhere close to the volume of element that you’ll get with 2x, 4x, or 8x zoom. At the turn facet, the photograph high quality is reasonably constant as much as 4x zoom, or even at 8x zoom (which lowers the photograph answer to twelve megapixels) the standard is lovely nice. Which means you need to use the zoom function in this telephone, and use it ceaselessly.

Left:
Extremely sharp and detailed at 2x magnification.
Credit score: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

Proper:
At 8x zoom, the photograph is just a little blurrier and the pixel depend is decrease. However it is nonetheless lovely superb given how a long way I used to be from the topic.
Credit score: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

However possibly the most efficient factor about this digicam device is how seamlessly all of it ties in combination. Maximum new Android telephones have these kinds of features (and extra) on paper, however you’ll get combined effects from photograph to photograph. At the iPhone 17 Professional Max, as a rule you’ll simply snap pictures and no longer fear about time of day or the zoom degree you’re the usage of, all of it finally ends up browsing nice.

This photograph was once taken proper after sunset, but it surely appears so much brighter than that. The blurriness in the main points and a few noise when zoomed in finds that the sensor was once scrambling to get extra gentle.
Credit score: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

The one moderately disappointing part of the rear digicam is the ultra-wide sensor, even though it additionally has a 48-megapixel answer. If you happen to cross large, the picture will flatten, you’ll lose focal point and a large amount of element. It’s nonetheless a good ultra-wide photograph, however you need to use the primary sensor on every occasion imaginable.

Left:
At 1x, you’ll zoom in and skim the signal at the development.
Credit score: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

Proper:
At 0.5x, the ultra-wide symbol is so much blurrier, and loads of main points are misplaced.
Credit score: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

Movies are similarly nice. On-line, you’ll in finding movies showcasing the ability of the iPhone 17 Professional Max’s digicam by way of zooming in at musicians from a long way away till you nearly get a good first-row view. The truth that you’ll get a gentle video like this the low-light atmosphere of a live performance is extremely spectacular. I have achieved a identical demonstration in sunlight, going from max zoom to 1x magnification; test it out under.

Selfies are lovely nice, with Apple including a brand new, very cool trick of having the ability to transfer from portrait to panorama. Very helpful when taking selfies of a bunch.

Glance, a panorama selfie! Pity I haven’t any buddies to take selfies with :(.
Credit score: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

Apple iPhone 17 Professional Max: Battery existence

Battery existence was once arduous to check as it lasted manner longer than I anticipated. In my first couple of days of utilization, I saved forgetting about charging, merely for the reason that telephone all the time had sufficient battery existence left. Then I began logging the knowledge, and the telephone frequently had about 50% fee after a complete day’s use.

Arising from iPhone 16e, which already has very good battery existence, this can be a large growth. It’s a telephone that I will disregard to fee two times and now have some juice left at the 3rd day. In truth, I don’t suppose I want extra battery existence than what the iPhone 17 Professional Max gives. Certain, extra is all the time higher, however that is in spite of everything a telephone that can ultimate you via that three-leg, two-continent flight you’re taking as soon as in a life-time.

It additionally fees rapid. Apple says you’ll get a 50% fee in about 20 mins with a quick charger. I’ve charged it the usage of my MacBook’s charger and were given from 10 to 60% in 25 mins.

Is the Apple iPhone 17 Professional Max value it?

The brand new iPhone 17 Professional Max is superb, however it is large and heavy. Possibly the smaller Professional style is a better option for most of the people.
Credit score: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

The 17 Professional Max is the most efficient iPhone, length. It has a big, stunning show, very good cameras, and lengthy battery existence. If you’ll come up with the money for it, purchase it.

The one possible drawbacks value taking into account are the scale and the burden. It’s a large, heavy telephone, and should you slap on a case (which, once more, you most likely must), it’s going to be even heavier. The iPhone 17 Professional has nearly precisely the similar specifications, but it surely’s smaller and lighter, making it a greater are compatible for some other people. As for the iPhone Air, it’s the slimmest, nicest-looking, sexiest telephone within the new lineup, however its digicam device is leagues at the back of the only at the Professional fashions.