iPhone 17 Professional and Professional Max evaluation: An impactful redesign via NewsFlicks

For the sake of this iPhone 17 Professional evaluation, I’ve evolved a gaming dependancy.

I don’t imply triple-A video games like Future: Emerging and Genshin Affect, and even double-A or non-A titles like Within or Vampire Survivors, either one of which I very much revel in. I’m in particular relating to Snake Conflict on YouTube Video games — the kind of factor you mindlessly play whilst pretending to look at a documentary on TV, or whilst sitting at the throne, slowly rising a hemorrhoid.

The explanation I’ve been enjoying such a lot Snake Conflict is as a result of I’ve spotted in my 12 months with an iPhone 16 Professional that numerous hours with video games like this purpose the instrument to expend in my fingers. And possibly every other identify may additionally push thermal efficiency in identical tactics, however alas, such is my style. (Additionally, Within and Vampire Survivors by no means brought about my telephone to get too heat.)

I spent a large number of time at the iPhone 17 Professional and Professional Max looking to get them to run sizzling, as a result of one of the vital attention-grabbing additions this 12 months is a vapor chamber. That thermal control characteristic, at the side of the aluminum unibody redesign and 3 48-megapixel rear cameras, is one of the maximum compelling updates for this era. Throw within the tough A19 Professional chip (now located within the “plateau”), a singular Middle Level selfie digicam, guarantees of longer battery lifestyles and an attention-grabbing new colour, and albeit the most recent Professional telephones look like a significant bounce.

For this evaluation, I centered at the efficiency, thermal control, digicam features and battery lifetime of the iPhone 17 Professional and Professional Max. I’m bundling them in combination as a result of except display dimension, battery capability and worth, the 2 are functionally equivalent. I additionally hung out testing Apple Intelligence and iOS 26 options, which received’t be unique to the brand new {hardware} and I’ll refer you to our iOS 26 preview for a deeper dive on.

Editor’s word (on September 19, 8:00AM ET): The iPhone 17 Professional and Professional Max at the moment are formally to be had in stores, and those that have pre-ordered their units will likely be receiving them beginning as of late. As you’re making your selections on whether or not or which of those you will have to purchase, be sure to take a look at our evaluations of the iPhone Air and the iPhone 17, in addition to the AirPods Professional 3 and the Apple Watch Sequence 11. We additionally revealed a more in-depth have a look at the Apple Watch Extremely 3’s satellite tv for pc connectivity characteristic, which has some impressions of what it’s like to make use of in actual lifestyles.

Apple / Engadget

The iPhone 17 Professional is a formidable smartphone with an leading edge selfie gadget, flexible rear cameras and a redesigned external that feels robust. 

Execs

• Cutting edge and helpful Middle Level selfie digicam
• Flexible triple-sensor gadget for rear cameras
• Aluminum unibody feels robust and scratch-resistant
• Stepped forward AI and thermal efficiency

$1,099 at Apple

An aluminum unibody design that’s new and acquainted suddenly

After I first picked up the iPhone 17 Professional at Apple Park, I discovered it refreshingly other from the iPhone 16 Professional I’d been the usage of for a 12 months (and in addition the iPhone 15 Professional ahead of that). However the longer I caressed the matte edges of my evaluation unit, the extra I felt sparks of familiarity. The aluminum unibody right here jogged my memory of the iPhone 8, which isn’t a surprise since that instrument was once manufactured from metal wrapped in an aluminum band. Each the iPhone 8 and iPhone 17 Execs use the similar 7000-series aluminum alloy that’s proprietary to Apple in order that is sensible. In fact, the iPhone 17 Professional and Professional Max are a ways from being as skinny because the older handset, however one thing in regards to the matte end felt nice.

Two weeks ahead of the iPhone release match, my iPhone 16 Professional slipped out of my hand and crashed to the ground of a filthy public toilet. It had landed at a clumsy attitude on its edge and cracked spectacularly. Fortunately, many of the shattered glass was once close to the ground edge, whilst hairline fractures reached up in a unusually lovely development to the rear digicam module. Those didn’t minimize my fingers, however I knew I sought after the following iPhone to be much more sturdy.

With its aluminum body protective the perimeters of the rear and again, there may be little likelihood the iPhone 17 Professional will smash in the best way my iPhone 16 Professional did. Its display is now safe via Ceramic Protect 2, so if it fell flat on its face it will have to nonetheless be capable of continue to exist the affect. The rear is a little more prone, because the 3 cameras nonetheless protrude quite from the plateau, however the ones are coated via the similar sapphire crystal that earlier fashions have been. I’ve but to crack an iPhone’s digicam in spite of my years of klutzy conduct.

This bodes effectively for the iPhone 17 Professional, despite the fact that I’ll say I didn’t check out very arduous to scratch my evaluation unit. I in truth went so far as to stay it within the Finewoven case that Apple equipped within the first few days so I may care for a pristine floor for our evaluation pictures. After doing away with the case, I did put each the iPhone 17 Professional and Professional Max in a bag with the iPhone 16 Professional and Pixel 10 Professional so I may carry them round whilst digicam trying out, and it was once lovely great so that you can establish the most recent fashions just by contact. For years, I’ve noticed Android telephones, specifically the ones via Samsung, develop increasingly iPhone-like so the departure from shiny glass is welcome.

Plus, neither the Professional nor the Professional Max were scratched in spite of my striking them, bare, in backpacks or wallet with different telephones, keys or badges with hooks in them, despite the fact that to be truthful the similar is right of the iPhone 16 Professional till its unlucky fall.

One wrong way the iPhone 17 Professional is distinct? That orange colour, which is harking back to the Motion Button on Apple Watch Ultras. It’s additionally quite very similar to the hue on some site visitors cones, despite the fact that in a extra metal, burnished manner. Since the iPhone 17 Professional is meant to be so a lot more sturdy and scratch-resistant, I’d argue for merely appearing off its daring new colour via going case-free. I additionally took a complete bunch of images of the orange iPhone 17 Professional Max I’ve been trying out in plenty of lighting fixtures prerequisites so you’ll be able to higher perceive what it seems like in actual lifestyles. Revel in:

After publishing this evaluation, I realized our slideshow’s captions mentioned the iPhone 17 Professional was once silver, after I believed it was once white. I set about complaining to our staff in regards to the error when I used to be rightfully knowledgeable it’s in truth silver. So that you will have to remember that the silver iPhone 17 Professional seems to be white on its again, the place the aluminum ends and Ceramic Protect starts.

Sooner AI processing and a frame that’s in large part cooler to carry

Except the fabric and the digicam plateau, the iPhone 17 Professional’s redesign had so much to do with thermal control and battery lifestyles. Like I discussed at first of this evaluation, my iPhone 16 Professional runs sizzling every so often, particularly in contemporary months. I used to be keen to look if the vapor chamber within the new units was once efficient at conserving them cool in identical eventualities.

On the whole, the iPhone 17 Professional stayed cool — and that’s each all over the primary few days with the case on and when I got rid of it altogether. After I performed Snake Crash for roughly 25 mins, I began noticing some mild heat emanating from the digicam plateau. I put the instrument down on a terry material blanket and collected the iPhone 16 Professional to play on as a substitute, and simply 5 mins later it had gotten as heat because the 17 Professional. Ten mins later, I needed to alter my palms so the iPhone 16 Professional didn’t really feel like an iron. In the meantime, the iPhone 17 Professional had cooled down in that point in spite of being on one thing I normally use to stay heat.

That’s to not say the iPhone 17 Professional by no means were given noticeably sizzling in my trying out, via the best way. In my revel in, producing pictures in Symbol Playground or developing Genmoji generally brought about my iPhone 16 Professional to warmth as much as horrifying ranges. At the iPhone 17 Professional, it took a quite longer time to get as heat, nevertheless it did in the end change into so sizzling I felt the want to warn folks if I have been handy the instrument off. I discovered the aluminum portions of the handset to be the most up to date, which is sensible each scientifically and in the best way our pores and skin perceives temperatures.

I do wish to commend Apple for the enhanced efficiency in Symbol Playground and Genmoji. It used to take ages for AI-generated photos or emoji to look (particularly the ones in response to an image of somebody in my picture album), however at the iPhone 17 Professional I used to be in a position to get a number of choices in succession ahead of issues bogged down. Photos the place I opted to make use of ChatGPT’s extra lifelike types took so much longer, however via and big I noticed a marked growth in velocity right here. The ones neural accelerators within the A19 Professional’s six-core GPU are definitely pulling their weight.

It could be price noting that within the 25 mins of Snake Conflict time, the iPhone 17 Professional’s battery degree dropped about ten %. The iPhone 16 Professional went from 90 % to 79 % in kind of the similar period, so energy potency on this particular use case turns out quite identical.

Digital camera efficiency

The trio of 48MP cameras at the iPhone 17 Professional and Professional Max are impressively flexible. No longer most effective are they sharp, megapixel-laden sensors that ship wealthy element and colourful colours, but in addition pull double accountability and supply further zoom choices. When I used to be capturing at the iPhone 17 Professional, the digicam app confirmed shortcuts for 0.5x, 1x, 2x, 4x and 8x, which is quite other from the iPhone 16 Professional’s 0.5x, 1x, 2x and 5x.

As I point out the ones two fashions, I’m deeply mindful that the general public aren’t going to be making an allowance for upgrading from a telephone as contemporary because the iPhone 16 Professional. So I’ll simply say that so long as you’re swapping from the iPhone 14 Professional and older, you’ll get a much better digicam gadget. For the ones already on an iPhone 15 Professional, it will depend on whether or not you’re the usage of a Max style and care so much about some additional zooming talent.

I when compared the iPhone 17 Professional most commonly to the iPhone 16 Professional to look its enhancements, in addition to to the Pixel 10 Professional, since I imagine it to be the most efficient smartphone digicam this 12 months. Thus far, anyway. Because it seems, the iPhone 17 Professional holds its personal in opposition to Google’s newest in maximum eventualities. Actually, it’s normally a little higher at maintaining element in shadows in pictures with prime dynamic vary.

Additionally, as has been the case in the previous couple of generations of iPhones, Apple’s photographs have a tendency to be hotter and extra saturated, while Google’s appear a little muted and grey when compared. That’s a moderately subjective statement, actually, and most likely received’t affect someone that’s now not continuously wearing each telephones round.

All about zoom

It will get a little sophisticated to match the 3 telephones on their quite a lot of zoom features, since all of them have other limits and devoted pipelines. However via and big, the iPhones carried out in a similar way on the 1x degree, which isn’t sudden given they’re principally the similar {hardware}. They have been additionally lovely carefully tied on the 2x degree, and additional zooms have been quite other from that time.

I did in finding that the 8x possibility at the iPhone 17 Professional delivered blank photographs with little noise or blur, and so they have been well-exposed generally. The truth that I may now move as much as 40x in comparison to the iPhone 16 Professional’s best restrict of 25x with virtual zoom was once a lovely bonus, particularly when I used to be photographing some ducks chilling via the river.

The Pixel 10 Professional’s scene choices are 0.5x, 1x, 2x, 5x and 10x, with Professional Res Zoom permitting you to get all of the manner as much as 100x, when you don’t thoughts AI filling in some gaps. I’d warning in opposition to that, given the extraordinary issues it’s generated to this point, however you’ll additionally nonetheless be capable of use Tremendous Res Zoom for as much as 20x zoom with none generative AI help, simply excellent ol’ computational pictures (Math).

For what it’s price, not one of the pictures past 8x at the iPhone 17 Professional and 10x at the Pixel 10 Professional glance nice. However in photos I took of the “Water’s Soul” sculpture from my vantage level alongside the waterfront in downtown Jersey Town, the Google model delivered cleaner strains and typically appeared extra sharp. I’ve but to come across clearly bizarre hallucinations in my pictures, despite the fact that in a single close-up shot of a window in a skyscraper, the Pixel became a white object within the construction into what gave the look to be a smear of chook poop.

As an apart, I additionally needed to surprise what the lettering at the Hoboken Terminal clock tower in truth seemed like up shut, because the Pixel-rendered symbol had the phrase “Lackawanna” appear adore it had bulbs or dots.

Briefly, you’ll be able to stand up nearer to remote topics with a Pixel 10 Professional and generally get cleaner pictures, however have in mind that the AI may generate some bizarre issues. In the meantime, the iPhone 17 Professional delivers cast high quality at 8x and will give you higher flexibility than it did ahead of.

Portrait mode is healthier now

Apple is even final the space that Google has had in the previous couple of years in Portrait mode, with its up to date engine for pictures with digitally carried out background blur. The variations, I’ve discovered, are in total Portrait high quality on the 2x zoom degree, in addition to refinements in separation of stray hairs from the background around the mode.

In those portraits I shot of a pal, in addition to of a canine statue with a bushy tail, there was once a vital growth, specifically at 2x zoom (which is the extent I at all times use for portraits on an iPhone anyway). The iPhone 16 Professional combined some bits of hair (and fur) that caught out of the silhouette into the mudded background, whilst the iPhone 17 Professional controlled to correctly stay each in center of attention.

After I when compared the portraits via the iPhone 17 Professional to these from the Pixel 10 Professional, it was once an in depth struggle. Whilst the Pixel was once higher at conserving definition alongside my pal’s temples, the iPhone was once quite higher at mimicking the falloff in center of attention you’ll get from a standalone digicam with a big sensor. That is particularly noticeable with the tuft of blonde hair poking out of her post-cardio ponytail, which the Pixel blurred utterly into the background, whilst the iPhone 17 Professional stored it extra in center of attention.

I can indicate that I nonetheless want Google’s means relating to capturing in portrait mode. Within the devoted mode on iPhones, you need to wait until the interface lighting as much as take your shot. That is outdoor of the standard picture mode the place the impact kicks in as quickly because it detects faces of folks and a few animals. On a Pixel, you’ll be able to merely swipe to Portrait mode, intention your digicam and snap — no want to look ahead to the gadget to let you know it is ok to shoot.

It’s additionally price noting that individuals may want how they give the impression of being with the colour of the iPhone photographs in comparison to the Pixel’s, irrespective of which is more true to lifestyles. You’ll at all times edit an image in post-processing to get it for your desired illustration, after all, and Apple’s portraits also are topic to the precise taste selected via the photographer.

I do wish to shout out how a lot I really like Apple’s Photographic Types, which might be principally refined filters that practice results in response to intensity maps. This 12 months, the corporate added a brand new Brilliant taste, which makes the whole lot pop in a nice manner (and is very similar to my once-favorite Instagram filter out “Oslo,” this is sadly not to be had).

Middle Level sq. sensor for portrait and panorama selfies

Apple’s newest selfie-camera replace is, relatively merely, a stroke of genius. I realize it sounds hyperbolic, and I wish to reassure the skeptics that I used to be for your aspect. In the beginning. However I used to be received over when, virtually instantly after announcing I didn’t see the sensible use for Middle Level in selfies, I used to be compelled to show my iPhone horizontally so I may squeeze in an additional particular person when looking to seize a photograph of myself and my podcast visitors Karissa Bell and The Verge’s Allison Johnson. Not anything convinces as briefly as fast disgrace.

I used to be all of the extra persuaded after I paired Middle Level with a timer or far off keep watch over of the selfie digicam and positioned the iPhone 17 Professional Max on a desk. A gaggle of 7 or so buddies and I accumulated in entrance of the instrument and watched it turn into panorama mode as extra people were given into the scene. It’s been useful in numerous surprising tactics.

When you’re like me and feature grown used to zooming out every time you turn over to the iPhone’s entrance digicam, you’ll in finding that tapping the onscreen button to take action will disable Middle Level for that picture consultation. Don’t be troubled despite the fact that, every time you go out the digicam app and relaunch it, Middle Level will likely be on once more. You’ll flip it off altogether via tapping the button at the best proper of the viewfinder and disabling each the zoom and orientation choices. Or you’ll be able to make a choice some of the two, whichever you would like have.

I’ll additionally indicate that the digicam is sharper now, because the 24MP sq. sensor delivers 18MP selfies, in comparison to the 12MP TrueDepth gadget ahead of. Regardless that I‘ve spotted some problems with FaceID, no adjustments were made to both TrueDepth or FaceID, so it’s most likely my struggles have been to do with the best way I had set it up at the iPhone 17 Professional in comparison to the 16 Professional.

I’m now not normally partial to higher-resolution selfies, and did understand my freckles have been much more outstanding in some sunlit photographs, however via and big the photographs haven’t been jarringly other.

Middle Level additionally works on FaceTime calls, even though there it most commonly tries to stay your face targeted, in a similar way to the way it purposes on iPad and Macbook. On the other hand, the execution is quite other, because it’s intended for hand held calls as you’re strolling in the street, as an example, or whilst you don’t have a strong floor to position your telephone. I’d have cherished it if my spouse had Middle Level when he FaceTimed me from the streets of New York all over a wild evening out in town.

After I referred to as my coworker and paced round a big assembly room, we each spotted the variation with Middle Level and when I became it off. It was once most evident after I stood nonetheless, held out my arm and didn’t transfer it, then shifted my head round. The iPhone 17 Professional adjusted the background and think about of the decision to stay my face absolutely in body. Now I wish to use Middle Level every time I’m compelled to carry my telephone all over a FaceTime (like an impromptu treatment consultation, as an example), so I will fear much less about whether or not I’m in view and concentrate on the dialog.

Twin-camera video recording

I don’t learn about you, however my selfie video attitude is relatively other from my common attitude. This is to mention, I cling my hand stretched out farther clear of my frame, every so often greater up than my face, tilted quite down. I in finding it extra flattering. After I shoot anything else the usage of the rear cameras, I merely cling it up in entrance of my face, now not as a ways away as it could be for a selfie.

What I’m looking to say is: I didn’t like many of the dual-camera movies I shot as a result of I may both prioritize the attitude for the selfie digicam, which will not be nice for the rear sensor. Or I may center of attention on capturing what was once at the back of the telephone and come with gorgeous photos of my brow. And I’ll be fair, I ceaselessly discovered myself gazing my face within the little picture-in-picture field and every so often even moved the telephone round to turn landmarks at the back of me, most effective to understand the primary digicam (and the remainder of the display) had already been recording all of it alongside.

I don’t assume there will likely be too many eventualities the place dual-camera movies will likely be helpful or share-worthy, however a minimum of it’s a style you activate most effective when you need and isn’t in the best way. Plus, for the precise instances when you need to blow their own horns the place you’re at whilst proving you’re additionally within the scene, it’s a pleasing instrument to have to hand. I did finally end up liking one dual-camera video I shot of myself playing the breeze via the Hudson River.

Better battery lifestyles

I had one function all over this evaluation, and that was once to look if the iPhone 17 Professional or Professional Max would be capable of remaining all over my trying out length while not having a rate. Since there was once supposedly more room and higher potency because of the redesign developing more space for the battery, I believed, in all probability naively, that possibly there can be a bounce in staying power.

Alas, I used to be improper. The smaller Professional fell wanting the ones admittedly nice expectancies, the Professional Max did come shut. Typically, the bigger handset lasts about two complete days as I am going about my evaluation procedure, which generally most commonly comes to digicam trying out, messaging and gaming. I have a tendency to spend extra time at the smaller instrument, the usage of it for duties like banking, emailing, social media surfing and posting, all along with the issues I do at the Max. All this is to mention that the 2 days I generally get out of the Professional Max is most likely due partly to the truth that I take advantage of it lower than the Professional, so don’t be expecting yours to remaining that lengthy.

With that during thoughts, the iPhone 17 Professional Max made it to the tip of Saturday ahead of it dropped to twenty %, having remaining been charged to about 95 % on Thursday at 8:54AM. In the meantime, the iPhone 17 Professional generally will get from 7AM until about 11pm ET with out breaking a sweat. I nonetheless plugged it in in a single day despite the fact that, as a result of I typically don’t like leaving the home within the morning with lower than 50 %, and the iPhone 17 Professional normally ends the day on the subject of 25 %. Thus far it mirrors my revel in with the iPhone 16 Professional, despite the fact that I’ll want a little extra time to higher gauge the variations.

iOS 26 updates and different spaces of growth

I will’t write a evaluation of the iPhone 17 Professional and Professional Max and now not point out their display sizes, so right here: they’re 6.3 inches and six.9 inches respectively. ProMotion’s adaptive refresh charges of as much as 120Hz proceed to make scrolling Reddit a breeze, and whilst Apple has advanced the anti-reflection remedy right here, it’s been arduous for me to resolve what’s modified.

The extra obtrusive refresh when the usage of the iPhone 17 Professional is in iOS 26, which rolled out this week to the general public. Pals have already begun to bitch about or praise the brand new Liquid Glass aesthetic, and one pal instantly needed to flip at the “cut back transparency” possibility.

There’s so much I may say about how a lot I admire the larger buttons right through the gadget, or the brand new lock display types. I may additionally move on about how I needed to alter to the brand new Screenshots interface and hate that it now calls for an additional swipe to disregard. The remodeled Pictures, Digital camera and Telephone apps are… tremendous. I don’t hate the adjustments, and in truth like the brand new Telephone structure.

In the long run, iOS 26 appears like a vital refresh that fits the vibes of Apple’s new {hardware} — particularly the Air. However as it additionally rolls out to a number of earlier generations, it’s now not one thing that may affect your (or my) analysis of the iPhone 17 Professional and Professional Max.

Why a Professional and now not an Air or the iPhone 17?

This 12 months, the iPhone Air in truth feels just like the standing image style for individuals who want to personal fancy {hardware} for exterior validation. It’s impressively svelte, has an A19 Professional chip and is simply one thing I will’t forestall looking to wave in folks’s faces to get them to the touch. It supplants the Plus style, a minimum of this 12 months, and has a medium-sized 6.5-inch display that could be excellent for plenty of. And in spite of its skinny profile, the iPhone Air nonetheless controlled to ship decent battery lifestyles, in step with my colleague Sam Rutherford.

If a 6.5-inch display or an excellent skinny telephone is one thing you merely should have, via all approach opt for the iPhone Air. However as a result of I like to shoot ultrawide photographs in addition to closeups of far away, skittish natural world, a flexible multi-camera setup is a should for me. If that sounds such as you, pick out a Professional. Whether or not you go for the Max boils down for your desire for dimension (and I’ve to confess the usage of the bigger 6.9-inch display was once so much more straightforward on my eyes).

The ones with limitless sources can, after all, get each. Congrats at the wealth.

Other folks with companions or members of the family that want to improve on the similar time can imagine getting one among every. I’ve steered that to my buddies who’re married, so the one that cares extra about pictures will get the Professional and the person who hates bulk will get the Air. Nor is a foul acquire, however the Professional is quite extra dependable. In change, you’ll must fork over more cash and surrender some pocket area.

In the end, it’s price having a look significantly on the iPhone 17 this 12 months. With its new ProMotion display, twin 48MP rear cameras and Middle Level selfie setup (that helps the similar dual-camera video characteristic because the Execs), it’s a compelling bundle for masses much less. You’ll even get the similar Portrait mode that the 17 Execs be offering, whilst the Air has its personal particular symbol pipeline that allows automated intensity seize with a unmarried digicam.

When you’re a video writer or manufacturer, I will have to indicate that the iPhone Air’s USB-C port is most effective rated for USB 2 switch speeds of 480Mbps and does not reinforce DisplayPort for video out. The common iPhone 17 may be USB 2, however does reinforce DisplayPort, whilst the Professional line can care for USB 3 speeds of as much as 10Gbps and DisplayPort.

Wrap-up

This 12 months’s iPhone lineup is forcing me to re-think the speculation of a Professional telephone. Is it one who seems to be and feels dear or is it one who’s quite tougher and possibly doesn’t seem as fashionable? I’ve noticed some discourse on-line about how the iPhone 17 Professional and Professional Max don’t glance as stylish as ahead of and that the iPhone Air appears to be the extra top rate of the circle of relatives. And whilst I agree that the Air is a shinier, extra horny instrument, for my wishes the iPhone 17 Professional continues to be find out how to move.

In fact, it could be higher if Apple didn’t create this conundrum with this 12 months’s iPhones, nevertheless it nonetheless has to obey the rules of physics. I love a competent, sturdy telephone that simply lasts all day, takes nice photos from all distances and angles and received’t burn a literal hollow in my pocket. It would expend your pockets, because the $1,099 value is on no account one thing everybody can find the money for, nevertheless it does purchase some safety and longevity.

The iPhone 17 Professional and Professional Max are a vital replace from earlier fashions, and I haven’t felt this interested by a brand new era of iPhones in a long time.